Free vs Captive Dolphins In Nature… Dolphins are free to move. Their bodies are built for speed and these fun-loving creatures take advantage of that fact. Never ones to lounge around, dolphins swim up to 40 miles per day. And because there are countless creatures to chase and a huge world to explore in the ocean, dolphins spend as much time as they can under water and only 10-20% on the surface. 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 enclosure. (Imagine spending your entire life trapped in a prison cell the size of a closet.) Because US regulations only require that a pen be 30 feet long, a dolphin doesn't get very far before it runs into a wall or wire fence. Captive dolphins, especially those kept in tanks, spend most their time in a sort of stupor, swimming repeatedly in small circles or simply lying motionless on the surface of the water.
In Nature… Most dolphins spend their lives in the company of other dolphins in highly organized, close-knit units. Just like the rest of us, this intelligent and social creature craves safety, love and companionship, which it finds belonging to a pod. The social bonds within the pod may last for many years, especially between mothers and their young, who often stay together for as many as five years. And in this family, dolphin "aunts" have been known to serve as babysitters for busy moms. In Captivity… Dolphins are separated from their pods forever and the strong social bonds the dolphins have enjoyed and nurtured for years are abruptly destroyed. The capture is an extremely violent procedure, not only for the animal targeted for capture, but also for the pod that experiences the sudden and permanent loss of a family member. Just as poignant is the experience of captive bred dolphins. These animals never have the chance to experience the comfort and pleasure of belonging to a family. They are doomed to emotional isolation. And the one close bond they do form - with their mothers - is broken far too soon, as they are often confined to separate pens or sold off to another park or aquarium.
In Nature… Dolphins live in natural seawater. In Captivity… Most dolphins are confined in tanks, containing chemically-treated artificial seawater that wreaks havoc on their sensitive skin and eyes. But being in a tidal sea pen isn't much better. These pens are usually in secluded areas, such as lagoons, where the water doesn't circulate as much as it does in the open ocean. Dolphins excrete 4-5 times more waste than the average human. The result? They're forced to swim around in their own toilets.
In Nature… Dolphins are free to exercise their amazing gift of sonar. They use it to learn about the world around them. From exploring the intricacies and creatures hiding among coral reefs, to gathering information about the fish and other dolphins around them, to which predators might be lurking in the shadows. Their sonar tells them everything they need to know. The use of sonar is as important to dolphins as eyesight is to humans. In Captivity… Dolphins are restricted in using their sonar. It's useless in chasing live fish, because they only have access to the dead fish handed out by the trainers as a "reward." They can't put it to full use to explore their underwater world, because there's nothing to explore in a barren, concrete tank.
In Nature… Dolphins spend many hours cooperatively chasing and catching fish. They're also experts at foraging. This isn't just a necessary exercise for the animals; it's also fun. Dolphins being dolphins. Chasing and catching live prey enables them to let all of their natural skills unfold: their speed, their intelligence, their use of sonar and ability to communicate and cooperate. In Captivity… The first thing a dolphin learns is that it's not allowed to be a real dolphin; it must restrict its natural exuberance and behaviors. Instead it has to toe the line and learn how to eat dead fish (which it would never dream of doing if free) and accept hand feeding. The natural thrill of chasing and catching its own food has been taken from the dolphin forever.
In Nature… Mom knows best. A young dolphin's mother teaches it everything it needs to live in the ocean: How to use sonar and avoid predators, where to look for food, and how to chase and catch fish. And 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 completely dependent on their trainers if they want to eat. This gives the trainer powerful weapon to control the dolphin and entice it to perform the tricks applauded by humans. The trainer makes a hungry dolphin understand that if it wants its food reward, it has to jump through a few hoops, so to speak. Do dolphins naturally walk on their tails, wave at the audience and take people for rides on their backs? No. And this training has a very damaging effect on the dolphins, as the unnatural behaviors eventually replace the natural ones. |