The Case against Marine Mammals in Captivity - The Humane ...

Dolphins in petting pools, in direct contact with visitors unaware of the potential harm they can do, are in danger of ingestingforeign objects. Photos: WDCSposed or are in the planning or building stages on islands such asthe Caymans and Aruba. Almost none of these jurisdictions haveappropriate controls for the health or safety of either the dolphinsor human participants in these interactions. 206 Two of these facilitiesToo many people and too many (or too few) dolphins in anenclosure together is simply asking for trouble. Photo: WSPAhave reportedly been involved in illegal activities. 207 We have submittedcomments to various authorities in an effort to ensure thestrictest possible standards for these programs to minimize potentialhazards for both dolphins and people, but clearly the goal mustcontinue to be the prohibition of these exploitative operations.PETTING POOLSPetting pools are presently found at four facilities in the UnitedStates (SeaWorld Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego, and SixFlags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California). There is one inCanada (Marineland Ontario), at least one in Japan, and at leastone in Europe, at Marineland Antibes in France. These attractionsallow visitors to feed and touch animals (often bottlenose dolphins,but also belugas, sea lions, and even orcas) from pool-side.Dolphinaria argue that such interactions attract more tourists totheir parks, thus enhancing public education about marine mammals,but this is not supported by research. 208 In fact, petting poolsand feeding sessions are actually leading to more conservationproblems in natural habitat, as members of the public assume thattouching and feeding wild dolphins is acceptable—the pettingpools are setting a bad example. 209For more than a decade, WDCS (the Whale and Dolphin ConservationSociety) and The HSUS have been monitoring petting poolsin the United States and the risks they pose to both humans anddolphins. 210 In the summer months, dolphins in petting pools canbe exposed to humans 12 hours a day, every day, with the publicoften splashing water or slapping the sides of the tank to get thedolphins’ attention, adding to an already noisy environment. 211 Inaddition, although feeding of dolphins is regulated by law in theUnited States and is only supposed to be done under strict supervision,212 there have been repeated observations of dolphins inpetting pools being fed popcorn, bread, french fries, sandwiches,and the contents of drink containers. This inappropriate feedingwas either not seen by so-called “supervisors,” or no attempt wasmade to stop it. 213 Many of the petting pool dolphins were alsonoticeably obese, clearly indicating that supervision of feedingwas ineffective and that competition among the animals left somedolphins overfed (and conversely, some possibly underfed).Perhaps most alarming were observations of the public placingobjects such as glasses, paper, stones, coins, bottle tops, metalsouvenirs, and even a baby’s pacifier into the mouths of dolphinsor offering them wristwatches and even cigarettes. 214 If suchobjects are swallowed, they can cause intestinal injuries,poisoning, and even death.27