From: fas@mudlick.fibercom.com (Andy Smoak)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: Beluga Whales Die at Shadd Aquarium in Chicago (long)
Date: 30 Sep 92 17:46:36 GMT
Organization: FiberCom, Inc., Roanoke, Virginia

In article <1992Sep28.134211.16814@cbnewsk.cb.att.com> king@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (joyce.l.king) writes:
>
>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.
>
>Go ahead and flame me.  But only if YOU can count wild dolphins among your
>friends.
>

First, this is NOT a flame, but I do want to make a point.

Many, if not most, people will not get a rare chance like Joyce has had.
Using dolphins as an example.  In the past few years, we as consumers
have been asked to vote with our pocketbooks about the killing of
dolphins while tuna fishing.  People who have had a chance to get to
know dolphins are more likely to participate in this type of boycott
than those who have not gotten that chance.  My only chance to get to
know dolphins has been at aquariams or such.  Yet by observing them in
captivity I have learned to appreciate their intelligence and their
species.  Thus I am likely to participate in or support activities that
help the dolphins.  If I had not had the chance to watch them, I
probably would have responded with a well, there just fish (I KNOW, they
are not fish) attitude.

Another example.  Several years ago I was at the National Aquariam in
Baltimore.  They had several Beluga whales there in captivity.  I had
read about whales, seen TV pictures, etc., but never had I been very
close to these beautiful animals.  My wife and I watched the belugas
come up the glass and play with the children.  They would come up to the
glass and stop several feet away.  When the children pressed their faces
up against the glass the belugas would wait a little longer then they
would move quickly towards the children.  (Kind of like jumping at
somebody and saying BOO!).  The children would squeal and jump back from
the glass.  The whales would hang around for a minute or so looking very
pleased with themselves then swim away.  They would stay gone for a few
minutes, then come back and repeat the process with a new group of
children.  We watched them go through this routine with probably 10
different groups of kids.  The intelligence of these animals as
displayed by them inventing this game impressed the hell out of me.  It
gave me a respect for whales I had never had before.  Enough so that
when given the opportunity, I spent money to observe humpbacks in the
wild.  It probably also taught the kids something about whales too,
although I can't really comment on that.

The point is this.  There is some benefit to having these animals in
captivity.  Most people will never have the chance of observing dolphins
or whales in the wild.  Yet, it is these very people that matter the
most.  They make up the majority of the consumers and voters that can
and will influence public policy and private companies.  By not holding
any of these animals in captivity you are reducing the number of people
that are personally exposed to them, thus reducing the number of people
who care about their fate. 

I was saddened to here about the death of the two belugas at Shedd in
Chicago, just as I was saddened by my parents report that a dolphin had
killed one of the belugas at the National Aquariam since we had been
there.  I was not saddened because they were in captivity however, I was
saddened for the loss of life and the loss of opportunity.  The
opportunity being for others to learn from these animals the respect
that I have developed.


--- These views are mine and mine alone.
-- 
F. Andrew Smoak                    PHONE: (703) 342-6700,  (800) 423-1183
FiberCom, Inc.                       FAX: (703) 342-5961
P.O. Box 11966                  INTERNET: fas@fibercom.com
Roanoke, VA  24022-1966             UUCP: ...!uunet!fibercom!fas