A high percentage of dolphins captured will die within three months, and over 50 percent die within the first few years living in captivity. Dolphins are highly intelligent, obedient animals that are able to learn quickly. Baby dolphins that are born into captivity are never able to be released back into the wild because they lack the necessary skills to survive. Dolphins learn how to hunt and use their sonar when they are born into the wild, and dolphins born into captivity do not.
Dolphins in captivity are confined to a limited amount of space that can cause them to become frustrated and bang their heads against the tanks. Captive dolphins can quickly become bored and flustered so they will swim around in circles, sometimes in panic and distress. It can be traumatic for young dolphins to be separated from their mothers and other family members. Dolphins in the wild love to swim for miles each day, and when they are captured to live in captivity their freedom is stripped from them because they are limited to a certain amount of space, and they are now at the mercy of their captors. Some captive dolphins will act out aggressively by biting some of the other dolphins they are forced to live with in captivity.
There are many risks involved when dolphins spend their lives in captivity. They have a shorter life span. Many who are captured only live for a few years and some don't even survive the capture. More health problems are associated with dolphins that live in captivity due to chlorine poisoning. This can also lead to blindness from chemical exposure, and ulcers. Many dolphins in captivity are also more susceptible to pneumonia, and some of them experience stress related disorders and even shock.
Dolphins range in size from seven to 10 feet long. Most dolphins weigh 280 to 600 pounds.
Many people believe that dolphins in captivity enjoy a life of luxury by having their meals given to them and being able to perform and play all day. Actually dolphins are submissive and do train quickly, yet they are not always happy living in captivity. These animals love to hunt for their food instead of being fed.
Dolphins living in captivity are more susceptible to health problems and a shorter life span than dolphins in the wild. Dolphins in the wild can live 40 years or longer, while dolphins in captivity typically live less than ten years.
Many experts such as Richard O'Barry believe that something should be done to save the dolphins. O'Barry used to work as a trainer until he started to see his dolphins dying off after only a short time in captivity. Now he spends his time advocating for the dolphins and freeing some of them back into the wild.
