Overview
editAnimal captivity is the capturing and holding of an animal. Animals have been held captive for entertainment purposes and domestication. [1] As of 2016, 63 whales and dolphins who are held captive have significantly less of space than they would usually swim every day in the wild. Marine mammals in captivity are fully aware and know when one of their pod mates or family members have died or they get separated from one another.[2]
Dolphins
editDolphins are six times as likely to die after being captured due to stress and poor treatment. [3] Dolphins live on average forty years less in captivity than they would live in the wild. Due to the stress of being in captivity it is very rare for dolphins to reproduce. [4] Dolphins in their natural habitat spend around 80% of the time deep under water and swimming around 40 miles a day. Dolphins in captivity spend around 80% of their time above water and swimming just a few miles a day. [5]
Orcas
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Orcas have one of the biggest and most complex brains of all the marine mammals. They fully understand when they are captured and in captivity. Orcas also understand when they are being treated by humans. [6] On average, Orcas swim around 100 miles every day and only spend around 10% of their lives at the surface of the ocean. In captivity, Orcas cannot swim as deep as they need to survive causing sun burn and blisters. Their dorsal fin can collapse from being out of the water so much. [1]As of 2016, 63 orcas are in captivity in America. Studies show that almost all of these Orcas die for reasons other than old age while they are still in captivity. [7]Twelve Orcas have died at Sea World since 1970. Sea world in Sandiego has recorded 17 orca deaths since 1971. [8] The orcas often die from pregnancy, disease, and stress.[1] Orcas are self-aware, and orcas depend on their pod mates and family to survive, and it is rare for them to survive on their own. [9] An orca named Loita at the Miami Seaquarium, who was captured at four years old and lived in captivity for almost fifty years, was set to be released but died before she could be freed. She died from heath issues in 2021. [10]
Prevention
editCongress passed the Animal Welfare Act to protect animals who are under human care. There where laws against animal captivity but, they were mostly ceased in 1984. [11] The marine Mammal Protection Act was passed in 1972 by President Richard Nixion. The act prohibits anyone from capturing marine mammals. [12]
Benefits
editHolding marine mammals in captivity allows scientists to study and observe them which then allows them to help more animals in the wild. A lot of marine mammals in captivity who fall ill or get injured will just pass away, but if they get captured, they can be treated and get a second chance at life. [13]
References
edit- ^ a b Marino, Lori; Rose, Naomi A.; Visser, Ingrid N.; Rally, Heather; Ferdowsian, Hope; Slootsky, Veronica (2021). "The harmful effects of captivity and chronic stress on the well-being of orcas (Orcinus orca)". Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 35: 69–82. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2019.05.005.
- ^ Bearzi, Giovanni; Kerem, Dan; Furey, Nathan B.; Pitman, Robert L.; Rendell, Luke; Reeves, Randall R. (2018). "Whale and dolphin behavioural responses to dead conspecifics". Zoology. 128: 1–15. doi:10.1016/j.zool.2018.05.003.
- ^ Fertl, Dagmar (October 2007). "Whales, Dolphins, and Other Marine Mammals of the World". Marine Mammal Science. 23 (4): 984–986. doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2007.00150.x. ISSN 0824-0469.
- ^ Schroeder, J. Pete (1990), "Breeding Bottlenose Dolphins in Captivity", The Bottlenose Dolphin, Elsevier, pp. 435–446, retrieved 2023-09-22
- ^ Lercier, Marine (2017-10-01). "Legal protection of animals in Israel". Derecho Animal. Forum of Animal Law Studies. 8 (4): 1. doi:10.5565/rev/da.1. ISSN 2462-7518.
- ^ Marino, Lori; Rose, Naomi A.; Visser, Ingrid N.; Rally, Heather; Ferdowsian, Hope; Slootsky, Veronica (January 2010). "The harmful effects of captivity and chronic stress on the well-being of orcas (Orcinus orca)". Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 35: 69–82. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2019.05.005.
- ^ Fertl, Dagmar (October 2007). "Whales, Dolphins, and Other Marine Mammals of the World". Marine Mammal Science. 23 (4): 984–986. doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2007.00150.x. ISSN 0824-0469.
- ^ Van Gorkom, H. J.; Pulles, M. P.; Wessels, J. S. (December 1975). "Light-induced changes of absorbance and electron spin resonance in small photosystem II particles". Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. 408 (3): 331–339. doi:10.1016/0005-2728(75)90134-6. ISSN 0006-3002. PMID 62.
- ^ Whitehead, H.; Glass, C. (1985-02-26). "Orcas (Killer Whales) Attack Humpback Whales". Journal of Mammalogy. 66 (1): 183–185. doi:10.2307/1380982. ISSN 1545-1542.
- ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Kuta, Sarah. "Lolita the Orca Dies After More Than 50 Years in Captivity". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
- ^ Rose, Naomi A.; Hancock Snusz, Georgia; Brown, Danielle M.; Parsons, E. C. M. (2017-01-02). "Improving Captive Marine Mammal Welfare in the United States: Science-Based Recommendations for Improved Regulatory Requirements for Captive Marine Mammal Care". Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy. 20 (1): 38–72. doi:10.1080/13880292.2017.1309858. ISSN 1388-0292.
- ^ Environmental Guidance Program Reference Book: Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. Revision 3 (Report). Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI). 1988-01-31.
- ^ "10 Pros and Cons of Marine Mammals in Captivity 2023 | Ablison". www.ablison.com. 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
Marine mammals in captivity | The Humane Society of the United States
The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity | Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org)
Marine animals in captivity | World Animal Protection
Let orca's death be a lesson: Marine mammals don't belong in captivity | Commentary (orlandosentinel.com)
Lolita, the 2nd-oldest orca in captivity, who was set to be released to the wild, has died | Live Science
62 Orcas Have Died At SeaWorld -- Not A Single One From Old Age - The Dodo 10 Pros and Cons of Marine Mammals in Captivity 2023 - Ablison
The Harmful Effects of Captivity on Orcas | Psychology Today
CaseAgainstMMCapt.#74 final (worldanimalprotection.org)
Full article: Improving Captive Marine Mammal Welfare in the United States: Science-Based Recommendations for Improved Regulatory Requirements for Captive Marine Mammal Care (tandfonline.com)
Thousands of captive whales, dolphins and other marine mammals still suffering in 2019 | World Animal Protection
Dolphin captivity (slideshare.net)
PBS Hawai‘i (pbshawaii.org)
OPS Timeline: The Dangers of Marine Mammals in Captivity | PDF | Sea World | Cetaceans (scribd.com)
Why We Need to End Captivity of Killer Whales or Orcas - Soapboxie
The Plight of Marine Mammals in Captivity | Millennial Magazine
other information:
Marine Mammal Protection Act - Wikipedia
Marine mammal training - Wikipedia
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