From: king@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (joyce.l.king)
Subject: Re: Beluga Whales Die at Shadd Aquarium in Chicago (long)
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 13:42:11 GMT
Summary: you have to know one...

In article <Bv80DF.Hx5@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, kjt34420@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Kristin J. Thommes) writes:
> orr@helios.physics.utoronto.ca (Bob Orr) writes:
> 
> >I seek anyone anywhere in
> >the world who wants to help stop the Northern wilderness from being
> >ripped off.  The Canadian governement seems incapable of doing
> >anything.
> 
> >	Determination to stop this stupidity will pay off.

> Moreover, by capturing and doing research on these and other endangered
> species, we can learn more about their habits and lifestyles, and 
> possibly figure out why they are endangered and do what we can to prevent 
> losing their species through extinction.  Look at what captive breeding
> has done for the peregrine falcon, and what work is being done to try and
> save the florida panther.  If they were not captured and observed, we
> would not have a clue about why they were endangered and we also could not

I wasn't going to get into this because of the flame wars that will ensue,
but I have to express my feelings, in spite of what you all think. 

You have to know one to know one.

I have known captive and wild dolphins, and I believe that it is wrong to
capture members of the cetacean family.  Dolphins, particularly, are
echo-locating, intelligent animals that we put in concrete bathtubs and
teach circus tricks so that we can charge bucks, and we call it "research."
There's a BIG difference in the habits and lifestyles of captive cetaceans
and their wild cousins.  I have had the incredible honor of being a welcome
visitor in a pod of wild dolphins, over a period of three years, and our
communication was beautiful and moving.  I was not doing "research" or
"using" them, I was simply hanging out.  They are wonderfully playful and
just plain charming in the wild.  In the captive swim programs, in the
Keys and in Hawaii, problems abound.  Captive dolphins and whales often
suffer terrible stress-related illnesses in captivity, and many are
brought to the Keys for R&R in lagoons to overcome ulcers and personality
disorders.

Let me tell you a story...

One day, when I was swimming with the wild pod, a young female kept diving
under me and standing on her head.  I realized she wanted me to do the same,
so I did, as best I could.  Once we were looking at each other at the bottom
of the flats and I picked a short piece of seaweed...one of those umbrella-
types.  We both surfaced and she came up in front of me with her mouth open
slightly.  I placed the piece of seaweed in her mouth and she took off with
it, porpoising around me.  I lost sight of her, and a few seconds later she
came back, with a different piece of seaweed in her mouth.  I took it, put
it in my mouth, and porpoised (clumsily, I'm afraid) around the pod.

That, my friends, is communication between different species.  Why do we
have to bring them to us, in our surroundings, to "research" their lifestyle?
Well, because it is more convenient for us.  It's also nearly worthless, 
because their lifestyle changes when they become captive.  Those that survive
(and few do...look at the records from the people who keep the captive
marine mammals list...a government agency..I can't remember the name...but
they are responsible for keeping the records of captive marine mammals...I
can get the name if anyone is interested) rationalize their captivity much
like the black people had to do when they were slaves.  If they don't, they
go insane, and they often die.

There is some truth to the fact that having dolphins and whales in captivity
has created a concern for them that may be beneficial.  Would we have boycotted
tuna were it not for Flipper?  Probably not.  So some were sacrificed for the
good of their species.  Do we have to keep sacrificing?

I know a lot of ex-dolphin trainers in the Keys.  Many, many, many of the
humans active in the cause to stop further capture of cetaceans are ex-
trainers.  Read Ric O'Barry's book (he was Flipper's trainer).  He believed
Flipper took his own life (suicide is easy for a dolphin because they do
not breath unless they think about breathing...they can simply choose not
to take a breath).  Do you know better that Ric O'Barry how Flipper died? 
(I use the name "Flipper" because you'd recognize it.  That wasn't the
dolphin's real name.)

The trainer at Ocean Reef Marina in Ocean Reef (North Key Largo) has been
fired.  The dolphin owners claim he let the dolphins go (they were recaptured
in Biscayne Bay).   I don't know if he let them go or not, but it does happen
all over...trainers join the groups that want to make it illegal to capture
wild dolphins and whales.

How much research is going on?  That's another interesting subject.  By far,
most captive cetaceans are there to bring you, and your money, to see them.
Do you know why that do those wonderful behaviors for you?  Because 
THAT'S HOW THEY GET THEIR FOOD.  Pure and simple.  Jump through this hoop
and get a fish.  Yes, they do tend to work well with their trainers.  It's
their rationalization.  I guess they don't know that if they ripped their
trainers into the water and drowned them fewer members of their species would
be captured.  No I can't say for sure that they don't like captivity.  But
you can't say for sure they do.  And I believe the records (death, stress-
related illness, etc.) are more on my side than on yours.

It comes down to one simple question.  Do we have a right to do whatever 
we want because we are MAN and have dominion over the earth?  I believe 
we do not.  Others believe we do.  It's probably not a question with an
answer.

Go ahead and flame me.  But only if YOU can count wild dolphins among your
friends.

I don't know any lions or tigers or Florida panthers well, so I can't speak
for them.  Should other animals be captive in zoos?  I honestly don't know
because I've never become friends with other wild animals.
 

-- 
                       Joyce Andrews King

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