Set Them Free

This story came from the magnificent creatures of the sea. Since they don’t speak human language, I think I have a responsibility to tell their stories. So, please listen to them.

“It is a dolphin’s birthright to swim in a straight line in the Ocean, as far as its heart desires.” –Richard O’Barry

Being considered as the smartest mammals, dolphin and whale show are always catch the audience’s attention. The show has a long history to tell, until today, we even think that the show is such a normal thing. In fact, not only dolphins and orcas, but dolphinariums like SeaWorld or any themed park with the same concept, are also collecting whale sharks and belugas in their tanks.

Thus, is it really normal to see them in small tanks and watch their unnatural behavior?

According to whales.org, dolphins and whales can swim to 100 miles a day. They live in a small group, therefore they even create their own ‘language’, so they can communicate with each other in the group. They also use this kind of ‘language’ to recognize the member of the group and to survive from the predators.

Living in a small tank definitely kills their natural behavior. When they were used to live in a small group, catch their prey, and survive from the predator with their own ability, then it will completely change once they live in a tank. The captive dolphins or whales are forced to live together with the others who didn’t come from the same group. This is the potential way to start a conflict between them because they don’t know each other and they don’t communicate the same way. And please don’t forget about unnatural behavior they supposed to do every day just to entertain us and so that they can have their meals.

As it is stated before, dolphins and whales are used to swim 100 miles a day and also can dive to 300 feet, until they have to swim back to the surface to catch a breath. This fact shows us that dolphins and whales are always in dynamic moves and almost never to stay still. Thus, can you even imagine what will happen when the mammals live in tanks? Environmentalist describes this phenomenon as a human who has lived in a bathtub for the rest of his/her life.

In the TEDXTalks conference called ‘Whales Without Walls’ held in Santa Barbara, Charles Vinick-a researcher and environmentalist-said that whales and dolphins can barely communicate because in small tanks their vocalizations reverberate back at them. “It’s like living in an echo chamber. This would be like me, a visual animal, living in a room half the size of this stage, with eight-foot walls, all encased in mirrors looking back at me. Not a pretty sight. It’s also not a solution to keep whales and dolphins in concrete tanks, even if they’re made larger.”

According to the certain research conducted by Lori Marini, neuroscientist, and Director at The Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy-found that whales, as well as dolphins, have an extended part in their brain that let them control their emotions. This ability also shows us that dolphins and whales have highly elaborated emotional lives. “It’s becoming clear that dolphins and whales have a sense of social bonding in a higher level and much more complex than any other mammals, including humans,” said Lori Marini. As they have a strong social bond, they can work together to catch their prey and survive in the wild.

It is a different story to dolphins and whales which live in tanks. They are used to getting meals from human, not from their own efforts. This will slowly kill the mammals’ natural abilities to catch their preys and to survive with their own. This also is a major problem why it is so hard to put one back to the ocean.

Fortunately, efforts to bring dolphins and whales back to their habitats have begun to be encouraged. A documentary film called Blackfish is considered as an eye-opening to the public to see the truth behind the small tanks. It is also trigger a greater movement to stop dolphins and whales captivity and set them free to the wild. Some dolphin and whale sanctuaries have been established in few years These sanctuaries are meant to help and prepare the mammals, so they can learn again to behave naturally, just like when they used to live in the wild.

Being too long in captivity can make dolphins and whales depend their lives on human. This is also the reason why sanctuaries are needed. It simply because dolphins and whales have to learn again and readapt in the real ocean, once they are free from the tanks. Richard O’Barry, a founder and director of Dolphin Project, explained that there are some terms and conditions to bring back one dolphin to the wild. The stated conditions are as follows: Physically and mentally healthy can use its sonar properly, have an adequate ability to catch live fish and can defend itself from predators.

Please don’t expect that this relearn and readapt process will be easy, because throughout his career (over the past forty years), Richard O’ Barry has only been able to return two dozen dolphins to the wild. Charles Vinick was also facing the same problem when he was trying to bring back Keiko (male orca) to his home in Iceland. Charles had to trained Keiko, so the orca can readapt and be independent to live his life. During relearn and readapt process in the sanctuary, Charles taught Keiko to swim freely through an open walk. The treatment is very unique that Charles had to brought Keiko to join a boat and go on long marathon swims. Charles also taught him that live fish are their real meal, and so that Keiko had to learn to catch them by himself. Only one thing Charles seemed to be failed: Keiko has been living alone and haven’t found the group to live and stay with permanently.

Back then when my parents brought me to the dolphin show, it was one of the best moments of my life. I mean, seeing dolphins doing some attractions right before your eyes are totally unforgettable for your childhood memories. Then it was also back then when I thought it’s really normal to see them in tanks and do performances.

The movement to stop dolphins and whales captivity and to ban the show has spread throughout the world. We can also contribute, even in the simplest way: by not visiting a themed park that puts dolphins and whales in their tanks, and offers dolphin and whale show

Quotes: No aquarium, no tank in a marine land, however spacious it may be, can begin to duplicate the conditions of the sea. — Jacques Yves Causteau

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