Watch 50 years of marine mammal captivity takepart. The case against marine mammals in captivity world animal. Aquariums and marine mammal theme parks like seaworld, the miami seaquarium, and canadas marineland are part of a billiondollar industry built on the suffering of intelligent social beings who are denied everything thats natural and important to them. Ive been highly anticipating kirbys book for many obvious reasons but more so to have a deeper indepth knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes at entertainment parks like seaworld. Reasons to watch marine mammals in captivity or maybe not. This discussion focuses on the use of orca whales in captivity and the laws and regulations that govern such use. The topic we are discussing this week is marine mammals in captivity, a very controversial subject. Marine mammals comprise over living and recently extinct species in three taxonomic orders. In 1995, the us marine mammal commission mmc invited awis dr. An audit of nmfs marine mammal inventory reports mmirs has revealed the shockingly sparse data contained within the database in regard to killer whales orcinus orca. Tanks can cause psychological problems including repetitive behaviors. A compelling case against captivity of marine mammals. Marine mammal captivity in the northeastern caribbean.
Please look through the list and click on the marine mammal you are interested in learning more about. Check back tomorrow for the flip side of this controversial argument. His book is packed with facts about killer whales and the stress caused by keeping them. Aristotle describes how dolphins sleep in his historia animalium. She is a physiological ecologist and is a leader in the field of trophic ecology of marine mammals and seabirds through her development of fatty acid signature. Rough draft version need to upload final draft from school account. This is the first of a twopart series exploring the positive and negative side of captive breeding programs for marine mammals. Marine animal captivity is immoral because it tears animals family apart, increases their risk for injury, and it deprives them of a natural life.
A successful captive breeding program may provide the physical and human resources necessary to save some species of marine mammals in imminent danger of extinction ralls and meadows, 2000. They include animals such as seals, whales, manatees, sea otters and polar bears. Rosen is an expert in the physiological and behavioural ecology of marine mammals, with a bsc in marine biology and msc and phd degrees in biopsychology. It looks at a wide range of animals and topics and the main parts cover basic husbandry, nutrition, exhibitry, population management for conservation, behaviour, reproduction, captive mammal research and five appendices. Each year, hundreds of marine mammals are rescued from situations of distress and rehabilitated by. Campaigns freeing whales and dolphins from captivity. Earlier editions of this valuable work are considered required reading for all marine biologists concerned with marine mammals, and this text continues that tradition of excellence.
Also, instead of holding the animals hostage under the guise of saving them from even harsher natural environments, society should work to be environmentally conscious and preserve the animals. Bottlenose dolphins bottlenose dolphins are the most commonly kept captive marine mammal species in zoos, oceanaria, and research institutions. Marine mammal adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle varies considerably between. Marine mammals, which include seals, whales, dolphins, porpoises, manatees, walruses and polar bears form a diverse group of 129 species that rely on the ocean for their existence. It was just the latest milestone in the long history of displaying marine mammals for entertainment, from flippy, the first performing dolphin, to shamu, seaworlds famous killer whale. On three occasions, dolphins and sea lions have escaped from captivity, but were recovered. Marine mammals are aquatic mammals that rely on the ocean and other marine ecosystems for their existence. It then analyzes the legal issues these facilities face as a consequence. Books about whales, dolphins or other marine mammals. Create a list of typical statements made by parties who want marine mammal captivity to continue. He was kept in a tiny covered pool for two years before being sold to a marine park in canada which closed after he drowned a trainer. Recommended books on marine mammals here is a selection of titles that i use regularly or enjoyed reading.
Orcas, whether wildborn or captivebred, cannot thrive in captivity, says naomi rose, a marine mammal scientist at the animal welfare institute, a nonprofit organization based in washington, d. Naomi and her colleagues would offer arguments against confining this diverse group of. To achieve the above goal, wdcs compiled an overview of legislation relevant to the capture, trade and keeping of cetaceans whales, dolphins and porpoises in captivity, based on better. Death at seaworld introduces real people taking part in this debate, from former trainers turned animal rights activists to the men and women that champion seaworld and the captivity of whales. For nearly 40 years, nmfs has tracked the status of more than 7,400 individual marine.
Death at seaworld goodreads meet your next favorite book. Dolphin books, killer whale books, animal training books, recommended by marine mammal trainers and care professionals. Wild orcas and other dolphins live in large, complex social groups and swim vast distances every day in the open ocean. To help stop captivity, its important not to visit captive marine mammals in zoos or parks marine animal exhibits. A marine mammal park also known as marine animal park and sometimes oceanarium is a commercial theme park or aquarium where marine mammals such as dolphins, beluga whales and sea lions are kept within water tanks and displayed to the public in special shows. With a focus on transient killer whales, ford director of marine mammal. This book also has appendix containing comprehensive info on captive. Introduction in the discussion about marine mammals in captivity. Biology of marine mammals and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle.
Developing standards of care for marine mammals in captivity. Marine animal captivity end the exploitation sociology essay. About a week after rescuing and releasing a single stranded dolphin, reports from a satellite tag show the animal is faring well and has. Marine mammals guidelines and criteria associated with captivity september 2006 1. Bottlenose dolphins are found at hundreds of marine parks and dolphinariums around the world. In his book the ethics of science, david resnik highlights eight. Seaworlds announcement in march that it would stop breeding killer whales marked a turning point for the marine park industry and the anticaptivity movement.
