Dear Source:
The cetaceans are here. They abound in our waters, both as indigenous and migratory species. They are our neighbors. They share the eco system in which we work and play. Yet, in the 21st century, the Virgin Islands, the most remote Atlantic Ocean ecology in the United States of America and host to one of the top marine biology colleges in the world, cannot render immediate assistance to distressed cetaceans.
The lack of such ability is mind-boggling, and given the sheer numbers and frequency of dolphin visitations in our waters, it is mere dumb luck that our mariners have had relatively few accidents with them. Should a dolphin become distressed or disabled, through nature or act of man, and given their protected status, would it not be wise for the Virgin Islands to have skilled and experienced dolphin technicians on-hand?
Government cannot provide the funds and resources to run a marine institute. Private aquariums fill the gap. The fees paid by visitors for educational wildlife encounters feed the animals, get them medical care unavailable in the wild, allows for partnerships with scientific marine study institutes and provides enormous research insight that helps us deal with dolphins in the wild. Aquariums attract scientists and university studies. Properly done, they link with communities to provide both paid and unpaid internships. Practical hands-on education has proven a reliable method of introducing young people to the environment in a safe, controlled and predictable setting.
While I am not a scientist, I do speak from thousands of hours of scuba diving experience in the waters of St. Thomas and St. John and as a boat owner. As an underwater photographer and rescue diver making almost daily dives in our waters, I have had hundreds of dolphin encounters. My dolphin and whale experiences have made me wonder for years why the Virgin Islands is not a world leader in cetacean studies.
The simple answer is money.
Today, we only have chance recreational observation of cetaceans in Virgin Islands waters. The heroic annual efforts of the Environmental Association of the Virgin Islands and sporadic University studies are all the Virgin Islands, haven to marine mammals from all over the Western Hemisphere, can offer.
I am in favor of a Dolphinquarium at Coral World as first, the lesser of two evils, and second, a scientific and economic opportunity with decent trickle down to the community.
There is the "potential" environmental impact as well as dog and cat owners yelling ‘dolphin slavery’ versus captive environment research that can lead to better ways for mankind to help a species endangered through human activities. I have to fall in favor of scientific and practical research that can help save the species by harboring a few rather than simply letting dolphins take their chances in nature to recover.
I believe Coral World to be the type of institution that keeps animals not merely as a profit motive, but also as a tool to teach and educate locals and visitors about the environment. If Coral World partners with the University of the Virgin Islands College of Marine Biology to provide both paid and unpaid research interns at the high school, graduate and post graduate levels, I have no problem with a dolphinquarium. If Coral World agrees to develop an emergency treatment and staging area for cetacean rescue, I have no problem with a dolphinquarium. If Coral World utilizes its resources to educate charter boats and scuba diving companies on how best to deal with wild dolphin encounters, I have no problem with a dolphinquarium.
Lastly, through my many experiences over the years, I have learned to place more confidence in Coral World to respond to wildlife situations during nights and weekends than the Department of Planning and Natural Resources. DPNR has manpower shortages and that gap is so often filled by Coral World being a good corporate citizen.
This past year I witnessed an individual attempting to keep a Hawksbill turtle caught on his fishing line at Mandahl Bay. When I convinced him to release the turtle to me, I saw its fin was torn and bleeding from the fisherman’s attempt to tear out the fish hook. It was a weekend evening and Fish and Wildlife could not be reached and emergency services kept giving me different numbers to call without success. I finally called STAR (Sea Turtle Assistance and Rescue) and within eleven minutes Erica Palmer from Coral World showed up with an assistant and provided medical treatment for the Hawksbill Sea Turtle, weighed and measured it and released it back to sea.
With that type of wildlife response and 24/7 service I believe that we can only benefit by Coral World having staff on-hand that are experienced in handling cetacean issues.
Karl Callwood, St. Thomas
That would all be well and fine IF Coral World ONLY wanted to be a rescue and rehabilitation center for the return of captive and rescued Dolphins back into the wild WHERE THEY BELONG.
But they do not. They wish to keep captive dolphins, swimming around in circles in an unnaturally small enclosure, performing unnatural “tricks” for food and yes, even breeding more of them to be born into unnatural lives that they are doomed to in captivity so that they can hopefully make a profit or use these poor captive creatures for even more of a tax write-off than the poor captive Sea Lions. Let’s not compound this terrible mistake.
