This video shows what goes on in the dolphin hunts and includes Hayden Panettiere (of the TV show ‘Heroes’) and a team of surfers who tried to protest and protect the mammals.
Some think swimming with dolphins, or going to see animals/mammals in captivity, is somehow “environmental” or serving some sense of naturalism. While I understand there are marine biologists that nurse creatures back to health, or keep them in captivity because they would die otherwise, the enslavement of healthy animals has never made sense to me.
I read several blog posts on this video; some people feel it is just a photo op for a Hollywood starlet, or they mention so many other important environmental issues not being covered. And what about all the other animals that are near extinction or that have already become extinct that we should focus on? At some point, you have to choose your activism. I have always been fond of aquatic life, growing up with Jacques Cousteau and all things National Geographic, so for me, this video had resonance.
I heard someone talking about swimming with dolphins recently and they discussed what a ‘spiritual experience’ it was and it made me cringe. This video, of the dolphin slaughters that occur in Japan for six months out of the year, shows where some of the dolphins are harvested and the massacre that ensues. The prime specimens are sent for captivity, while others are used for food. Here is more information on the dolphins and how the multi-million dollar industries that support captivity perpetuate the slaughters. The World Society for the Protection of Animals also discusses why swimming with dolphins is wrong, especially for anyone who claims to care for wildlife.
Thanks to Perez Hilton for the initial post on this.
That video is heartbreaking!! Swimming with dolphins should be banned, or at the very least, it should be publicly scorned and considered uncool so people understand it’s not benign.
11/07/07 » 10:02 am »
The article from the WSPA is so sad. The signs that the dolphins are distressed is really upsetting. It surprises me how so many people attend these water parks or swim programs without considering the quality of life that the dolphins experience.
11/07/07 » 12:16 pm »
I see a similar problem in Florida with wild manatees. While the cruelty of the dolphin harvests are not seen, wild animals are nevertheless being used for entertainment. Dive operations run swim with manatee programs, claiming they are “educating” their customers. If most often goes beyond passive observation into the realm of petting (aka “tactile interaction”). This has resulted in animals approaching humans for attention. The USFWS has chosen a very loose definition of harassment that allows this activity to continue. Petting is simply another stimulus and elicits the same response as feeding. We believe that wild animals should stay wild, so we’ve formed CEOs for Wild Manatees.
12/16/07 » 2:32 pm »
Lucky Mag’s Great Green Resources » Eco-Chick
[...] February issue of Lucky Magazine (with an Eco-Chick favorite, Hayden Panettiere), on the cover, has some really fun green content in its February issue. It’s great that mags [...]
01/20/08 » 9:33 pm »
Very sad. Here’s an antidote Swimmer gets help from a pod of dolphins
02/19/08 » 1:37 am »