Swim with the Dolphins By Dr Andrew Jones
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I recently watched a documentary on a former
Aquarium trainer, who is now a major exporter
of dolphins, in the ' Swim with the Dolphin
Industry'
Animals exploited.
Yet again
And of course in the name of ...education?
Hardly
Here is specific info from the WSPSA site:
Fact versus Fiction
The Truth Behind The "Swim-With-Dolphins" Industry
For upwards of $70 per half hour, "swim-with-dolphins" programs offer
tourists and others the opportunity to swim with dolphins in a confined
setting. These increasingly popular programs work hard to promote an image
of happy dolphins swimming in their shallow blue enclosures and relishing
the attention of humans. When one takes the time to examine the facts behind
the captivity industry's claims, it quickly becomes apparent that these
dolphins are the helpless victims of our consumer culture's demand for
entertainment. WSPA has looked at some of the most common statements used by
the swim-with industry to support the keeping of dolphins in captivity and
has tried to unravel the fact from their fiction.
1. What the swim-with industry will tell you:
They love their dolphins. They will insist that they genuinely care about
the animals and use positive reinforcement and relationship building as the
primary tools in training.
The Facts:
The fact that these facilities love their dolphins is not the point. No one
questions their love for the animals. After all, who doesn't love dolphins?
That's why so many people are willing to spend hundreds of dollars to
participate in these programs. The real issue is whether swim-with programs
have the dolphin's best interest at heart. Remember, these are for-profit
businesses that thrive by keeping their expenses low and working the
dolphins as much as possible. Do you really believe that a dolphin is
happier having people ride around on its back and eating dead fish than it
would be frolicking freely with other dolphins in its natural environment?
The truth, whether it's called behavior training or positive reinforcement,
is that dolphins perform tricks in front of cheering spectators because they
are hungry. It's that simple. Whether food is used to positively reward
correct behavior such as a successful back flip or withheld to punish
incorrect behavior like ignoring a trainer's command, it still amounts to
food deprivation. Dolphin trainers know that if a dolphin has a stomach full
of fish, it won't perform. Call it what you will - performing dolphins are
the victims of selective starvation. Does this seem like a loving way to
treat dolphins?
2. What the swim-with industry will tell you:
"For a facility to display marine mammals federal permits are required and
standards for the care and maintenance of the animals must be met. Some of
these standards include pool size, water quality, fish storage and
preparation, and program content. All of our animal housing exceeds
government regulations." - Theater of the Sea, Florida
The captive industry in the United States asserts that the standards for the
care of dolphins in its interaction programs are the best in the world and
that their dolphins are well cared for and loved.
The facts:
Sure, the United States does have some regulations in place concerning
dolphin care and one could argue that the U.S. regulations are more
stringent than in other countries, but that still doesn't mean that the
regulations are appropriate or that they ensure an acceptable quality of
life for the dolphins. Of course they take good care of their dolphins:
healthy dolphins are cheaper and easier to maintain. But the fact remains
that captive dolphins are restricted, manipulated into doing things they
wouldn't normally do, and just plain stressed out, often to the point where
it kills them. As an example, in nature, dolphins swim up to 40 miles per
day. Under US standards - and we'll grant you that some facilities go above
and beyond regulations - you only have to give dolphins 30 x 30 feet to swim
in. So, we'll be extremely generous and suppose that operators in this
country give their captive dolphins 5 times what they're required.
Unfortunately, even in this scenario, which isn't reality, a dolphin would
still have to circle its pen 700 times to simulate what it would do
naturally in the wild. How big would a room have to be for you to spend the
rest of your life in it?
3. What the swim-with industry will tell you:
"By housing these animals, we are able to educate the public about them and
the conservation issues facing future generations." - Theater of the Sea,
Florida
Swim-with-dolphins facilities always stress that their programs are about
conservation and education. They promote the idea that direct contact with
dolphins is the best way to cement ideas about the need for conservation in
an individual's mind. They also argue that their captive dolphins provide
them with the opportunity to do valuable research regarding dolphins and
their behavior.
The facts:
The only "education" these programs offer is a misleading one. How can you
expect to learn anything about the true nature of dolphins when what you're
seeing are trained performers that aren't allowed to really be dolphins?
Captive dolphins are stripped of their natural behaviors and forced to
perform acrobatics and silly antics. They're not allowed to chase fish,
they're separated from their families and they don't get to ride the waves.
And maybe the worst thing of all is that they can't use their gift of
echolocation, because they have no fish to catch, no new places to explore.
For a human, that would be like suddenly losing your vision or hearing. If
these facilities were truly concerned with protecting the interests of
dolphins, would they imprison them in tanks and strip them of their dignity
in this way for the sheer amusement of humans?
Now, about conservation. First, there's no concrete evidence to support the
claim that these programs actually foster conservation. Humpback whales are
appreciated and protected by people who have never even seen a humpback
whale. On the other hand, tigers and rhinos are on the brink of extinction,
despite the fact that these animals have been displayed in zoos and circuses
for years. Taking it a step further, bottlenose dolphins, the very creatures
used in these spectacles, aren't even endangered, so how can the
conservation argument be valid in this case? Right now, the crisis facing
dolphins is not extinction, but the abuse suffered at the hands of humans.
As far as the idea of keeping dolphins in captivity being a benefit for
researchers, we ask this question: What's this research for? It would seem
that the only point to this research is to teach dolphin captors how to deal
with the ever growing inventory of captive dolphins in this country. In
light of the fact that dolphins in captivity, whether taken from the wild or
born in a tank, are stripped of all of their natural instincts and
behaviors, what can possibly be learned about wild dolphins by studying
these trained clowns?
