We are creeping up to the end of the Dolphin Hunts and Capturing in Taji Japan.
The decades-long tradition of feeding dolphins has ended at SeaWorld's Orlando theme park.
People have gathered for years to pet the creatures and spend a few dollars on food for them. Now SeaWorld has revamped its Dolphin Cove area. Visitors can still pet dolphins but can no longer lure them with $7 trays of fish.
Instead, guests can purchase packages that include touching the dolphins and having their photos taken with them under a trainer's supervision. Those 10-minute packages — starting at $15 per person — will not include feeding. Visitors can sign up in advance online beginning March 2. Each session can include five groups of up to 10 people each.
Asked why it changed the system, SeaWorld spokeswoman Becca Bides said in an email the new program is similar to popular ones in SeaWorld's San Diego and San Antonio parks.
Mark Palmer, associate director for the International Marine Mammal Project at nonprofit Earth Island Institute, called it "a good move." Visitors could accidentally drop plastic toys and other things into pools, where dolphins could eat them, said Palmer, who opposes captivity.
Pools where large numbers of people can feed dolphins are rare, Palmer said. Dolphins are "so prone to issues of stomach problems and things like that; most aquariums wouldn't do it."
There have been a few reported incidents of children bitten while petting or feeding the dolphins. In 2012, an 8-year-old girl made national news after her father posted a video of a dolphin biting her arm as it grabbed the paper fish tray she held. Ending the feedings should lessen those incidents, Palmer said.
A petition on TakePart.com calling for an end to the feedings has more than 24,000 signatures.
"Most animal theme parks have discontinued dolphin-feeding programs because of the risks to the dolphins and the untrained public," it says.
On Monday afternoon at the park, the dolphins still approached about two dozen visitors clustered around the cove area. One even lay across a ledge allowing people to touch it. Some delighted guests petted the dolphins' rostrums and fins. The animals made clicking noises and splashed water as two staffers looked on.
Having no fish for them didn't bother Jerry Montes of Apopka.
"I wouldn't particularly like feeding them," he said. "Just touching them, I think, is enough."
Still, Richard Kincade of Jacksonville had hoped to let his 5-year-old niece feed the dolphins and was disappointed when he learned she could not.
"She keeps trying to pet it, and they're not coming up to her," he said.
The timing of the change is unfortunate, said Scott Smith, assistant hospitality instructor at the University of South Carolina.
SeaWorld has had a run of bad news. The company's park attendance and stock value have both declined as it has battled controversy over its captive killer whales, fueled by the 2013 documentary "Blackfish." Last week, a beluga whale died at the Orlando park after being treated for an infection associated with a jaw injury.
In December, SeaWorld Entertainment laid off more than 300 employees — including three popular performing mimes. SeaWorld's decision to get rid of the mimes upset many guests. Now another popular feature goes by the wayside.
"That's one of the SeaWorld traditions in Orlando, being able to … buy the food and feed the dolphins," Smith said. "Now you're taking away that tradition … so that's always tough to do. You have what's called the entitlement effect. The longer something goes on as a tradition, the more negative reaction you get from the customers [when it ends]."
Kathleen Dezio, executive director of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, said many attractions have evolved dolphin interactions.
Programs such as SeaWorld's "helped facilities realize people really enjoyed them and wanted even more time to interact with the animals, and to do so in ways other than just feeding them," Dezio said in an email, adding that feeding areas preceded more up-close programs.
SeaWorld redesigned its San Diego and San Antonio dolphin areas in 2012 and 2013, respectively. San Diego eliminated its large-group dolphin feedings but has programs allowing small groups to do it, starting at $50 a person. San Antonio also allows feeding in small-group experiences costing at least $60.
In Orlando, there is a swim-with-dolphins program, which also includes feeding, at SeaWorld's more exclusive sister park, Discovery Cove.
Please sign the Petition to Help Save Japan's Dolphins.
