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There are many of you who remember carriblue. We occasionally contact one another. He and Kate saw "The Cove" Friday night and he asked if I would please post this link:
Just watched the trailer and it is very disturbing. A documentary that won the Sundance Festival. It is concerning the trapping and capturing dolphins.
LouC: Thanks so much for that link, how enlightening! I think everyone should see that website and hopefully be able to see the film! I checked the list and the film is not being shown in Florida where I live (hmm ... I wonder why not? Possibly because of the captive sea creatures that are in the theme parks and exhibitions here?) Everyone should read the review by Helene O'Barry, it's a real eye opener: http://www.savejapandolphins.org/dolphincaptivity.php
I live in this state of theme parks and have heard so many people say they are educational and great assets. I must admit, I've been to one or two of these parks a couple of times in the 42 years I've lived in Fla. The first time I found it very exciting to see whales and dolphins doing all those tricks, but in time realized these are wild animals, held in captivity for the enjoyment of human beings. I don't think captive animals are not needed for education ... it really comes down to being all about the $$$$$$ these big corporations take in.
About 15 years ago we were vacationing on the west coast of Fla where we like to take our boat. There was a restaurant on the bay we went to once that had a fenced area behind the building, in the water (very small fenced area) with a dolphin kept there for the tourists to ooh and aah over! It was pretty sad. I commented to someone who worked there and he said, "Oh, the dolphin jumps over the fence and swims out into the bay whenever he wants." Eventually Fla. passed a law that didn't allow businesses to pen dolphins and they had to release it. A year or two later we were vacationing over there and a dolphin actually came right up to the side of our boat, very obvious it had been in captivity at some point and when visiting the Mote Marine Laboratory I mentioned it to someone there and they said it had probably been a captive dolphin at some point. Until we humans all around the globe wake up and have compassion for all living things, I don't see much change.
Living on the coast where dolphins as well as manatees are seen on a regular basis makes me appreciate them so much. We always enjoy watching the dolphins feeding on mullet in the intracoastal waterway and occasionally tossing a fish into the air and, jumping out of the water to catch it ... and always a treat to see a young one swimming alongside it's mother.
They are such compassionate animals. Only ones in the world that will try to save a human being. Last night just happened to catch a great episode on Animal Planet about them. Mesmerizing. Haven't had a chance to see when "The Cove" is showing here. It is on my definite see list...and NOW.
The whole captive dolphin thing has always bothered me a lot. There are quite a few places on the Riviera Maya that have those 'swim with the dolphin' type shows and I've always been very clear with friends that come to visit that I do not support their spending money at them. In fact, when we got hit by Wilma, a cat 5 hurricane in 2005, one of my fondest wishes was that she would break the dolphin pens and set them free.
Well, Wilma did her part. Most of the pens were torn up and many of the dolphin were swept or swam out to sea. As soon as the hurricane was gone, most of the dolphin returned to their pens. The trainers went out in boats and whistled and called and the rest came to them and returned to a life in captivity as well. They were all born in captivity and they don't know any other life. They are rejected by the wild dolphin pods and they don't know how to feed themselves.
Since Wilma, I've met many of the trainers and to their credit I find all of them to be devoted to their charges and incredibly attached to them. It doesn't make it any better, I still don't like the whole idea of it. A friend who owns a local dive shop was invited "backstage" at Xcalak one of the large theme parks and she spent several hours in the water with their dolphin. She said they let them out into the bay in the evening for exercise and a social time. She swam out through the gate with them and when it was the normal time to return, they all congregated at the gate waiting to be let back in. Much like other domestic animals. Food and security were waiting and this is what they know.
I still prefer that friends don't support these shows, even though the dolphin are captive bred they shouldn't be kept as cattle or sheep. I've had little success with most visitors though, it is the dream of many who come here to 'swim with dolphin' no matter how kitschy and stupid the shows are. I try to keep my mouth shut, it is obviously a huge draw and provides employment for some really nice and caring people. It's a tough one for me. I've been in the water with wild dolphin in many oceans and it has always been a magical event but one that the dolphin control not me. Everyone can't have those experiences and if I am really honest with myself, the dolphin here seem to be very content and have large areas and lots of interaction and stimulation. Still...