4. What the swim-with industry will tell you:
"The dolphins in the program are gentle, patient, and attentive to the needs
of the ill or disabled. Their affection and acceptance is critical to a
person with disabilities." - Dolphin Human Therapy, Miami, Florida
These dolphins play an important role in therapy. Dolphins are naturally
social animals and have an abundance of unconditional love to share with
humans. It's amazing to see the effect they have on handicapped, especially
autistic, children. They'll say that they cherish their dolphins as healers
and that the animals choose to be with the children and want to help them.
The facts:
We can certainly understand a person going to any length possible to help an
ill or disabled loved one. But there simply is no scientific evidence to
substantiate the claim that spending time in a tank or enclosure with
dolphins has healing results for special-needs children.
To the contrary, the only guaranteed result is that the desperate parents of
ill or autistic children wind up paying large sums of money for short
periods of time in the water with dolphins. Although there may be a
momentary increase in the attention level of the child, the effects are
fleeting at best. And, in fact, some experts suggest that the inability to
provide this kind of stimulus on a consistent basis can actually have a
negative effect. However, pet-assisted therapy with dogs, cats and horses is
a well-proven technique that enables a child to receive consistent affection
and stimulation that can be beneficial in their treatment. Considering the
alternatives, why not adopt a pet from a shelter and change two lives for
the better?
5. What the swim-with industry will tell you:
"The Flipper dolphins demonstrate the grace and intelligence of Atlantic
bottlenose dolphins. The show includes jumps, spins, tailwalks, and flips,
all choreographed to music and accompanied by lively and informative
narration." - Miami Seaquarium, Miami, Florida
The captive industry will tell you that their dolphins were born and raised
in captivity; that living in tanks and performing tricks for people is all
that they have ever known. They will say that the dolphins are spoiled,
living in the lap of luxury safe from the dangers of pollution and predators
found in the ocean. They'll offer examples of cases involving animal rights
activists actually cutting the wires on dolphin pens to release the animals
only to have the dolphins swim right back into their pens as soon as it's
dinner time. They'll use this as the "evidence" to show that not only do
these dolphins want to live in captivity but also that they couldn't survive
on their own. A common statement made by the swim-with industry is along the
lines of: "We let our dolphins out to swim with wild dolphins and they never
try to escape. They always come back."
The facts:
Record keeping in the captive dolphin industry is unreliable at best. Many
times, it's impossible to determine exactly how a dolphin was acquired. Some
parks aren't even sure of their dolphins' true origins. Hundreds of dolphins
in captivity were wild before they were hunted down and taken for the
captivity industry.
WSPA is not saying we can release all captive dolphins, though some
certainly could be good candidates. What we are saying is that all dolphins
deserve to live as naturally as possible without the stress of having to
perform tricks in order to eat. WSPA's goal is to give these dolphins a
better quality of life. For many dolphins, that will mean rehabilitation and
eventual release back into the freedom of the ocean. For others who are not
suited for release, it will mean living out the remainder of their lives in
natural sea pens, where they are free to engage in natural behaviors,
interact with other dolphins, and escape the burden of having to perform.
Of course dolphins face certain dangers living in the ocean, but should the
mere possibility of danger be enough to take away a dolphin's freedom and
keep them in captivity? After all, humans face dangers every day just by
getting in their car and driving to work. Does this mean that we should all
just stay home and bury our heads under the covers? Think of everything you
would miss out on if you hid inside the "safety" of your home for the rest
of your life. WSPA believes that dolphins deserve to live in accordance with
their true natures, which just can't be achieved in captivity; despite our
best intentions and no matter how hard we try.
The anecdotal stories related by the swim-with industry concerning dolphins
returning to their pens instead of swimming off to freedom do not paint an
accurate picture of the dolphin's situation. These dolphins have been raised
by humans or taken from the wild, placed in captivity and taught by humans
to behave in certain ways. They are programmed and conditioned to respond to
commands and they learn to follow the daily routines that have been laid out
for them. In addition, they are fed dead fish, often losing the ability to
hunt and catch live fish for themselves. Given these circumstances, it is
not surprising that many dolphins will return to their pens at dinnertime!
Their free will has been subdued and they are unsure of their ability to
survive on their own.
6. What the swim-with industry will tell you:
Their dolphins are not forced to interact with people. Facilities in the
United States are required to provide designated rest areas where the
dolphins can go to avoid human contact when they are tired or want to be
alone. If the dolphins are interacting with people, it's because they want
to.
The Facts:
Even though swim-with facilities might offer access to "time out" areas
where dolphins can seek refuge from the groping hands of humans, a National
Marine Fisheries Service study reported that barriers do exist to keep
dolphins from using these sites. Dolphins may find that the areas are too
small to be used comfortably. Or, trainers may rotate the rest section so
often that the animals become confused as to where to go for a break.
Another obstacle is restrictive entryways, where dolphins find it difficuly
to gain access to these areas. Clearly, these "off-limits" areas may not
provide adequate sanctuary. In some cases, dolphins are actually forced to
leave these "time out" areas to interact with the paying customers.
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P.S. So what do I think about this?
Unethical
It's like saying that only Veterinarians can
help dogs and cats when they are sick or injured.
It makes NO sense.
Don't go swimming with the Dolphins in one of these
marine parks..
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