We discuss how swimming with animals in captivity is not cool, not cool at all.
How many times do you hear parents yelling ‘DON’T TOUCH THAT!’ to their kids? This, of course, only serves to make the curious toddlers strain all the more to get their grubby mitts on the object of their desire.
As we grow older, our need to explore through touch is not as poweful, but we still lust after beautiful and interesting things - if anything, our need to possess and own what we admire becomes stronger. And this doesn’t just apply to objects, it includes experiences. Many people have a list of things they’d like to do before they die including romantic notions such as: going cycling through South America, sky-diving, going to Rio Carnival, and swimming with dolphins.
These dreams are important, more so than status symbols, after all, it is only memories you take with you when you die. However, there are some occasions where the dictum: ‘look but don’t touch’ should be considered, particularly when it comes to wildlife and sentient creatures.
The distressing irony is that the more you love something, the closer you want to get – yet your very proximity can bring it more harm than good.
The idea of swimming with dolphins has captured the public imagination for decades, and was no doubt encouraged by the hit 1960’s TV show Flipper. The unhappy reality is that this has fuelled a thriving tourism industry that calls for the capture and life imprisonment of wild dolphins which is detrimental to their welfare. Unsurprisingly, dolphins bred in captivity do not sustain their numbers, meaning they are frequently removed from their natural habitat to serve as tourist attractions.
19 different species of cetacean are currently held in captivity around the world, including over 800 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Captive dolphins have become a regular feature in tourist resorts and a trained bottlenose dolphin can generate $1 million a year.
Like all wild animals, dolphins come across a variety of problems when held in a captive environment - many suffer from behavioural abnormalities, illness and premature death. A few of these adverse effects include:
Methods of capture and transport of dolphins can be extremely cruel and
some dolphins die of shock in the process.
Captive dolphins are not able to perform their natural foraging behaviour. Wild dolphins spend a large amount of their time hunting and eat a wide variety of prey. In captivity they are fed on dead fish.
Captive dolphins are kept in unnatural social groups. This can cause aggression and psychological distress, with health consequences including loss of appetite and gastric ulcers. Captive social groupings make it impossible for a dolphin to escape from an aggressive group-mate.
Early mortality of captive dolphins is often linked to immunosuppression and increased susceptibility to infection and disease, caused by the constant stress of confinement and unnatural social groupings.
Dolphins are adapted to a saltwater environment, yet in captivity they are often kept in chlorinated tanks. In the USA, there are no minimum or recommended levels of chlorine for use in marine mammal exhibits because there is a lack of information of the effects of chlorine on dolphins. Many dolphins spend their entire lives in these tanks.
Dolphins are usually trained through the use of food rewards to perform circus-style, demeaning tricks which are not, as often claimed by dolphinaria, extensions of natural behaviour.
There are no international welfare standards for the management of cetaceans in captivity. Standards and regulations governing captive dolphins differ widely, depending on the legislation within the country in which they are kept. At the moment, there are at least 78 facilities worldwide offering the opportunity for members of the public to swim with dolphins; 71% of these are in North America and the Caribbean, holding at least 730 bottlenose dolphins in captivity.
Despite recent campaigning by the Born Free Foundation, international wildlife charity, two bottlenose dolphins, named Misha and Tom, were transferred to a shallow 22-metre pool at the mountain resort, Hisaronu, in Turkey, to attract holiday-makers wanting to swim with them. Film footage shows them anxiously bobbing about in the pool which is smaller than a tennis court.
Follow this link for more details on how to join the campaign for their freedom
There are no captive cetaceans in the UK. In principle, it is not illegal to keep cetaceans in this country, but the standards of care outlined under the Zoo Licensing Act of 1981 are so strict that no establishment in the UK is currently able to meet them. However Born Free was disturbed to hear that the standards written into UK legislation are currently under review. The Government has reportedly received an application for a new dolphinarium to open in the UK. Sign Born Free’s petition calling for an end to captive whales and dolphins.
The disturbing facts, as outlined above, certainly ought to make intrepid tourists reconsider their dream of swimming with dolphins. In general, being aware of your impact on all environments and animals you interact with is important. Often the experience of encountering animals in captivity is disappointing anyway, as you are not seeing them in their natural arena.
Thankfully, there are much better alternatives, which can contribute to the welfare of these beautiful creatures, such as responsible dolphin and whale watching. These trips allow travellers the opportunity to admire their true grace, while the animals benefit by inspiring people to help protect them, thus enabling more research and providing income for coastal communities. There are also some instances in which guests can join the wild dolphins in the water, under closely monitored circumstances. Please read more on our view here.
At responsibletravel.com we believe that if you love something, you should fight for its freedom. Check out our selection of inspiring and life-changing holidays, dedicated to dolphin watching holidays with responsible operators. Read more about our stance on wildlife.
Photo credit: Born Free Foundation.
Did you experience bad practice during a wildlife safari or viewing excursion? Are you concerned about a dancing bear you’ve seen, or animals in a side show or used as a photographic prop?
Born Free wants to hear from you. You can report it online here or call their new Travellers' Alert Hotline on 0845 003 5960 night or day. Provide as much detail as possible and your report could make a real difference to an animal in need. Video footage is particularly useful!
For more information check out Born Free's Animal Alerts here or visit bornfree.org.uk
For more information about animal welfare issues in tourism, check out our animal welfare section here
