Sad, very sad. And so unneccessary!

Posted by: Pamela L. | April 29, 2008 02:17 PM

I hope the word gets out that using wild animals as mega profits is inheirently bad. Keep spreading this message. The only good captive situations for wild animals is when they are non-releaseable.

And they should never be forced to perform tricks.

Another really overlooked aspect to this is that all this enclosure space destroys habitat for native species. It's a real shame.

Posted by: Maya, CVT | April 29, 2008 02:34 PM

I live in San Diego, Calif, about 15 miles from Sea World.
About 1 year ago our channel 10 news broke a story about what happened when Sea World hired a captain and his crew to catch "SHAMU", the Whale. The captain confessed that it was sad but at least 3 Whales were killed in the process. Of course these Whales were trying to stop the capture.
The only good thing about Sea World is that we have a place to take our injured Seals and Dolphins and that is all that is good about Sea World.
These wonderful water babies
belong in the ocean where we can watch them from the beach.
Peace, to all animals!

Posted by: Judith, Freedom Fighter for Animals | April 29, 2008 04:17 PM

Hi Maya

It is all about money and human arrogance, greed and cruelty. Compassion is a lost attribute. Hire human performers and this way more people are employed. These places teach children the wrong message---that these creatures exist for our entertainment solely and that they voluntarily perform stupid tricks for our benefit. Dolphins don't have families or a natural desire to be free and live in their own natural environment. Oh, that's right, only humans deserve this. This so painful.

Peace!!!

Posted by: Ana | April 29, 2008 05:09 PM

I agree!!!

Posted by: Tamra Mullins | April 29, 2008 05:27 PM

I agree!!!

Posted by: Tamra Mullins | April 29, 2008 05:28 PM

I hope Sharky's sad sad death will open the eyes to parents who take their kids to see these wonderful intelligent mammals forced to humiliate themselves day after day. (To make money for cold blooded business sharks)! No offence intended to noble ocean dwelling sharks.

Posted by: Maureen | April 29, 2008 06:15 PM

Understanding that most of these animals are received as a result of stranding, a phenomenon that usually leaves the dolphin dead, the Marine Parks such as Sea World and the like are actually doing a lot for dolphin-kind.
Not much is known about the normals of these creatures, medically speaking. These stranded dolphins that cannot be returned to the wild (and those that can are), provide and excellent avenue to see what's going on in the wild dolphin populations. Dolphins are the oceans sentinel animals, if it's happening to them, it's going to happen to us.
Also, with such a highly intelligent creature, their minds are best when they are at use. Learning a "trick" is a way for the dolphin to work through a puzzle/problem. It's really important to their mental development.

Posted by: Sheena Bowen | April 29, 2008 06:18 PM

Also the dolphin in question was 30 years old. Their average life span in the wild is approximately 25 years. Perhaps the collision exacerbated an already insidious illness and he died of something that would have killed him anyway.

Posted by: Sheena Bowen | April 29, 2008 06:21 PM

I have to ask that all who are upset by this write to the leaders of Busch Entertainment. You can find all of their names in the back of their annual report. Just do a Google search and start writing. The addresses for some of them are different than for others so watch out for that, but do let your voice be heard.

Posted by: David | April 29, 2008 06:25 PM

Very sad.
Dolphins are such intuitive beings.It is not at all worth seeing them perform tricks.They are often snatched from the wild and seperated from their families which is nothing short of a crime. Humanities vast capacity for exploitation in the name of profit never ceases to amaze me.

Posted by: Annalena | April 29, 2008 06:49 PM

Thanks Jack for providing the fact sheet on marine mammal parks. Among other things, it answered my question about the chlorine in the pools. What a horrible trade off for natural sea water! Even I can't stand to swim in a chlorine pool.
I can only imagine the trauma these long distance swimmers experience being torn from their pods and forced into an alien, isolating cramped space in a chlorine bath! What a horror humans have devised for these intelligent individuals!

