(The days of captive animal shows are coming
to an end, thankfully, I think. Now, I get it, that in the old days, it was
the only way to see such animals, people were curious, and money was to be made. But over time, society has made progress in
some things like this, and it’s much more fun--not to mention much kinder-- to watch
animals be themselves in the wild, and we can do so today, thanks to videos and even
live web-cams! So let’s talk about dolphins now, because
many of them are still captive in shows.) An average dolphin lives for 20-30 years,
and a captive one only half that time, if not less. But since the show must go on, the creatures
just get replaced with new ones. The audience rarely has a clue what the poor
things go through, and that could be because of common dolphin show myths…. Myth 1: Dolphins are smiling, and it means
they’re happy. This statement applies mostly to common bottlenose
dolphins that usually take part in entertainment shows. They’re chosen as performers because of
their friendly appearance and ability to learn complex tricks. However, their “smile” is nothing more
than the anatomical structure of their jaws, which creates the illusion of a constantly
cheerful and happy creature. In fact, dolphins don’t really enjoy entertaining
the audience. They “smile” at all times – when they’re
satisfied with life and when they can hardly bear it. They just can’t physically look miserable. Myth 2: Dolphins are friendly and squint for
joy. Various chemicals like chlorine are used to
disinfect the pools. When they get into the water and interact
with waste products of marine creatures, they turn into compounds that poison animals, damage
their immunity, and lead to different illnesses. If the concentration of chlorine is too high,
the water irritates the eyes of dolphins and other tank creatures. As a result, animals literally go blind. That’s why captive dolphins often swim with
their eyes closed, and it sometimes seems like they’re just squinting for joy. They also tend to float as close to the surface
as they can to try and save themselves from the painful sting. What’s worse, those cleaning agents can
also damage the animal’s skin to the point where it gets covered in wounds. Myth 3: They swim in spacious pools. In the wild, dolphins and orcas swim about
100 miles (160 km) a day and dive to great depths. No matter how large the tanks might seem to
us, captive animals get access to less than 1% of the space they normally require for
a healthy existence in their natural environment. And their small pools don’t give these inquisitive
and intelligent creatures the stimulation they need. As a result, they’re forced to swim in endless
circles around the tank. These repetitive meaningless movements and
"rituals" cause different psychological and behavioral problems in dolphins. Some of them start chewing on steel gates,
others get aggressive towards trainers or other dolphins, and they often just hurt themselves
because they have to get that repressed energy out. Myth 4: Dolphins are calm and non-aggressive. You must’ve heard that dolphins move using
echolocation. That is, they use sound to see underwater
where visibility isn’t exactly the best. A dolphin can make clicking sounds, those
soundwaves travel to an object, bounce off of it, and travel back to the dolphin with
information about the object’s size, distance, and direction. In those small pools, though, all these sounds
bouncing off the walls can seriously affect an animal’s psyche. Add loud music, shouting, and applause (as
well as a combination of other things dolphins go through in captivity), and you’ll see
why they’re under constant stress. Dolphins are wild animals, so their behavior
can be unpredictable, especially when it’s being changed for the worse due to an unfit
environment. And it’s not just them or the trainers that
are at risk – the audience is too! That’s why performance dolphins are often
given antidepressants and tranquilizers, according to former sea animal park employees. But even that doesn’t always stop them from
attacking. Myth 5: They’re smart mammals, so they easily
perform tricks. Long-term scientific studies have confirmed
that the dolphin brain really has a very complex structure. Neuroscientist and animal behavior expert
Dr. Lori Marino explains that even though their brains are completely different from
those of primates, dolphins have about the same amazing cognitive abilities and self-knowledge. Their intelligence and complex behavior is
not a myth. However, performing tricks in shows is based
on food motivation. Typically, daily food intake is divided into
several portions, depending on the number of performances or training sessions. So, animals are always kept slightly hungry
before the session on purpose. They understand that if they don’t work
hard, they won’t get any food. By the way, its quality often leaves much
to be desired. In their natural environment, dolphins never
eat dead fish, and that’s what they’re mostly fed at aquariums. Getting used to eating frozen fish is also
part of the training process. Myth 6: Dolphins feel at home in aquariums
and oceanariums. In the wild, dolphins spend most of their
time and energy searching for and maintaining relationships. In 2009, scientists at the University of Nevada
did a whole study on social behavior in bottlenose dolphins. They concluded that these mammals live in
large groups or families. The social status of this or that dolphin
depends on its social group, and it never remains the same. And you can see any dolphin in captivity jump
out of the water in a beautiful breath-taking feat. But in the wild, only the leader of the group
can do this trick to indicate that it’s time to start traveling. So, socialization is an integral and complex
part of a fulfilling life for them. Keeping dolphins in an enclosed area with
several other animals is like putting a person in a room with strangers and forcing them
to interact. They don’t have the freedom they’re used
to when it comes to choosing who to build a relationship with. All of this is just way too much mental strain
for a dolphin. Actually, the trainer who worked on the set
of the popular TV series Flipper realized the risks his “students” have to face
in captivity after one of them died of stress right in his arms. Such cases of former trainers having a change
of heart and standing up to protect animals and oppose their capture and commercial exploitation
are pretty common. They’re often the #1 source of what really
goes on behind the scenes. Myth 7: Traveling dolphin shows are a great
way to explore wildlife. As you already know, not even the largest
tank in the world is able to recreate these animals’ natural habitats. In the case of traveling shows, they’re
obviously inducing even more stress and harm to dolphins. With each move, they spend 5 to 8 days in
dark tanks not much larger than the animal itself. And they’re often not alone in such tiny
tanks, but share them with 1 or 2 other dolphins. What’s interesting is that not only the
dolphins are at risk when it comes to traveling shows! The microflora of animals in captivity is
especially dangerous for humans, according to a 2014 study by marine mammal pathologists
at the Georgia Aquarium. Bacteria and pathogens can easily be transmitted
through touch, like when you’re taking a picture with a dolphin, or even through contaminated
water they splash on the audience. Myth 8: Dolphins are healers. Dolphin therapy often includes swimming with
these animals, and it’s sometimes coupled with different educational exercises. Such a program is designed for at least several
sessions. Dolphinariums are actively engaged in the
promotion and advertising of this service, especially for children in need of treatment. In fact, it’s so popular that people often
have to sign up six months in advance! Studies on the benefits of dolphin therapy
usually don’t take into account that the effect of it, if any, is short-lived and kind
of like a placebo. Most often, it’s about the excitement caused
by the trip, change of setting, extra attention and expectations, and the illusion of that
dolphin “smile” and benevolence. One of the counterarguments against dolphin
therapy is the frequent cases of people being attacked by dolphins during such sessions. There are all kinds of documentaries that
reveal the dark secrets of the dolphin business, like the Oscar-winning film The Cove to name
one. However, even after watching them, some people
claim that if the animals are set free, they’ll soon die in the wild. Well, the risks are real, but captive dolphins
can be re-introduced to their natural environment, although the adaptation process is difficult
and requires a lot of effort and time. But that’ll never happen if people continue
to buy tickets and go to dolphin shows, thinking that it’s all family-friendly fun! Well. What do you think: should dolphin shows be
legally banned? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments! If you learned something new today, then give
this video a like, share it, and head over to the Bright Side for tons more eye-opening
and thought-provoking videos!
This is so wrong on so many levels!!!!!!!!