This comes at a time when more and more Dolphinariums are closing down as people become truly educated to the dismal lives these intelligent marine mammals must endure during a lifetime of captivity.
This comes at a time where the World Society for the Protection of Animals has suceeded in having some Cruise Lines refuse to offer any tours to thier passengers to Dolphinariums and many enlightened Countries have instituted laws and policies to protect them from harm or capture in their waters and to exclude all marine mammal exhibition for profit in their countries.
“The HSUS and WSPA believe that the entire captive experience for marine mammals is so sterile and contrary to even the most basic elements of compassion and humanity that it should be rejected outright.”
Here’s the link:
http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/marine_mammals/case_against_marine_captivity.pdf
Here is a list in no particular order of captive dolphin facilities that were closed or never opened. These success stories were accomplished by
ordinary people like yourself who actually showed up to protest against the concept of dolphins with jobs:
Atlantidia Dolphinarium ~ St.Maartin, Netherlands Antilles
Lerner Marine Lab ~ Bimini, Bahamas Islands: Cosed
Marineland ~ Adelaide, Australia: Closed
Waragamba Dam Dolphinarium ~ Waragamba, Australia: Closed
Antwerp Zoo Dolphinarium ~ Antwerp, Belgium:Closed
Hagenbeck Zoo Dolphinarium ~ Hamburg, Germany: Closed
Kinder Zoo Dolphinarium ~ Rapperswil, Switzerland: Closed
Tel Aviv Dolphinarium ~ Tel Aviv, Israel: Closed
Luna Park Dolphinarium ~ Tel Aviv, Israel: Closed
Seaquarium ~ San Andres, Colombia: Closed
Ocean Reef Club Dolphinarium ~ Key Largo, Florida USA: Closed
Oklahoma City Zoo Dolphinarium ~ Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA: Closed
Ocean World ~ Ft. Lauderdale, Florida USA: Closed
US Navy Dolphin Facility ~ Key West, Florida USA: Closed
Santos Amusement Park ~ Santos, Brazil: Closed
Dolphin Swim Program ~ City Swimming Pool, Buenos Aires Argentina: Closed
Ocean Expo Dolphinarium ~ Myrtle Beach, South Carolina USA: Never Opened
Dolphin Swim Program ~ Managua, Nicaragua: Never Opened
Dolphin Swim Program ~ Guatemala City, Guatemala: Closed
Europapark Rust ~ Rust, Germany: Closed
Hansaland Dolphinarium ~ Hamburg, Germany: Closed
Holiday Park Dolphinarium ~ Hossloch, Germany: Closed
Phantasialand Dolphinarium ~ Bruhl, Germany: Closed
Paramount Parks (four parks) USA: Closed
Wonderland ~ Maple, Ontario, Canada: Closed
Worlds of Fun Dolphinarium ~ Kansas City, Missouri USA: Closed
Knotts Berry Farm Dolphinarium ~ Los Angeles, California USA: Closed
Six Flags Dolphinarium ~ Aurora, Ohio USA: Closed
Marine Life Dolphinarium ~ Sioux Falls, South Dakota USA: Closed
Colorado Ocean Journey ~ Denver, Colorado USA: Never Opened
Virginia Marine Science Center ~ Virginia Beach, Virginia USA: Never Opened
Proposed Dolphinarium ~ Maui, Hawaii USA: Never Opened
Sealand Dolphinarium ~ Victoria, BC: Never Opened
Montreal Biodome ~ Quebec, Canada: Abandoned plan to capture Belugas
Vancouver Aquarium ~ Vancouver, Canada: Orca Show Closed
Granby Zoo ~ Quebec, Canada: Never Opened
Dolphin Swim Park ~ Les Arcadins Islands, Haiti: Closed
Flamingo Land ~ England: Closed
Brighton Dolphinarium ~ England: Closed
Morecambe Dolphinarium ~ England: Closed
Windsor Safari Park ~ England: Closed
Moulin Rouge Nightclub Dolphin Show ~ Paris, France: Closed
Seaorama ~ Galveston, Texas USA: Closed
Ocean World ~ Ft. Lauderdale, Florida USA: Closed
Cedar Fair ~ Sandusky, Ohio USA: Closed
Kings Island ~ Kings Island, Ohio USA: Closed
Six Flags over Texas ~ Arlington, Texas USA: Closed
Six Flags Mid-America- Eureka, Missouri USA: Closed
Astro-World of Houston ~ Houston, Texas USA: Closed
Six Flags Magic Mountain ~ Los Angeles, California USA: Closed
Paradise ~ Alapulco, Mexico: Closed
Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec ~ Mexico: Never Opened
Dolphin Discovery ~ Antigua, West Indies: Closed
Edmonton Shopping Mall Dolphin Show ~ Edmonton, Canada: Closed
Many more have closed since 2006. Many Countries have implemented laws banning the importation of captive Marine Mammals as well as the use of them for profit and made it illigal to harm them in any way. Many Countries have made their waters a Sanctuary for Dolphins and Whales: See additional list below:
Dolphins and the Law: A Worldwide Timeline. http://www.wspadonations.org/pages/319_dolphins_and_the_law_a_worldwide_timeline_.cfm
Costa Rica, 2005: The government of Costa Rica approves a law that prohibits keeping dolphins and whales in captivity. The law also bans swimming with these marine mammals in either captive or wild settings.
