Essay On Dolphins

Most people today have visited or at least heard of the popular tourist attraction, Seaworld. These tourists may think of it as a place to see marine animals do trick, like killer whales interacting with humans in a fun and entertaining way- but do we ever stop to think about the treatment or feelings of these creatures? After visiting Seaworld and seeing the famous Shamu, the thought of how living in captivity affects the animal had not crossed my mind. After researching I am now extremely concerned with the way these whales are impacted by spending their lives in bathtubs and forced to do tricks for food, all while humans are blindly funding this billion dollar business.

If you have ever been to Seaworld you would have had to go see the Killer whales in fact its one of the top attractions there. Through the eyes of a child, these gentle giants seem to be happy, healthy, and enjoying a playful game with their trainers. The question is are they really happy, do they get treated the right way, and why have there been deaths and injuries. Many people wonder about these things and after the movie Blackfish came out more and more people began to question how well Seaworld treats their animals. “The truth is that Sea World keeps its animals for entertainment and money and helps no one but themselves.”- Animal Legal Defense Fund

Dolphins have been around a lot longer than humans. They originated about 50 million years ago. The most common dolphin, being the bottlenose dolphin, has been around for 15 million years. Surprisingly, dolphins originated from members of the cetaceans group. Cetaceans used to be land mammals but evolved into being aquatic mammals. In From Land to Water it stated, “The transition from land to water is documented by a series of intermediate fossils from India and Pakistan.” This research helps prove how they used to be land mammals but evolved to live in the ocean. Dolphins are one out of many aquatic mammals who need oxygen, but they need water in order to live. Believe it or not, dolphins are somewhat related to hippos, camels, deer, cattle, and giraffes. In From Land to Water, “ Many features that are

Dolphins live in packs also known as pods. All dolphins don't live in the same pod forever they might move from pod to pod. That's why there are smart because they ned brain capacity to move from pod to pod and not break chemistry. Most pods don't care for the leader beside the bottlenose dolphins. regardless most species pods do not have any membership. a lot of pods are separated from male to female. Male pods can live with the same members ranging from 10 to 25 years. Male pods cooperate during mating season so each dolphin gets a specific female. Most male pods compete and team up to defend themselves. There are three different types of pods, nursery, juveniles, and males. Nursey pods are full of females and their calfs. Juvenile pods

Imagine a place where you can see your favorite sea animals. Whales, dolphins, sharks, even penguins. Doesn’t that sound like somewhere you would enjoy going? SeaWorld is what comes to most people’s minds when they think of this, but is SeaWorld really that wonderful? Is SeaWorld truly what it’s hyped up to be? SeaWorld claims to be a sanctuary for animals where they keep animals like killer whales safe from the dangers of the world. Well, SeaWorld should really get a dictionary because a “sanctuary” is truly not what they give these animals. Orcas are the main attraction of SeaWorld but they are also one of the animals that suffer the most. Orcas in SeaWorld lifelessly float in their pool with little to no shade from the sun. In the wild,

Lastly, the dolphins. I have never met a person who didn't love dolphins. Who wouldn’t adore these sociable and intelligent animals? Like orcas, dolphins swim miles and miles every day while out in the wild, but at SeaWorld they are kept in tiny concrete tanks with nothing to do but listen to the sound of their own echolocation bouncing off the walls back at them. Only in the past ten years, sixty two bottlenose dolphins have died at SeaWorld. Their ‘petting pools’ allow the public to pet, and even kiss

Who does not love to see dolphins and whales flipping and doing tricks? Although the animals look happy and unharmed, there is a dark truth behind the captive marine life in amusement parks and zoos. Yes, attending zoos and marine life amusement parks are a part of childhood; but recently researchers have discovered just how cruel the environment is for the marine life in captivity. After studies of comparing the quality of life of marine animals in the wild and in captivity, there are multiple examples shown in Blackfish, PETA, and the Animal Welfare Institute that show that animals prosper and live longer in their natural

“Can you imagine being in a small concrete enclosure for your life when you’re used to swimming 100 miles a day?” This is how captive dolphins live everyday, their natural habitat is swimming miles and miles in the ocean. When they get captured their lives change for the worse. In the past decade Seaworld and captive animals has been a controversial subject. Many people believe the keeping orca whales captive is damaging to the animal and affects them in a negative way. Others believe Seaworld is used to rescue animals and save them. The treatment of animals in captivity is cruel and should be stopped. Keeping animals captive is an appalling punishment.