The goal of Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is to put an end to dolphin exploitation and slaughter once and for all. Dolphins are regularly captured, harassed, slaughtered and sold into captivity around the world – all in the name of profit. The Dolphin Project works not only to halt these slaughters in countries around the world, but also to rehabilitate captive dolphins, investigate and advocate for economic alternatives to dolphin slaughter exploitation, and to put a permanent end to dolphin captivity.
Click Here to sign the petition!
New
Zealand’s critically endangered Maui’s dolphin is the world's smallest and
rarest marine dolphin - and it is in very real danger of extinction. Only about 55
adult Maui’s dolphins now remain alive.
Both the International Whaling Commission and the World Conservation Congress have urged the New Zealand Government to take immediate measures to protect the Maui's dolphin. Intense public pressure has been mounting in recent years.
If we can bring further international focus on the plight of the Maui’s dolphin it could make a real difference so please make sure to share the link. New Zealand relies on its reputation as a clean green nation.
Click here to sign the petition and share to help spread the word.
Maui’s dolphins are already under threat from net fishing and now also from a massive increase in exploration for high-risk deep sea oil drilling in New Zealand waters. Seismic testing, which is a precursor to drilling and known to distress marine mammals, is already happening very close to the Maui’s habitat.
All this combined could seal the fate of the Maui’s dolphin. These unique dolphins could be lost forever.
Click here to show the New Zealand Government that the world is watching and demand they give proper protection to the Maui’s dolphin.
If something isn't done soon, New Zealand could become only the second country in history to cause the extinction of a dolphin species.
U.S. Navy to bring mine-hunting dolphins to Hawaii
The decades-long tradition of feeding dolphins has ended at SeaWorld's Orlando theme park.
People have gathered for years to pet the creatures and spend a few dollars on food for them. Now SeaWorld has revamped its Dolphin Cove area. Visitors can still pet dolphins but can no longer lure them with $7 trays of fish.
Instead, guests can purchase packages that include touching the dolphins and having their photos taken with them under a trainer's supervision. Those 10-minute packages — starting at $15 per person — will not include feeding. Visitors can sign up in advance online beginning March 2. Each session can include five groups of up to 10 people each.
Asked why it changed the system, SeaWorld spokeswoman Becca Bides said in an email the new program is similar to popular ones in SeaWorld's San Diego and San Antonio parks.
Mark Palmer, associate director for the International Marine Mammal Project at nonprofit Earth Island Institute, called it "a good move." Visitors could accidentally drop plastic toys and other things into pools, where dolphins could eat them, said Palmer, who opposes captivity.
Pools where large numbers of people can feed dolphins are rare, Palmer said. Dolphins are "so prone to issues of stomach problems and things like that; most aquariums wouldn't do it."
There have been a few reported incidents of children bitten while petting or feeding the dolphins. In 2012, an 8-year-old girl made national news after her father posted a video of a dolphin biting her arm as it grabbed the paper fish tray she held. Ending the feedings should lessen those incidents, Palmer said.
A petition on TakePart.com calling for an end to the feedings has more than 24,000 signatures.
"Most animal theme parks have discontinued dolphin-feeding programs because of the risks to the dolphins and the untrained public," it says.
On Monday afternoon at the park, the dolphins still approached about two dozen visitors clustered around the cove area. One even lay across a ledge allowing people to touch it. Some delighted guests petted the dolphins' rostrums and fins. The animals made clicking noises and splashed water as two staffers looked on.
Having no fish for them didn't bother Jerry Montes of Apopka.
"I wouldn't particularly like feeding them," he said. "Just touching them, I think, is enough."
Still, Richard Kincade of Jacksonville had hoped to let his 5-year-old niece feed the dolphins and was disappointed when he learned she could not.
Claudia Burgos of Milwaukee gives a lift to her son Alfredo Gonzalez, 6, see he can pet the dolphins at SeaWorld on Friday, April 1, 2005. (Joe Kaleita/Orlando Sentinel) (Joe Kaleita / Orlando Sentinel)
"She keeps trying to pet it, and they're not coming up to her," he said.
The timing of the change is unfortunate, said Scott Smith, assistant hospitality instructor at the University of South Carolina.
