Dolphins in Captivity

Hi there, today I'll be sharing about the fate of dolphins in captivity.

Dolphins are fascinating and highly intelligent creatures. Most dolphins in the wild for a long time! The commonly seen bottlenose dolphin can live over 40 years and the orca can live from 70 to 80 years old.

Bottlenose Dolphin (NOAA Southwest, 2015).

Fun Facts!

• Dolphins are agile and playful (Defenders of Wildlife, 2012).
• Dolphins can swim more than 64 km per day, that is about 160 rounds around a standard running track
• Many species actually jump out of the water to take a look at their surroundings
• They also swim alongside ships and make use of them to bow-ride, saving them some energy!
• Dolphins sleep with half of their brain awake so that they can continue breathing and to prevent themselves from drowning

Dolphins in captivity :(

• A captive-bred dolphin lives for about four years on average
• Captive dolphins do not have enough space in their artificial lagoon or tanks to swim and thus exhibit unusual behaviour 
• While wild dolphins spend 80% of their time below the surface of the water hunting and exploring, captive dolphins actually spend 80% of their time above the water begging for food and attention (US World Animal Protection, 2015).
• Captive dolphins who are bored or psychologically stressed float on the surface of the water, peer through the glass or fences or swim in circles. Wild dolphins never do that. They are always actively exploring and moving around.

The first video below shows a man swimming with dolphins in the wild, and the second video shows dolphins at the Taiji Whale Museum exhibiting odd behaviours.

Surrounded by Dolphins in the Wild (Rivest, 2015).

The Sad Reality About Dolphin Captivity (Munter, 2011).

To find out more about the dolphin situation and what you can do to help, watch "The Cove". It is an award-winning documentary that analyses dolphin the cruel and unnecessary hunting practices in Japan. 

The Cove | Film Trailer | Participant Media (Take Part, 2009).

References:

Defenders of Wildlife, (2012). Basic Facts About Dolphins. [online] Available at: http://www.defenders.org/dolphin/basic-facts [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

Munter, L. (2011). 

The Sad Reality About Dolphin Captivity. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQUJs_zGPHw [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (2015). [image] Available at: http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/images/cetaceans/bottlenose_calf_swfsc.jpg [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

Rivest, A. (2015). Surrounded by Dolphins in the Wild.. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVIshe7IkpU [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

Take Part, (2009). The Cove | Film Trailer | Participant Media. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KRD8e20fBo [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

Takepart.com, (n.d.). [online] Available at: http://www.takepart.com/cove [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

US World Animal Protection, (2015). Marine animals in captivity. [online] Available at: http://www.worldanimalprotection.us.org/our-work/animals-wild/marine-animals-captivity [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].