It looks fantastic, doesnt it? Upbeat, epic music, beautiful colours, seemingly happy orcas jumping around, playing with their trainers and waving at the audience. These orcas must all be very happy, right? And when you get told that you can learn a lot about orcas and conservation from these shows too, what could be better than spending a day at SeaWorld or any other dolphinarium? Sadly, this is only the truth for those who are not aware of a dolphins biology and behaviour. They are very unfit for a life amid concrete walls. The truth is that SeaWorld and other dolphinariums cant keep their animals alive. Dolphins (orcas are also dolphins) are dying left and right, and they are dying very young. Dolphins cannot thrive in a tank. Their primary sense is not vision, like it is for humans, but hearing, and they have the worlds most advanced sonar. Imagine the worlds most advanced sonar in a concrete tank, with sound bouncing off the walls all the time. Dolphins get stressed out in tanks because of many factors. The noisy filtration systems, the cheering audience, loud music, food deprivation... Yes, all performing dolphins are deprived of food. Why do you think they perform? For fun? Think again. They do it because they are hungry. Dolphins are also forced to live in artificial pods when put together in the same pool. This can be stressful for the animals, because they are forced to be with individuals they would have avoided in the wild. Did you know that the dolphins food (fish) is dead, usually thawed fish filled with medicines, tranquilizers and gelatine? Gelatine is added to the fish because the quality is too bad to contain all the water the dolphins need. Dolphins and orcas are very intelligent animals, and intelligent animals get easily bored. At SeaWorld Orlando, the big male Tilikum is often seen floating for hours at the same place, obviously bored. No wonder why he (and several other orcas) have attacked and brutally killed several humans. The artificial seawater is causing the dolphins skin problems, and the shallow pools offer no protection from the blazing sun, and the animals often get sunburned. Dolphinariums get their dolphins from Taiji in Japan in most cases. When a dolphin dies, it is replaced by a new dolphin shipped from Taiji. When you go to a dolphinarium, you help supporting a massive dolphin slaughter performed at The Cove every year. I could write so much more, but instead I post a few links for you to check out. If you love dolphins, dont buy a ticket to a dolphin show or swim with-program! wdcs.org/submissions_bin/Introduction_to_Captivity.pdf thecovemovie blackfishmovie responsibletravel/copy/swimming-with-dolphins-the-experience-of-a-lifetime
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:37:36 +0000
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