SeaWorld has had a run of bad news. The company's park attendance and stock value have both declined as it has battled controversy over its captive killer whales, fueled by the 2013 documentary "Blackfish." Last week, a beluga whale died at the Orlando park after being treated for an infection associated with a jaw injury.
In December, SeaWorld Entertainment laid off more than 300 employees — including three popular performing mimes. SeaWorld's decision to get rid of the mimes upset many guests. Now another popular feature goes by the wayside.
"That's one of the SeaWorld traditions in Orlando, being able to … buy the food and feed the dolphins," Smith said. "Now you're taking away that tradition … so that's always tough to do. You have what's called the entitlement effect. The longer something goes on as a tradition, the more negative reaction you get from the customers [when it ends]."
Kathleen Dezio, executive director of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, said many attractions have evolved dolphin interactions.
Programs such as SeaWorld's "helped facilities realize people really enjoyed them and wanted even more time to interact with the animals, and to do so in ways other than just feeding them," Dezio said in an email, adding that feeding areas preceded more up-close programs.
SeaWorld redesigned its San Diego and San Antonio dolphin areas in 2012 and 2013, respectively. San Diego eliminated its large-group dolphin feedings but has programs allowing small groups to do it, starting at $50 a person. San Antonio also allows feeding in small-group experiences costing at least $60.
In Orlando, there is a swim-with-dolphins program, which also includes feeding, at SeaWorld's more exclusive sister park, Discovery Cove.
We know that dolphins are among the most dynamic and intelligent species in the world. Over the years, we have discovered that dolphins have brains that are far more complex than humans’ and learned about the incredible bond between pod family members; it is no wonder that people are endlessly fascinated by these animals. However, the downside to this fascination is that is has led us to keep dolphins in captivity.
Given the social and highly active nature of dolphins, holding them in marine parks and zoos is incredibly inhumane. Confined to a space the size of a bathtub and separated from their families, these animals are condemned to a life of monotony and boredom.
As highly self-aware beings who can comprehend their own suffering, captive dolphins are prone to depression and various other illnesses associated with extreme stress. Dolphins who are kept in marine parks like SeaWorld rarely live longer than 10 years in captivity. Former dolphin trainer, Ric O’Barry, even asserts that one of the captive dolphins in his care committed suicide as a result of her misery in this environment.
To make matters worse, many of the dolphins who wind up in marine parks are captured from the wild, typically during violent dolphin hunts like the ones that occur in Taiji, Japan.
Learning about the dark side of captivity, many animal advocates are standing up for these cetaceans and fighting to obtain personhood rights for cetaceans, effectively making holding them captive for entertainment illegal.
To illustrate the scope of our global captive dolphin epidemic, Sea Shepherd volunteer and fourth year Geography major at University of California – Berkley, Kendall Williams has developed a map to show where this industry exists.
“The map itself illustrates where the world stands,” Williams explains to One Green Planet, ” only five of almost 200 countries completely ban dolphin captivity, while more than half still use captivity for profit.”
Williams explains that even after films like Blackfish and The Cove, many people are still unaware of the plight of dolphins in the captivity industry, a fact that seems to be reflected in this map. While the majority of the map seems to be dominated by countries that have little to no regulations on dolphin capture or captivity, Williams is hopeful that this trend will soon change.
“I believe that the number [of countries that ban captivity] will increase from five within the decade as more people become aware of what’s really going on, which is the key to ending it,” says Williams.
Although we might not realize it, we can all play an integral role is changing the color scheme of this map for dolphins. By boycotting marine parks and sharing what we know about the cruelty involved with cetacean captivity, we can help shut down profit-driven marine parks and zoos.
“I hope people will see this map and realize how much of the world keeps dolphins captive for profit,” explains Williams, “but also how there are countries which provide hope for dolphins by protecting them as they would humans, and that each person can make a difference in stopping this industry by taking their money elsewhere.”
While the majority of dolphins worldwide might not be safe from the captivity industry, we all have the power to change this fact. So, be a Green Monster and share this information. It is time that we emptied the tanks once and for all!
Lead image source: Loren Szatjer/Flickr
Please sign the Petition to Help Save Japan's Dolphins.
