News

THE DAILY HERALD, April 10, 2001

1. In nature dolphins enjoy the ability to move freely. Their streamlined bodies and smooth skin enable them to gain fast speed in the water, and dolphins are always on the move, swimming up to 40 miles a day. They spend only 10-20% of their time on the surface of the water. They can hold their breath for as long as 20 minutes and dive to depths of more than 1,640 feet (500 meters). In captivity dolphins are restricted to the size of their tank or sea enclosure. In a tank they can swim only a few feet before a wall stops them. In a sea pen a dolphins' ability to swim freely is restricted by the fencing that imprisons them. Captive dolphins spend a lot of time swimming in a small circle or simply lying motionless on the surface of the water due to boredom.

2. In nature most dolphins spend their lives in the company of dolphins of their own kind, living in highly organized groups known as pods. Some pods consist of females and their offspring. Others consist of young males who, when they reach maturity, leave their mother's pod to form their own. Dolphins are very intelligent, social animals. Belonging to a pod is important to them,, because this is where they find safety, love, and companionship. The social bonds within the pod may last for many years. In captivity dolphins are forever separated from their pod. During the capture, the strong social bonds the dolphins have enjoyed and nurtured for years are abruptly destroyed. Different capture methods are used for different species of dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins are usually captured with a net before being hauled onto the capture boat. The capture is an extremely violent procedure, not only for the captured dolphin, but also for the pod that experiences the sudden and permanent loss of a pod member. Many dolphins drown in capture nets or are permanently injured and dumped back into the ocean. A high number of dolphin deaths occur after capture due to the stress caused by the capture itself.

3. In nature the most intimate relationship within a dolphin community is that between a female dolphin and her baby. The two of them can be seen swimming very closely together, sharing a relationship characterized by deep affection. A young bottlenose dolphin will stay with his/her mother for as long as five years. In captivity you'll find dolphins that have been captured at a very young age to be sent to various amusement parks and swim programs. They will never see their mothers again.

4. In nature dolphins use their sonar to check out various fish, coral reefs, predators, and other dolphins. Dolphins are sound oriented in that they constantly scan their surrounding with bursts of sound. The use of sonar is as important to dolphins as eyesight is to humans. In captivity dolphins are restricted in using their sonar. They can't use it to chase live fish, as they are fed dead fish as food rewards. Neither can they put it to full use to explore their underwater world, because there isn't much to explore in a barren, concrete tank or sea enclosure. Depriving dolphins of using their highly developed sense of sound is one of the most damaging aspects of captivity. It is like forcing a person to wear a blindfold for the rest of his life.

5. In nature dolphins spend many hours cooperatively chasing and catching fish. Dolphins have developed a number of sophisticated ways of foraging. Not only does foraging satisfy the dolphins' hunger, but chasing and catching live prey enables them to let all of their natural skills unfold, like their speed, their intelligence, their use of sonar and ability to communicate and cooperate. In captivity the first two things a newly captured dolphin has to learn are to eat dead fish and accept hand feeding. They will never again experience, the thrill of chasing and catching live prey.

6. In nature the young dolphin's mother teaches the dolphin all the skills needed to live in the ocean. How to use sonar and avoid predators, where to look for food, and how to chase and catch fish. Everything a dolphin knows is a learned behavior. It is by watching and mimicking the behaviors of the other dolphins in the pod that the young dolphin learns how to dive, leap, breach, surf the waves, and communicate. In captivity dolphins are trained by dolphin trainers to perform various circus tricks so they can perform dolphin shows and entertain spectators and tourists. Captive dolphins depend completely on their trainers to be fed. This gives the trainer a lot of control over the dolphins. The trainer teaches the dolphins that every time they obey a command they receive a fish as a reward. This is how dolphins are trained to walk on their tail, wave at the audience, and swim and interact with humans. The training has a very damaging effect on the dolphins. While learning to perform unnatural behaviors like hitting a ball with their snout and jumping through hoops, the dolphins gradually forget their natural behaviors.

7. In nature dolphins live in a rich ocean environment. Here they enjoy the natural rhythms of the sea, the tides, and the currents. Throughout the day they hear many different sounds characteristic of the ocean world, such as waves breaking against the shore, and the clicks and whistles of other pod members. The natural rhythm and wide-ranging sounds of the ocean world are an essential aspect of a dolphin's life. In captivity the only sounds dolphins hear are the strange, excessive noise of generators, water pumps, cheering dolphin trainers, and applauding audiences. Some dolphins are kept in sea enclosures. These dolphins are also deprived of moving freely. Whether dolphins are being forced to perform in dolphin shows several times a day, or taking part in swim programs, they are confined to a very small body of water, far away from their pods, with nowhere to go and nothing to explore.

Gwen McKenna