I decided to write this post after I recently came across a fellow mom blog who had a detailed bucket list of things she would like to do in her life before she kicks it. Swimming with dolphins was one of them.
I’m not linking to this woman’s blog, who happens to be a TV news reporter, as she doesn’t need to be attacked by animal rights activists. But as a fellow parent who’s job it is to teach our children compassion and as a fellow writer and sometimes journalist who’s job requires being a savvy researcher, I was disappointed to see that swimming with dolphins was up there with visiting another country and opening a 401(k).
I don’t think people understand that more harm than good is being done when you swim with dolphins who are in captive environments. So here it is folks…
For starters, the capturing of dolphins is traumatic and stressful and often results in injury and death.
Dolphins are trained to look as if they perform because they like it. This isn’t the case. Tailwalking and playing ball are trained behaviors that do not occur in the wild. Dolphins perform because they have been deprived of food. Hold food in front of me when I am famished and I too would jump through hoops to get to it.
Most captive dolphins are confined in minuscule tanks containing chemically treated artificial seawater. Dolphins in a tank are severely restricted in using their highly developed sonar, which is one of the most damaging aspects of captivity. It is similar to forcing a person to live in a maze of mirrors for the rest of their life – their image always bouncing back with no clear direction in sight.
Perhaps the saddest part of dolphin captivity is how short their lives are. The average life span of a dolphin in the wild is 45 years; yet half of all captured dolphins die within their first two years of captivity. The survivors last an average of only five years in captivity.
Wild dolphins can swim 40 to 100 miles per day – in pools they go around in circles.
The truth behind swimming with dolphins could help set them free.
These are simple facts that people and especially parents, should know. If you think it would be cute to get snapshots of your spawn swimming with dolphins during your next vacation to Atlantis in the Bahamas, please, think again.
As a vet tech one of the biggest part of my job is to be an animal advocate. Owners are thinking about their feelings/emotions. Vets are thinking about diagnostics. But I have to think about the animal’s welfare. (That’s not to say owners and vets are heartless but they are very different points of view)
It really saddens me to read articles like this but I applaud you for writing about this subject. One of my instructors in school was an exotics specialist who worked part time for the Denver aquarium. A lot of her work was research involved better understanding endangered species so that they can be saved, but the really sad fact is that research doesn’t pay the bills, and so the owners of aquariums pull gimmicks like “dolphin swimming” to get people to come.
I’ve seen dolphins (and seals, sea lions, and whales) in the wild, growing up boating. It is one of the most beautiful things. But we always kept our distance and if they came close we stopped moving until they passed, allowing them to choose how close they came. But it always angered me to see the “whale watching” boats getting so close to those wild animals. … I kind of secretly hoped the wales would get PO’ed and flip the flimsy boats with their tails.
So… that was a long rant to say “Awesome article!”
Kira! I love vet techs like you who get it. Unfortunately though, a lot don’t. Will you go on to become a vet some day?
-on a side note the Denver aquarium doesn’t have dolphins… although we do have “swim with the sharks” who are extremely well fed so they don’t eat the pretty fish that live in in the tank with them. *rolling eyes at the stupidity of it all*
This is very insightful and makes me recall the horrors of the The Cove. Here in L.A., they do not have dolphins at the aquarium, which is a terrible place anyway in my opinion. I avoid the aquarium and zoos.
But I have to confess to taking part in a swimming with wild dolphins in Hawaii when I lived there. A boat with a research staff goes where the pods swim in everyday and they track their activities and allow people to swim with them. It’s expensive and very, very respectful of their environment. We had to be very quiet and never swim at them. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life and very much about observation. While it is disruptive to their habitat, I think it is much better idea than in captivity.
By the way, how have the nights been. Any better?
Hi Heather! I think it’s *awesome* what you did in Hawaii and have read about programs like the one you did and yes, have heard they are not cheap. I hope my preachy-ness came through in that I am anti-swimming with dolphins in captivity. If anyone has the opportunity to swim with them in their natural environment then I am envious, but you are an anomaly. For every one of you there are 10 folks holding on to what they think is Flipper down in Florida.
When I was a kid I wanted to be a marine cetalogist – doing things like the research staff was doing that gave you access to them.
Sleep… it’s so inconsistent. We are having some good nights (he slept till 5:30 this morning but two nights ago he was up at 12:45 and in bed with us till 6.) I bought the orajel which may be working, but there’s so much more going on with our sleep issues. For starters, his crib is on our bedroom. Gasp! Once we get a two bedroom (we are looking) I think we will be able to work at this more.
Reedu – I don’t see myself going onto becoming a vet. It’s a lot of school, most come out with over $100,000 in student loans. And they don’t make much more than a really go technician. And I don’t want to be the one worrying about paperwork, making sure the clinic is making money and having to make life-and-death-calls. I really love being a tech, getting to focus on educating clients and taking care of the animals. (Vet’s give the orders, prescriptions etc but we are the ones that carry them out usually)
But who knows? Maybe in 5 years I’ll get bored and want to be a vet. But I think technician is an important enough job
Hi Ree,
Oh, yeah — it was very clear that you were refering to the aquariums.
And here’s my gasp! My son and I sleep together while my husband sleeps in another room. It started when my son was 7 months and he’s 3 1/2. It has really worked well for us. I know other couples that do this but few admit it openly.
I always say that our relationship is not built on the hours we lay next to each other unconscience. After a few good nights a sleep, our relationship is great since we are more rested our time wakeful together was higher quality. All kids love to sleep with their parents — I can speak for many parents who like sleeping with their kids.
Granted you have a space issue but I can attest — we are very happily married and when I threw in the towel on the sleeping issue, I was happier. Personally, my husband snoring is very distracting!