Posted by: lynda downie | April 29, 2008 11:51 PM

WAKE UP AMERICA!! Imagine you are confined in this manner. When do we stop playing GOD with other species? Maybe, just maybe, enough people will complain to provide adequate living quarters for these intelligent and graceful mammals! Hopefully, people will make a point to acquire a conscience & send Sea World a BIG message by their sudden lack of interest. Almost makes me ashamed to be "human", if it weren't for the fact that many people DO care but don't know what they can do to help these creatures. WAKE UP AMERICA IT'S YOUR TURN TO STOP THIS ABUSE.

Posted by: Lys B. | April 30, 2008 03:11 AM

i feel so ashamed that i ever went to that park...

Posted by: Sarah | April 30, 2008 06:51 AM

I was so sad when I heard this story yesterday. My Mom had taken me to Discovery Cove as a graduation present years ago and we have always wanted to go back. Now I don't. I don't think dolphins should be kept in captivity unless they are rescued and unable to survive in the wild.

This is soooo frustrating. >:(

Posted by: HannaBanana | April 30, 2008 10:39 AM

that is so sad and unneccessary but the truth is this "crime" will continue. we need to let word out about this crime.

Posted by: erica | April 30, 2008 11:43 AM

Beautifully said, Ana! And what a great idea, like Cirque de Soleil only uses humans. Or perhap limited tours of wildlife sancutaries could replace zoos, they need the money. Just a thought, would love to hear your opinion!

Sheena,

You bring up an interesting point. I am curious because recent scientific evidence shows that many sea mammals become stranded because of Navy sonar exercises.

The soundwaves confuse them, and they get off course. I would like to understand how this makes a stranded animal not releaseable.

I'm not being sarcastic, I really do want to know more. From what I understood, there is no reason why a dolphin who was simply off course could not be released back into the wild.

If that's true than taking them from the wild is illegal.
However, I would like to hear the information you have.

;)

Posted by: Maya, CVT | April 30, 2008 12:53 PM

I recently became a Vegan..before I became aware of the horrors of factory farming, etc. I booked a trip to Discovery Cove. I was there last Tuesday...4 days before the accident. I love animals, all of them, and I became Vegan after research on this site, but, you have your facts wrong. First of all..Sharkey was a female...second...the mammals there live a longer life than those in their natual habitats. The trainers love them and respect them and would not do them harm. It was an accident..and after being there I can say that the dolphins LIKED "performing". They liked having their fins and bellys rubbed...and all the fish they could ever possibly eat. In the world we live in SeaWorld does it right...there are much worse fates. It was an accident...humans have them everyday.

Posted by: Christine | April 30, 2008 07:27 PM

the only way to stop this circus is to STOP PATRONIZING!!!

Posted by: Zeeke | April 30, 2008 08:13 PM

Maya, it's great to see that there is someone so open minded on here!

While you are correct that some marine mammals strand due to sonar used by the navy, not all strand for that reason. Others do because of illness or injury. So while a marine mammal that strands due to the sonar may be releasable, a sick or injured animal may not be.

Also, young animals that are orphaned and would die without help also get rescued. But, once rescued and rehabilitated by humans, they usually become too dependent on humans to be released.

The animals that remain in human care become ambassadors for their wild counterparts. The millions of people that visit marine parks like Sea World every year get to interact with marine mammals and learn to love them. By seeing them in a marine park they are seeing animals not stressed by humans and people are not going out into the wild destroying habitats or stressing animals who are still wild.

Sheena, I love what you had to say!

Posted by: Secret | April 30, 2008 09:18 PM

Sheena, your information is incorrect, please check your facts.
If you check the MMIR, not ONE bottlenose dolphin at any Sea World park, including discovery cove, was a rescue. 60% were captured from the wild in the last 20 years. It is perfectly legal, and common, to capture cetaceans from the wild.
Also, check your sources on age. According to a smithsonian publication and a jaque custeau publications, bottlenose dolphin females are expected to live into thier 50's.
I will happily provide sources to interested parties.

Posted by: Kathlyn Reed | April 30, 2008 09:40 PM

Marine animals belong in the
sea not in a tank!

These places are teaching kids the wrong message:telling them that its
alright to capture animals and make them perform for
human entertainment.

