Swim with Dolphins after seeing Blackfish...

[disneyfan888]

How about captive animals in zoos? Should we boycott Animal Kingdom?

The big difference with this is that in Animal Kingdom they don't offer shows with the animals and exploit them for profit. Also, AK has an actual veterinarian facility on site with doctors and assistants around the clock. They also actually release the animals back into the wild. The differences between AK and Sea World or similar facilities are huge! Sea World uses certain organizations to make it look like they care for these animals, yet their is much evidence that suggests other wise and I am not talking only about Blackfish. They have been under scrutiny in the way the care for their animals for years. The swim with the dolphin programs operate in the same manner, it is very sad and heart breaking.

 

[emilymarie]

I am very happy to see this thread. I have not seen black fish but I do know what it is about and that is all I needed to know to make the decision to not support those theme parks. I will not be supporting any "swim with the dolphin" encounters anymore either.

P.S. All of the above posts (most of them) put me in a happy place. As a die hard vegetarian I am put at more ease knowing more people are choosing the higher path to animal welfare

 

[emilymarie]

I managed to develop a massive love for panthers and elephants without seeing one, interacting with one, or swimming with one. (hmm, that last bit was odd) It was my adoration of animals that got my mom to *take me* to the no-longer-in-existence MarineWorld USA in the Bay Area, where she had a friend who worked with the animals and who took us backstage. And we were walking by the back of the Big Cat enclosure when one saw me and looked at me like I was his lunch. It was rather terrifying for everyone, even the handler, and we left rather quickly.

So I really truly did NOT need to be anywhere near the animals in order to love them and want to save them.

And if I found out years later that I was taken somewhere to interact with animals, and my mom knew of all the issues with the place, I'd have a problem in retrospect.

Once I started learning more about the breeding program and the way the babies are handled at our local zoo, and especially after the second beluga whale died decades too young, we stopped going there. Apart from AK I haven't been to a place where they keep animals in enclosures since that time because I'm so bothered by it all. Decent zoos aren't going out and capturing wild animals. They are breeding them. Good zoos are trying to help them feel at home as much as possible. If we suddenly closed the zoos and seaworld and put all those animals out into their "home" environments, they'd be dead inside a week. Is THAT kind and good-hearted? No, I don't think so.

But...I don't go to them.

And I'm not swimming with dolphins. Like I said on page one...too many Carl Hiassen books for me....gah.

This! This exactly

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Animal Kingdom? I guess if you have very specific feelings about any sort of animal being in captivity then you need to avoid them too. They don't do shows except for the bird show, so it's really if you protest the birds doing a show or you just don't like any critters in captivity at all.

And Epcot, has captive dolphins and manatees (I guess you can argue that the manatees are a rescue) plus all sorts of fish. No shows there either but they do let divers get in with them.

 

[HollyL]

If Blackfish upset you, you may not want to do any research on Taji Cove where there is currently a full out dolphin capture/slaughter taking place. Entire pods, adults, juveniles and babies killed or sold into slavery at these sort of establishments.

I personally would never support this sort of torture.

"The Cove" is very hard to watch, but very necessary. Taiji, Japan is the source of the majority of dolphins you will find at "swim with the dolphin" programs. I have taken the vow to not support any such programs, or attend places like SeaWorld. I can't understand how anyone, after knowing the facts would want to. I have studied orcas since I was a kid, I was well aware of most of what was presented in "Blackfish" and it was still very painful to watch. It is tragic that we, as a human race are allowing this to happen.

 

[Shanti]

If Blackfish upset you, you may not want to do any research on Taji Cove where there is currently a full out dolphin capture/slaughter taking place. Entire pods, adults, juveniles and babies killed or sold into slavery at these sort of establishments.

I personally would never support this sort of torture.

Doing a suprprsie 10th Birthday Cruise for my Daughter in the fall on Disney Fantasy.

We were planning on Swimming with the Dolphins as the highlight of the trip.

Watched Blackfish on the weekend and now I am having second thoughts on this type of activity. I know it is heavily slanted against Seaworld and other parks in particular but I am finding that I have a bit of an ethical question in my mind about captive animals for shows.

I should point out in my younger days I actually trained as a Marine Biologist and think I know a little about conservation, animals in captivity, the need to educate etc but I am really torn.

Anyone else having second thoughts on this?

Yes, "Blackfish" really opened my eyes about this industry. I did some independent reading about it (books by former Sea World trainers) and will now not have anything to do with marine mammal entertainment. It is truly terrible.

 

[Skiton]

I would love to do a dolphin experience because they are about my favorite animal, but I can't bring myself to book it. Same reason I can't buy circus tickets or seaworld tickets any longer. I can't hold with making animals perform sheerly for the entertainment of humans.