Nicaragua, 2003: The Government of Nicaragua formalizes measures to ban the use of dolphins for commercial purposes. Panama, 2003: The Panamanian Congress’s Environmental Commission unanimously approves a measure to prohibit wild animal displays and the capture of dolphins.
Dominican Republic, 2003: The country’s National Academy of Sciences joins a lawsuit against the government for granting permits to capture dolphins in a marine sanctuary. This case is ongoing. For the first time, the government requests drafting of dolphin care requirements by a scientific body.
Costa Rica, 2002: President Abel Pacheco signs into law a bill to ban any wild animal acts, such as circuses and marine shows, from the country.
United States, 2002: Maui, Hawaii approves measure to ban any displays of captive marine mammals. This move is hailed by the whale and dolphin watching industry and ecotourism community.
Nicaragua, 2002: Government officials’ confiscate two dolphins due to animal welfare concerns and permit irregularities. The dolphins are released back into their home waters.
Mexico, 2001: The Secretary of Environment enacts an emergency moratorium on all dolphin captures as a response to the controversy in Baja.
Guatemala, 2001: Guatemala environmental officials confiscate two dolphins abandoned by their trainers. The animals are rehabilitated and successfully released. The legislature is now working on a bill to prohibit future dolphin captures.
Chile, 1999: The Fisheries Authority forbids the capture of dolphins from Chilean seas.
Australia, 1994: The territory of Queensland bans the capture of dolphins.
Hungary, 1992: Hungary closes its only dolphinarium and prohibits any future dolphin imports.
Canada, 1992: Canadian Government ceases to grant permits for the capture of cetaceans in national waters.
United States, 1992: The State of South Carolina becomes the first in the nation to prohibit the capture and display of cetaceans.
Scotland, 1991: Scotland is one of Europe’s primary tourism destinations for whale and dolphin watching.
Argentina, early 1990s: The premature deaths of 12 dolphins prompt authorities to suspend any future imports of dolphins into the country.
United Kingdom, 1990: The U.K. enacts the strictest standards in the world for captive marine mammal welfare. The last dolphinarium closes in 1993.
United States, 1989: The U.S. marine animal display industry begins a self-imposed moratorium on all captures of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.
Australia, 1985: Australia imposes a ban on the display of cetaceans.
WE SEEM TO BE BEHIND THE TIMES!
I am not from your islands but read with interest and sadness of the plans for a Coral World dolphinarium. The disadvantages of dolphin captivity are plain to see for both the animals and their captors and I do not need to go over them here as I can see that many others have done before me.
I would, however, like to respond to the above post in a simple way. Mr Callwood, it is extremely laudable that you obviously care deeply for the marine animals that visit your coasts. Would it not be a better way to help them when they are in distress by extending your Sea Turtle Assistance and Rescue program to cover marine mammals as well. Many countries around the world render excellant assistance to marine life in peril through the use of networks of voluntary trained marine life medics. In New Zealand and the UK it is these charities that are called upon first by the authorities when help for marine animals is needed. They have an excellant history of success without removing the animal from the wild. As the foremost operators of this kind around the world, established for many years, I am sure that they would happliy offer any advice to volunteers on your island. Here are their websites: http://www.projectjonah.org.nz/About+Us.html
http://www.bdmlr.org.uk/
The world is moving away from captivity. Care, scientific research, and eco-tourism is best done in the natural environment not under the artificial constraints of captivity.
Thanks for listening, Andrew Gilbert