Whenever you go to sea world
remember this:you get to go
home at night.they dont.

Posted by: club sandwhich | May 1, 2008 04:00 AM

I respect what everyone said here but I think that parks like these and funds make a lot of positive things, from heal injured animals to research. I believe in a future the conservation of species will be thanks to the parks because the humans cause a terrible impact in this world and a lot of species are in extinction. I live in a town were a few years ago we could sea the dolphins from the coast but nowadays it doesn't happen anymore... and it is all our blame. We have to stop pointing up others and start to do something!
I speak spanish so sorry for my english!

Posted by: Andrea | May 1, 2008 08:49 AM

Hi Secret - (And Sheena) ;)

Thank you for responding - I find this subject so interesting!

As a wildlife rehabilitator I do not know of any surviveable illness that would render an animal unreleaseable. Injury, yes. But these dolphins are not missing fins or eyes or anything. I beleive they are releaseable.

Imprinting on humans is greatly exaggerated most of the time. If done correctly an orphaned baby can grow to a juvenile and be put in with other wild animals of the same species.

When the juvenile hormones kick in their natural aversion to humans kicks in and being with others of the same species makes them realize they are not humans. Therefore, releaseable. I have 8 years of experience to back me up on this.

In addition, I would argue that there is no proof that SeaWorld visitors have a conservation minded attitude. Mostly what I hear in zoos is that "Nature is so cruel, it's better that wild animals are kept in zoos so they don't have to survive out in the wild".

Aquariums and zoos spread the attitude that nature is sinister and cruel. Not good.

I say these things with the utmost humility because I am not licensed to rehab marine animals. ;)

Further discussion is welcomed.

;)

Posted by: Maya, CVT | May 1, 2008 12:03 PM

Kathyln, thank you greatly for that info. I would love more sources, if it's not too much trouble! ;)

Andrea - I think you have a very positive outlook, but as a biologist I can tell you that if we make wild animals in zoos while we destroy their habitat, it causes many many many problems.

Zoos only do this for profit. Zoo raised animals released into the wild don't survive any better than the original species in the wild that died out in the first place.

By the way, you do speak excellent English and my Spanish is so bad it would make you laugh so good for you for being bilingual!! ;)

Posted by: Maya, CVT | May 1, 2008 12:07 PM

While taking a class through my school, I was introduced to one of the marine parks in Florida that is called out to respond to strandings. As I can't tell why dolphins strand, I know that one in their possession was the result of a hurricane. A young male as I recall, but that's neither here nor there.
If Sea World/Discovery Cove retrieves their dolphins by less than desirable methods, then that should not be, I agree.
However, there are diseases that would prevent a dolphin from being returned to the wild. Scoliosis, zygomycosis, cases where fin must be removed. These animals would not be able to survive in the wild, so why not learn from them in their captivity to help the wild populations? Why not learn from them what is a normal chemistry profile to be able to help another?
Make no mistake, I do not advocate zoos and other such places that breed animals to boost populations that will never be able to go to their rightful habitats. But if there are creatures that cannot be released, learn from them to save another.

Posted by: Sheena Bowen | May 1, 2008 03:36 PM

Hi Sheena!

Thank you for that information. I would love to work with a stranding group some day and this is a great learning experience for me.

I would love to know what zygomycosis is, I'll have to look it up.

I can certainly see why scoliosis would make an animal unreleaseable! However, I don't understand how stranding can cause scoliosis, unless they find it by chance.

I should mention that I worked for a zoo that only took nonreleaseables. Among many other things, we had a seal that had cancer - the original zoo that had him did not want him any more.

The cancer was in remission but the seal had benign tumors and the original zoo thought he looked too ugly for the public to see, and they were going to put him to sleep - but the zoo I worked at took him instead.

I think it's great if SeaWorld takes nonreleaseables and gives them a home, ESPECIALLY since most rehab facilities do not have enough room for nonreleaseables.

I imagine it's incredibly difficult to make a dolphin sanctuary on a rehabber's budget.

So as long as that's the case, I agree, I think it's great! I'm just not so sure that SeaWorld is always acting in such ways.