The goal of Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is to put an end to dolphin exploitation and slaughter once and for all. Dolphins are regularly captured, harassed, slaughtered and sold into captivity around the world – all in the name of profit. The Dolphin Project works not only to halt these slaughters in countries around the world, but also to rehabilitate captive dolphins, investigate and advocate for economic alternatives to dolphin slaughter exploitation, and to put a permanent end to dolphin captivity.
To: President Obama, Vice President Biden and Kenichiro Sasae, Ambassador of Japan to the United States
I recently heard about the documentary film The Cove and was alarmed to find out that more than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises are brutally killed each year off the coast of Japan. In addition, Japanese consumers are being sold dolphin meat, containing dangerously high levels of mercury, often labeled as whale meat.
I ask that you urge the Japanese government to revoke permits that allow Japan's Fisheries Agency to continue this heinous, dangerous and illegal practice.
I also urge American leadership to ensure that the International Whaling Commission includes the proper management of dolphins and porpoises and a comprehensive plan to stop the slaughter of dolphins in Japan.
Your immediate action is needed.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
I ask that you urge the Japanese government to revoke permits that allow Japan's Fisheries Agency to continue this heinous, dangerous and illegal practice.
I also urge American leadership to ensure that the International Whaling Commission includes the proper management of dolphins and porpoises and a comprehensive plan to stop the slaughter of dolphins in Japan.
Your immediate action is needed.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
  |
Both the International Whaling Commission and the World Conservation Congress have urged the New Zealand Government to take immediate measures to protect the Maui's dolphin. Intense public pressure has been mounting in recent years.
If we can bring further international focus on the plight of the Maui’s dolphin it could make a real difference so please make sure to share the link. New Zealand relies on its reputation as a clean green nation.
Click here to sign the petition and share to help spread the word.
Maui’s dolphins are already under threat from net fishing and now also from a massive increase in exploration for high-risk deep sea oil drilling in New Zealand waters. Seismic testing, which is a precursor to drilling and known to distress marine mammals, is already happening very close to the Maui’s habitat.
All this combined could seal the fate of the Maui’s dolphin. These unique dolphins could be lost forever.
Click here to show the New Zealand Government that the world is watching and demand they give proper protection to the Maui’s dolphin.
If something isn't done soon, New Zealand could become only the second country in history to cause the extinction of a dolphin species.
U.S. Navy to bring mine-hunting dolphins to Hawaii
As reported on KITV.COM. Click here to watch Catherine Cruz's report.
Big Island divers helped rescue one recently it after it was tangled in fishing line, but the U.S. Navy wants to bring in specially trained ones from San Diego.
Animal rights activists believe the military's use of the dolphins to hunt mines is cruel. They urged the state agriculture board not to approve the permit.
"One if the questions you should be asking –each, and everyone of you is -- 'what is your moral responsibility to this particular animal?' said Oahu resident Jim Anthony.
"We are particularly concerned about the use of the anti-foraging device which is cruel, and could result in a dolphin's death due to starvation, or and dehydrations," said Cathy Goeggel of Animal Rights Hawaii.
Board members heard the U.S. Navy defend the use of the marine mammals, until such time underwater drone technology can replace them.
"For certain types of anti-invasion mines, the dolphins are the best and in some cases, the only way of detecting some of these threats," said Mark Xitco by phone from San Diego.
"We never have had an animal casualty during real operations," Xitco said.
"The program does have a good track record over as indicated by Dr, Xitco. Over the years, with over a million free water releases, they have only had a dozen escapes and those were in the early years of the program," said Trenton Yasui, Acting Invertebrates Aquatic Specialist for the state agriculture department.
Escapes would be of concern because the dolphins are born-in-captivity and might have trouble adjusting out in the wild.And there are some worries about certain diseases the marine mammals could carry. But in the end the board gave the project the nod.
The dolphins will be in Hawaii between March 10-31st. They will be held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during the training exercises.
At one time, the military operated a dolphin training program at Kaneohe Marine base for about 30 years until a decision was made to move the operation to San Diego; pens seen below.
