Aquariums serve as one of the most popular attractions and entertainment destinations for people of all ages. Children (us back then, too!) adore watching fishes of various colors swim by, families choose these places to become an ideal place for quality time, and plenty of couples consider going to an aquarium as a cute and romantic date idea (with darkness, mysteries, and all that). We always be the outsiders to these cute yet puzzling creatures. We have never placed ourselves in their shoes.
Trapped. Surrounded by glass. Put on display with children banging on the glass, creating mini earthquakes in your “home,” with you swimming around, nowhere to hide. This is the case with smaller fishes having corals beautifully decorated in their tanks, but what is the case with the enormous creatures who swim around in circles all day, especially ones put on interactive shows?
Interactive sea aquarium shows are quite a popular attraction in zoos and aquariums, with animals like dolphins and orcas forced to do tricks to entertain humans. If any kind of ethical consideration should be thought about, the slavery of these sea creatures should be on top of the list. However, one important thing to note is that animals like dolphins, orcas, and belugas are not fish. They are mammals. They are highly intellectual, complex, and capable creatures.
Unlike fishes, mammals are more prone to developing neurotic behavior due to confinement. However, aquariums have argued that these exhibitions are “educational” for their visitors. But, think to yourself, what part of seeing dolphins being forced and slaved to do circus tricks is somewhat educational? Many visitors have answered excitedly that these exhibitions are educational and entertaining, but what exactly have they learned? Maybe the fact that the scariest creatures should be the ones who can unmercifully torture apex predators for the sake of entertainment and money: humans.
These mammals are usually drugged to tone down their stressed-induced aggressive behavior caused by confinement. They have their teeth broken from chewing the metal bars of their tanks and are made starved by these aquariums operators until they have successfully performed tricks. Confined orcas are found not even to reach close to their average life expectancy; they would have already died in their teens. Based on statistics by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), over 40 orcas have died at SeaWorld due to bacterial infections and fractured skulls, and over 300 dolphins and other whales have died in those parks.
Additionally, these mammals are known to be taken away from their families since they were babies. For example, Lolita was taken away when she was a baby orca and had been swimming around the same tank in endless circles for 50 years. All these mammals want is to be released back into the ocean, where they can swim for miles and miles without ever bumping into concrete walls. They get to use their intelligence in cooperative hunts, contribute to the ocean ecosystems, and create balance in the underwater realm.
What is a dolphin, shark, or orca’s habitat? It is guaranteed that every single one of you would say the ocean and not an aquarium. To help, you can sign petitions and pressure your local aquarium officials to stop capturing these mammals. It all starts with the people that want to do something, and that should be you.
Editor: Emma Amelia
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