Cetecans in captivity poll

I am currently doing research into this area.

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I've just completed it. It might be helpful if you could increase the amount of comment space as I often felt I wanted to briefly justify my answers - but this might lead to a lot of surplus data to sift through should you get a very high number of responses.

 

I also completed the survey, and the only question that was tricky was my location in the U.K.. I live in Canada!

 

I never feel happy about the show aspect, educational or not. Personally, I feel that it all ends up as animals doing tricks, but maybe that's just me.

I think that there are very, very few animals indeed that CAN'T be kept in captivity - it's just with some the cost incurred to do it ethically can't be justified (or, indeed, found). Cetaceans didn't go from the UK because their display was banned - they went because the Government, quite rightly IMO, laid down minimum standards for their being kept.

The only place that was able to fall on the right side of that line was the Windsor Safari Park, which was doing well with Bottle-nosed Dolphins, but whose owners sold the site to Legoland. Hence no more cetaceans on display in the United Kingdom.

 

I am uncomfortable with the keeping of any species if its range of behavioural and social needs cannot be met. So I'm definitely on the negative side of the spectrum when it comes to cetaceans although I have seen them in captivity.

Most recently it was in Vancouver where the 'shows' were 100% educational. No gimmicks at all.

 

I am very sympathetic with that standpoint, Shirokuma, but the fact that the UK public attitude towards whale conservation occurred pretty much at the same time as substantial imports of live Bottle-nosed Dolphins can't be a total coincidence.

As I've said, I would really like to see a British site attempt emulate Harderwijk. Blackpool, a coastal site that could do with offering a very different visitor experience to Chester or Knowsley, might be the place to try doing it.

 

My research shows that currently only bottlenose dolphins have reasonable success in captivity given their longevity rates compared with those in the wild. My ethics say that any animal can be attempted given that there is a reasonable expectation of success. Care standards of the species that are not doing well should be reevaluated before the programs continue. Maybe more parks should be held oceanside so that space and depth can be provided 'cheaply', which can also enhance our understanding of their welfare in tanks.

Education is there depending on the person. I think there is a lot to learn just be seeing what 'tricks' animals are capable of performing and shows should really go in more depth about how this is achieved. Just because some people don't get much out of zoos and shows is not important, as I've sat through very educational lectures but have learned nothing due to my unwillingness to absorb it.

 

Bottlenose dolphins seem to do quite well in captivity, as do harbour porpoises and Commerson's dolphins. I'm not sure about Killer Whales though, I feel they could be kept properly but I'm not sure if any facility is better than adequate.
I'd like to learn more, but most of the information is biased, it either comes from the dolphinarium themselves, or anti-captivity activists.

As for shows, ideally they should be educational, but I wonder how many people learn from them?
I imagine most people don't learn from them, either they already know all the information, or they are just there to watch the show.