Whether dolphin shows are educational – a matter of definition?
By Martha Brock
Congressman Young’s (R-AK) point, during a hearing regarding marine mammal captivity, that whether the dolphin shows are educational or not educational is a matter of definition, might be a valid one. What specific kind of information any particular dolphin exhibit imparts can certainly be varied: one exhibit might focus on dolphin life span and intelligence while another addresses family structure and habitat range, while still another describes what we understand and do not understand about dolphin communication.
But saying it’s a matter of definition is a convenient cop-out, and not altogether true. Because one should look, that is, Congressman Young should look, at the actual content of shows that justify keeping marine mammals in captivity, before cavalierly speaking of something being a matter of definition. And so should we all. So, here, for your convenience, Congressman Young (and the minute numbers of you who are actually reading this), is an example: Read More . . .
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anagirlempath
Holise E Cleveland III
Monika Turner
Thomas O'Brien
WestDeltaGirl
I’m for loose and wild too! Love that! Even when they exist, the educational portions of these captive programs are often trivial at best. Nothing you can’t learn by picking up a Dolphins for Kids book. There are so many other humane ways to educate yourself about dolphins. I have been on dozens of naturalist-led wild dolphin watches, and have been vacationing with wild dolphins for many years. I have also visited numerous marine mammal centers as well as environmental\nature centers. The Internet can also be a great source of information. I have learned so much from these experiences. Most importantly, I have learned how to interact with them without doing harm. I don’t think people realize how relatively easy it is to spend time with dolphins in the wild. I don’t know if people even recognize this as an option. With my new blog I hope to inspire people to avoid captive programs and safely spend time with dolphins in the wild.
Thank you, Holise. Regarding the educational part of the Georgia Aquarium show: I really never knew that human singing could raise a pretend ship. Can’t believe I never knew that.