Dolphins Belong in the Wild! Help End Captive Swim-With-Dolphin Attractions

Dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals belonging to the cetacean group, which also includes whales and porpoises. Unfortunately, due to their impressive learning abilities, dolphins are often exploited by humans for use in entertainment at aquariums, marine parks like SeaWorld, and swim-with-dolphins tourist attractions.

Although these tourist attractions slightly vary from one to the next, the fate of these incredible animals is the same.  These dolphins are either born in cramped tanks in captivity or brutally kidnapped from the wild, like in the infamous bloodbath known as the Taiji dolphin hunt in Japan. These greed-fueled hunts are violent and deadly for many dolphins, and those who survive are often captured, separated from their tight-knit family pod, and sold to aquariums, marine parks, zoos, and other facilities all around the world.

A petition on Care2 is asking each of us to speak out and demand an end to swim-with-dolphin experiences. Not only are the living conditions in captivity detrimental to the health and well-being of these animals, but the weight of people riding on their sensitive dorsal fins is painful and unnatural.

People often mistake the permanent smiles on dolphins’ faces for happiness, but this could not be further from the truth. Please take a moment to sign the petition and share this with your network to help spread awareness about why we should not Support businesses that exploit animals. We can only empty the tanks when people stop paying!

Image Source: Flickr / pexels.com