Public awareness, education, and marine mammals in captivity. Shamu and the dark side of killer whales in captivity by david kirby, beneath the surface. In the last 30 years more than 4,000 marine animals have died in captivity. Professor sara iverson is a faculty member in the department of biology, dalhousie university, halifax, nova scotia. Very few have the opportunity to see dolphins in the wild, but hundreds of millions of people see whales and dolphins in captivity each year in the united states alone. Anticaptivity activists argue that even though it is smaller than a killer whalethe largest of the dolphin speciesthe bottlenose dolphin is another highly intelligent and wideranging marine mammal that should not be kept in captivity and forced to entertain. Brancheaus death was the most publicized among several brutal attacks that have occurred at sea world and other marine mammal theme parks. David kirby, whose recent book death at seaworld traces the history of killer whales in captivity, found that tilikum was captured off iceland in the early 1980s when just two years old. The vancouver aquarium has operated our marine mammal rescue mmr program since the mid 1960s.
While some people totally agree with this practice because they defend that are beneficial not only economical, others are against it. Accidents have also occurred, causing the deaths of entangled animals. The captive display industry is not static, and neither is our report, the case against marine mammals in captivitya forceful, evidencedriven argument against the public display of dolphins, whales, and other marine mammals, which the humane society of the united states first published in 1995. Developing standards of care for marine mammals in captivity 6 committee members dr. The sea mammal research unit gives fair, autonomous and imaginative science that has high significance to society marine mammals can be subdivided into four recognised groups. As the ethics of keeping animals in captivity have changed, so have the standards and certification policies, developed over many decades, that have helped shift the purpose of zoos and aquariums from commercialized entertainment to entertaining education, meaningful research, and effective conservation. Additionally, the 1992 survey found that 37% of respondents believed captivity to be detrimental to animal life spans alliance of marine mammal parks and aquariums, 1999. Once in captivity, the animals are withheld forever from the wild gene pool. In case you want to get your hands on any of these recommended books, i have added direct links to appropriate online stores such as.
As an anomaly, two young gray whales eschrichtius robustus were kept in captivity for about 1 year each, and a wealth of behavioral and physiological data was collected. This study focuses on new approaches to the management of wild animals in captivity. Naomi rose then with another organization to coauthor a chapter on captive marine mammals for a book it was publishing on marine mammal policy. Shamu and the dark side of killer whales in captivity. Pros and cons for dolphin captivity stop cetacean captivity. Evolutionary biology, third edition is a succinct, yet comprehensive text devoted to the systematics, evolution, morphology, ecology, physiology, and behavior of marine mammals. Captiveborn animals are often forcibly weaned and shipped away from their mothers and the only companions they. This text surveys field and captive studies of animal behaviour, advance in captive breeding, research in physiology, genetics and nutrition, and new thinking in animal management and welfare. For fiction or nonfiction about whales, dolphins and any marine mammals score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Marine mammal science publishes significant new findings on marine mammals resulting from original research on their form and function, evolution, systematics, physiology, biochemistry, behavior, population biology, life history, genetics, ecology and conservation members. Yes the greatest benefit to holding dolphins in captivity is public awareness. Death at seaworld david kirby macmillan macmillan publishers. This list follows the societys taxonomy regarding and subspecies. This section will provide you with a huge list of marine mammals including cetaceans whales, dolphins and porpoises, fissipeds polar bears and otters, pinnipeds seals, fur seals, sea lions and walruses and sirenians manatees and dugongs.
Death at seaworld is by far one of the best books i have ever read. A comprehensive manual for understanding and dealing with a stranded seal, manatee, dolphin, whale, or sea otter, this book contains information for the interested beach dweller or student and for the scientist or marine resource manager. Biology of marine mammals belongs on the shelf of every serious student of marine mammalogy. These resources may allow us to maintain a viable gene pool until the habitat can be restored or other reasons for. Orcas can live an average of 6090 years in the wild and dolphins can live up. And as the story progresses and orca attacks on trainers become increasingly violent, the. Many marine parks main attraction are their performing orcas. Readers will find chapters in this work up to date and comprehensive. I think the mandate, quite to the contrary, is very strong for the future. Specifically, this article examines the application of regulations associated with the animal welfare act, marine mammal protection act, and the self. Even if only for short periods of time, almost every species of marine mammal other than most of the great whales have been maintained in captivity. At a petaled news conference held in san diego, a panel of experts discussed how captivity in seaworlds tanks physically and mentally harms orcas and other animals and announced that a formal. Ive been very active in the anti captivity movement in the last six months. The society for marine mammalogy, an international scientific society, maintains a list of valid species and subspecies, most recently updated in october 2015.
Recommended books on the marine mammals of the world. Observing such majestic creatures up close as well as seeing them perform has become a major tourist attraction with in the united. Also, examine which other entities benefit from keeping marine mammals in captivity e. The ethics of keeping animals in captivity have changed. Wild vs captivity for cetaceans like dolphins, belugas, whales, and sharks. Contrary to marine mammal exhibition industry claims, orca lifespans are significantly. Evolutionary biology, third edition is a succinct, yet comprehensive text devoted to the systematics, evolution, morphology, ecology, physiology, and behavior of marine mammals earlier editions of this valuable work are considered required reading for all marine biologists concerned with marine mammals, and this text continues that tradition of excellence. The case against marine mammals in captivity by the humane. Marine mammal research list of high impact articles. Books about whales, dolphins or other marine mammals 4 books.
Marine mammals do breed in captivity, but the birth rate in captivity is not as successful as in the wild. This book is a great comprehensive look marine mammal. He is one of the worlds leading marine mammal population ecologists. Captive breeding programs are the center of quite a bit of controversy when it comes to animal conservation. Wild dolphins can live 40 years in the wild and orcas can live 90 years, but when held in captivity they rarely survive their teens.