An analysis of the issues of whales and dolphins in captivity
Dolphins in Captivity vs Natural Habitat. Dolphins in the wild, however, are very social and predatory creatures. Some species can dive up to ft, swim up to 25 miles per hour, and travel distances of 50 miles in a day. They usually live in large groups or pods and calves stay with their mother for 2 to 3 yrs.
Life in an aquarium is devoid of tides, moonlight, sun, and seasons. Whales and dolphins are often separated from their families, and some are even kept alone. For an individual whose normal routine is to swim hundreds of miles each day, a tank is a prison cell. How does captivity affect whales and dolphins?
Shorter lives — the death rate for captive orcas is 2. Bottlenose dolphins and belugas also have higher death rates in captivity than in the wild. The SeaWorld website reports lower figures. They say wild male and female orcas reach average ages of 17 and 29 years respectively.
Dolphins and Whales, Captivity vs Wild
These figures include those that may die in the first six months. A study published in presents evidence that orcas in captivity live shorter lives than orcas in the wild. A team looked at captive orcas to find that the median survival rate was just 6.
The authors concluded that "survival to age milestones is remarkably poorer Dissertation proposal consultant captive killer whales than for wild whales".
View image of Orcas Orcinus orca Credit: Following several years of negative press, in November one SeaWorld facility in San Diego, which holds 11 orcas, announced that it would start "phasing out" some of its circus-style shows. Instead it would present shows focusing on the orcas' "natural environment".
Dolphins and Whales, Captivity vs Wild
No longer do they want to see these caricatures leaping for our entertainment At the time, Chris Butler-Stroud of Whale and Dolphin Conservation told BBC Radio 4 that he feared SeaWorld was "re-packaging" the show to repair their public image. But in practice this is fraught with difficulty.
View image of Keiko was featured in the film Free Willy Credit: The orca was "played" by a captive orca called Keiko. Keiko was later returned to the wild, but he did not reintegrate into orca society.
Whale Captivity Is a Killer, Empty the Tanks! | Soapboxie
In a account of the reintroductionresearchers stated: However, this story does not mean reintroduction is entirely impossible. View image of An orca jumping Credit: She was kept in a sea pen and fed the wild salmon that she was used to eating.
A few months later she was successfully released into her own family pod. Inshe was even observed with a calf of her own.
BBC - Earth - Why killer whales should not be kept in captivity
The reason her release was so successful was that she was only kept captive for a short time, says Rendell. The world-wide attention of this hunting tradition has shed light and acknowledgement of how humans are still inhumanely treating cetaceans and how our demand to interact with them drives this money-making horror show. Inthe marine mammal protection act made it illegal in the United States to purchase dolphins captured inhumanely in the wild.
This has led to breeding in captivity and artificial and social environments for the dolphin. Dolphins are also found by Television and radio censorship essay groups. Medical staff and volunteers rehabilitate these dolphins and release them back into the wild. Unfortunately, not all dolphins can return back to the wild because of permanent medical issues.
The recent CNN documentary Blackfish has finally brought some attention to the truth behind the life of these orcas in captivity. The movie films baby orcas taken away from their mothers, food is withheld so they will perform their circus tricks.
Whale Captivity Is a Killer, Empty the Tanks!
The whales brutally attack each other in captivity because they are from all different families. It is without a doubt that the trainers care and love these marine mammals, but it is corporate who is responsible for the captures and now breeding in captivity programs that keep this huge business bringing in the money. It seems extremely hypocritical however; to save marine life then enslave them in a horrible life of captivity to perform tricks for human entertainment.
If you have not seen Blackfish yet, you can find it online in its full entirety.
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Marine parks cannot accommodate the cerebral needs of the Orca in a captive environment. This, in turn, causes a domino effect for the Orca leading first to emotional distress, then forced abnormal behaviors, and finally physiological illness. Conservation does not involve holding Orca captive but rather their release back into their natural oceanic environment.
We, as a society, need to create and fund more rehabilitation programs with the goal of releasing captive Orcas than the few Atala dissertation that do exist.
Captivity has adverse psychological effects on the Orca which are caused by captivity conditions. Separating pod members and breaking the natural killer whale social order promotes abnormal behaviors.
Why killer whales should not be kept in captivity
Captive behavior of the Orca is abnormally aggressive often resulting in injury or death to either the Orca or human. Emotional stress of captivity leads to stress induced physiological issues that are otherwise unexperienced in the wild.
Irresponsible practices of captivity programs disregard the complex psychological capacity of the Orca putting the animals, and people, at risk. To end the suffering of the Orca and human alike, the only correct answer is to end captivity.
They're the world's largest alpha predator!