Whales in captivity are accessible to safer standards and care. SeaWorld trainers are well trained and are fit to help killer whales stay in shape. As told by Sea World, “The killer whales in our facilities benefit whales in the wild. We provide scientific research and data that would be difficult or impossible to get in the wild (Killer Whales). “SeaWorld provides “positive reinforcement training techniques and compassionate care with all of the animals (SeaWorld Cares)”. Sea World remains and world’s most respected marine zoological institution.

An average of 30,000 people visit SeaWorld Parks in the United States yearly, however, many of the visitors are unaware of the secrets the parks hide right in front of their eyes. SeaWorld is a popular theme park and marine zoological park with locations in Florida, Texas, and California. They host hundreds of types of marine life and their most popular being their orca whales. Only, these whales, dolphins, and other animals face many challenges in the captivity of the parks. Many of the original animals were taken from their natural home just to become another one of the parks’ pet fish. The whales, dolphins, walruses, and other animals are forced to breed and they become sick and injured too easily in their artificial habitat causing them to die earlier than they inherently should. They, also, pose a threat to the staff and trainers of the park during training and shows. So, the world needs to ban together to condemn Seaworld parks and their dangerous habits across the globe.

There is something about dolphins that fascinates me. They are some of the most intelligent and beautiful animals that I have ever seen. Their faces are so cute that every time I look at a dolphin it looks like it is smiling at me and wants to tell me something. The noises they make represent some kind of language and it makes me wonder if they can really communicate. I also want to know what kind of feeling they have and whether they have emotions. This is why I chose to do this I-search project on dolphins; the different kinds of dolphins there are, the places that they can be found and their mental abilities.

Killer whales have been a staple for entertainment for decades and it has been attracting guests to various amusement parks throughout the world but theres a hidden world about these animals that not many people know about. Just like with any great business there are things that companies do not want you to know about their products, and things of that nature. Some would say it’s just good business to keep the negative aspects of their businesses out of the consumers eye, but I’d like to shed a little bit of light on one business in particular, SeaWorld. SeaWorld is known for their marine mammal shows like Orcas, Dolphins, and SeaLions. To the viewers eye the animals look well taken care of and happy and healthy. Unfortunately, that is just good business and if they were to reveal the truth behind the way they care for their biggest money makers, the Orcas, SeaWorld would no longer be known for their great entertainment shows. We understand why people love dolphins and why many want to see them close up, but putting whales and dolphins in tanks for our entertainment is wrong.

Bottlenose dolphins are among the most familiar cetaceans, just as whales. The Bottlenose dolphin is a primitive member of the subfamily Delphinine. Bottlenose dolphins are grey, varying from dark grey at the top near the dorsal fin to very light grey and almost white at the underside. There are two ecotypes of bottlenose dolphins the coastal and the offshore. The Coastal dolphin has a small body and large flippers to increase agility and heat dissipation. They have a limited movement into offshore waters and like shallow warm water near the shore. Coastal dolphins for the most part remain in their region. The Offshore dolphin has a large body to help conserve heat and defend itself against predators. They are less restricted in range and movement and like deep, cold waters. Offshore dolphins in the North Atlantic have migratory patterns that follow prey distribution. Bottlenose dolphins live in groups typically of 10–30 members, called pods, but group size varies from single individuals up to more than 1,000. In a case study performed by Randall Wells who is the leader of the longest study of dolphin population since 1970, it was discovered that there are three main factors that influence migration: Seasonal changes in prey location, predation pressure and reproductive requirements. (Wells, 1980). In the fall dolphins follow mullet fish when they migrate from the bays into the Gulf of Mexico to spawn. Dolphins experience the most predation pressure during the summer when

When these sea animals are held in captivity, they help contribute to research of their species. Researchers at SeaWorld learned that mother killer whale’s vocalization repertoires were passed on to their calves from generation to generation. Basically the killer whale calves learn words from their mothers, like we do. Dr. Barlow from Busch Gardens learned the vocalizations of hippos when they are above and underwater. Using a lighted pad, they have trained hippos to respond to various tones when they are under the water. If sea animals were not held in aquariums or marine parks veterinarians would not be able to know what is healthy and not for their species when there might be something they have never seen especially when they are out in the wild.

“Splish! Splash!” The sound of bottlenose dolphins jumping and swimming around their tank excites a family at SeaWorld as they wait to experience their first encounter with the dolphins. Every year, bottlenose dolphins bring joy to hundreds of people in both captivity and the wild, but what do people truly know about them? Bottlenose dolphins are actually unique and interesting creatures.