Special Issue Survey of Cetaceans in Captive Care

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330 Couquiaudon soil conditions. After the membrane is put inplace, another layer of sand is placed over themembrane. It needs to be at least 50 cm thick.If the sand bed is less than 50 cm, the dolphinsmay expose the membrane by their foraging andtail movements. Anaerobic bacterial activity willdevelop in the sand and stabilise; this shouldnot create problems providing the turnover ofthe water is appropriate. Metal ions in the watermight give the sandy substrate a brownish colour.Metal ion composition of the groundwater at thesite location will be investigated to ensure thatit is safe for the animals. There is a potentialdanger of impurities leaking into the system, butif the turnover rate of the water is good, it can beavoided. A second membrane layer above a thicklayer of several meters of sand can be added tocreate a buffer zone and guarantee watertightnesswhen impermeable membrane is preferred.• The perimeter of the recreated lagoon can beeither left sandy with the membrane sealedunderneath on a concrete beam or lined with athick layer of stones, preferably hand-placed onthe upper surface of the inclined batter and downto approximately two-thirds of the lagoon’sdepth. Some portions can slope gently to form asandy beach. Boulders also can be added. Sumpgrates should be placed at a higher level thanthe bottom, and their perimeter should be linedwith stones or concrete to maintain the membranein place around them.• Bank stability may also be a problem accordingto the nature of the substrate. The geotechnicalqualities of each site must be assessed beforethis type of environment can be designed orconstructed.• On a rocky substrate, a membrane might berequired if the rock is not solid and uniform,or if it is mixed with soil. Lava rock makes anexcellent lagoon substrate and acts as an efficientnatural filter. Granite also makes a goodnatural substrate that can provide a dramaticunderwater landscape.The primary advantage of this type of environmentis that it offers a more natural habitat withgreater possibilities for the animals to interactwith their environment because marine organismssuch as fish, crustaceans and shrimps can thrive,provided the life support system (LSS) allows it. Itcan be much larger than concrete pools and offersa wide variety of shapes and topography. It also iseasier to maintain and clean because algae are partof the environment and do not need to be removedfrequently. It is cost-effective compared to concretepools for construction and maintenance.Artificial Environment – Concrete pools havebeen used to house dolphins since the beginningof modern oceanaria. Facilities have reportedFigure 5.9. Semi-natural show lagoonFigure 5.10. Semi-natural lagoonFigure 5.11. Semi-natural lagoonseveral problems related to concrete foundationsand have proposed recommendations for adequateconstruction and maintenance:• The structure of the pool will be designed toresist changes in pressure when the pool isempty. This can be achieved by means of athick slab or multiple anchored ground piles.For budget constraints, this aspect often isneglected, resulting in concrete failure at thefirst attempt to empty the pool.• Concrete pools with geometrical shapesand regular surfaces are built traditionallyusing formwork. To create free shapes and
5. Architectural Design of Pools and Enclosures 331Figure 5.12. Semi-natural lagoon (Photograph from J. M.Chollet)Figure 5.13. Semi-natural lagoon built on granite rockirregular forms, a metal structure is installedfollowing the shape of preformed ground, thensprayed with liquid concrete such as Gunite orShotcrete .• Concrete failure is due to movements fromsettling, shrinkage, surface-spalling, and scaling.If the pools develop leaks, saltwater cantravel into the wall, attack and corrode the steelreinforcement rods, and deteriorate concretefurther. Preventive maintenance and sealing ofsurfaces with a concrete sealer protects concreteand rockwork. Krajniak (1988) and several surveyedfacilities recommend to re-coat pool surfacesmore often than most manufacturers do.• All of the cracks will be filled up by injectingthem with epoxy under high pressure. Cracksaround window frames should be given specialattention.• Concrete will be coated with a nonporous andwaterproof finish. If paint is used, its compositionshould be checked carefully to avoid anydangerous chemicals that could be releasedinto the water and be absorbed by the dolphinsthrough their mouth mucosa or skin. Nobutyltin compounds, such as TBT (tributyltin),commonly found in antifouling paints, nor anypaint containing heavy metals should be usedas it may jeopardise dolphins’ health by suppressingtheir ability to fight infection (Kannanet al., 1997) (see Chapter 6). Epoxy paint,like all other coatings, has to be applied undervery strict hygrometric and temperature conditions.Waterproofing and pool liners shouldbe applied properly when first installed. Thesurface must be clean and dry, and the propertemperature and procedures recommended bythe manufacturer must be maintained at alltimes. Otherwise, it can result in early scalingand improper waterproofing (Krajniak, 1988).Remedial work to remedy poor installation canbe extremely costly and time-consuming, aswell as stressful and dangerous for the animalssince they can swallow pealing paint or coating.One surveyed facility has reported that dolphinshave ingested bits of pealing paints dueto the improper polymerisation of the components,and that traces of the same componentswere found in the blood analysis of the animals.Fibreglass-reinforced polyester, which is waterproofand smooth, makes an excellent coating,preventing algal growth more efficiently.It eliminates the necessity to repaint a pool atregular intervals. Newly constructed pools andapplied liners, as well as a new LSS, should bedry and used for several days to weeks beforeanimals are introduced to ensure that there areno toxicity concerns (e.g., concrete leaching,paint fumes, etc.).• Tiles are not recommended as a pool liner.They are slippery and often crack; broken tilesare difficult to replace; and grout is difficult toclean. Regular scrubbing of grouts wears themin a way that makes an excellent substrate foralgal growth.• Pool surfaces replicating a natural environmentare encouraged as long as they do not jeopardisethe well-being of the animals.Figure 5.14. Artificial pools with naturalistic features
Page 3 and 4: Aquatic Mammals 2005, 31(3), 279-28
Page 9 and 10: 1. Introduction 285of Architecture,
Page 11 and 12: on the physiology, behavior, and he
Page 13 and 14: 2. Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises:
Page 37 and 38: 3. Survey of International Cetacean
Page 45 and 46: 4. Types and Functions of Pools and
Page 47 and 48: 4. Types and Functions of Pools and
Page 49 and 50: welfare: Marine mammals (9 CFR Part
Page 51 and 52: 5. Architectural Design of Pools an
Page 53: 5. Architectural Design of Pools an
Page 77 and 78: 6. Life Support Systems 353sometime
Page 79 and 80: 6. Life Support Systems 355al., 199
Page 81 and 82: 6. Life Support Systems 357from coa
Page 83 and 84: 6. Life Support Systems 359antimicr
Page 85 and 86: 6. Life Support Systems 361contact
Page 87 and 88: 6. Life Support Systems 363Dierauf,
Page 89 and 90: 7. Food and Fish House 365in its se
Page 91 and 92: 7. Food and Fish House 367establish
Page 93 and 94: 7. Food and Fish House 369Figure 7.
Page 97 and 98: 8. Husbandry 373Figure 8.3. Milk sa
Page 99 and 100: 8. Husbandry 375reintroducing a new
Page 101 and 102: 8. Husbandry 377Rescue and Rehabili
Page 103 and 104: 8. Husbandry 379Appendix II include
Page 105 and 106:
8. Husbandry 381& R. J. Harrison (E
Page 107 and 108:
Appendix 383Dolphinarium YaltaDolph
Page 109:
Appendix 385Aomori Prefectural Asam
Page 113:
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