I'm glad you agree about the breeding - that act disturbes me more than anything else. If they can fill aquariums with nonreleaseables, the world would be a better place. ;)

Posted by: Maya, CVT | May 1, 2008 04:08 PM

Animals who are near exstinction should be kept in captivity dude to hunters or any other nasty preditors, but FORCING them to perfrom is a no no, what a horrible thing that has happened to that dolphin, thats soo sad, and think how the viewers felt seeing such a majetic animal get hurt =(

But again, animals should be in cativity, or should it be oppisite, should the preditors and hunters be kept away and let the dolphins be fre,, hmm, not a mind breaker, STUPID HUNTERS!!

leave dolphins alone, dont hunt any animal,

Animals are not ours to eat
Animals are not ours to wear
and They are not ment for entertainment, i think we should shove a harpon up where the sun sont shine on those cruel people,
or make them jump around when they dont want to, if you dont like it, why do u think an animal would???

Posted by: Julianne | May 1, 2008 11:26 PM

Read.

Posted by: Julia | May 2, 2008 01:31 AM

FYI, all the dolphins at Discovery Cove are captive born, sometimes several generations removed from the wild, and well adapted to life among the bipeds. I had the pleasure of swimming with Sharky (stage name Natasha) the year before she died. She was a great performer and seemed to enjoy her life. Not surprisingly, she taught me a great deal. She was one of the elder dolphins at the park and kept her human trainer on her toes. We were told that she helped train the youngsters. She was incredibly gentle with the children in our group, as were all the dolphins. I was very sad to hear of her accident and death. But having been there and seen the emotional bonds with the trainers and the extents the humans go to to insure their health and intellectual stimulation, I have no doubt that Sharky's death was an accident. I have to wonder, at her advanced age, if there was an underlying health problem. But I don't have to wonder at the valuable service these ambassador dolphins provide to us humans. I wouldn't have missed meeting Sharky for the world.

Posted by: Dee | May 4, 2008 06:05 PM

I have to admit that i am VERY disappointed in this post. It is VERY bias, and makes things seem a lot more extreme than they really are! I have never personally been a fan of Discovery Cove or Sea World, the average dolphin really only lives to be about 25. Sharky was 30 when he died. Dolphins in the wild die from many random things, and when one accident occurs in captivity its all humans fault?

The dolphins are NOT forced to do ANYTHING. They only get fishy snacks to perform ENRICHMENT tricks.

I believe that "Sharky" must have had an ear infection, which hurt his ability to detect other dolphins and lead to the accident.

How do I know all these things? because I work with dolphins myself! I do not approve of dolphins being brought in from the wild, and i do not approve of the difficult tricks the dolphins are asked to perform, but they do it all because they want to, and because it keeps them busy and happy.

Like i said, places like Discovery Cove I dont approve of because they do it out of selfish purposes, for the income. But other places like Marineland actually educate people as to why the dolphins should be saved, and they dont do "dolphin shows".

Posted by: Lizzie | May 6, 2008 01:40 AM

I think that places like Sea World and and many zoos are doing are great job of educating people on what the animals are capable of doing. They are not forcing them to do anything. They teach the animals to do a behavior and if the do it again then the behavior is rewarded exactly like you would do with your dog. That is not punishing your dog or making them feel stupid and in fact it is very stimulating and encouraging. In captivity, dolphins need much of the same stimulation and continuously changing activities or you would see them depressed all of the time. I think facilities like Sea World and Zoos that have dolphins have the ability to do an amazing thing: inspire the public and show us what these incredible creatures are capable of. Maybe if people know what they are capable of and are shown the level of their intellegence, even if it does take some tricks which the dolphins do by choice, then people will be inspired to take action to save the rest of the dolphins in the wild and make more of a conservation effort.

Posted by: Tonya | May 8, 2008 11:45 AM

FACT: dolphins actually live longer in discovery cove than in the wild and they have a much better life. so dont talk if you dont know what you are talking about!
they have nothing to eat them either.

Posted by: becca | May 10, 2008 08:30 PM