Dolphin and whale species in captivity

JVM said:
I'm quite surprised smaller cetecean species aren't popular in captivity, they would solve some of the bigger issues with the larger species such as space.
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Yeah, I'm also surprised that there hasn't been as much attempt to branch out into other cetacean species. A number of captive cetacean places are heavily focused on entertainment, (I'm talking about theme parks, tourist attractions like resorts, that sort of stuff) so it makes sense that they'd stick with the popular (and more trainable) animals, but I am a bit surprised that zoos and aquariums haven't experimented more. (and not just for space and care, but for the sake of species diversity) I suppose the presence of the entertainment facilities creates a more easily accessible stock for zoos and aquariums, so the entertainment-oriented facilities are going to influence what other places have.

Plus, a lot of the smaller species tend to be rarer or more elusive in the wild, making them less prone to capture and less likely to end up in rescue-and-keep situations. I've heard that most porpoise species have proven difficult to keep in captivity, but you guys can correct me if I'm wrong.
 
@TheMightyOrca & JVM: if you look into the older and newer literature, you'll find that individuals of various smaller cetaceans species have been kept in captivity in the past. Sometimes under rather bizarre circumstances, like the Indus dolphins at a Swiss university cellar. Most often, however, they did not do very well in captivity (stress, disease, injuries etc.) and died pretty quickly. Even those who have been kept so far for a longer period of time (like the very handsome Commerson's dolphins, the harbour porpoise in a few European institutions, Finless porpoise in Asian aquaria, Irrawady dolphins in Asia (?)), the numbers of individuals kept is very manageable and unlikely to increase significantly, if at all. Sometimes, health issues, maybe in connection to chronic stress (=>which probably might occur more in the entertainment-orientated facilities TMO mentioned), do cause a problem; in the case of the Commerson's at Duisburg, fungal infections took quite a toll. And I agree with TMO: porpoises aren't the easiest species to keep in captivity.
Given the modern public objection to the husbandry of cetaceans in general, I doubt any experiments regarding the husbandry of smaller cetaceans will be undertaken any time soon (except for individual beached specimens cared for in rehabilitation facilities).
Bottlenose dolphins, belugas and orcas, for all the issues associated with their husbandry, appear to do better in captivity than most other cetacean species. In regard to ex-situ conservation of highly endangered species like the Vaquita, maybe not too optimal...
 
I had no idea there was once an Indus Dolphin in a Swiss University Cellar. I would love to do a series of cognitive studies on one. I wonder if they could thrive in the right conditions, because I think that learning more about their physiology and cognitive abilities might help us in increasing their numbers and protecting them in the wild.
 
Batto said:
@TheMightyOrca & JVM: if you look into the older and newer literature, you'll find that individuals of various smaller cetaceans species have been kept in captivity in the past. Sometimes under rather bizarre circumstances, like the Indus dolphins at a Swiss university cellar. Most often, however, they did not do very well in captivity (stress, disease, injuries etc.) and died pretty quickly. Even those who have been kept so far for a longer period of time (like the very handsome Commerson's dolphins, the harbour porpoise in a few European institutions, Finless porpoise in Asian aquaria, Irrawady dolphins in Asia (?)), the numbers of individuals kept is very manageable and unlikely to increase significantly, if at all. Sometimes, health issues, maybe in connection to chronic stress (=>which probably might occur more in the entertainment-orientated facilities TMO mentioned), do cause a problem; in the case of the Commerson's at Duisburg, fungal infections took quite a toll. And I agree with TMO: porpoises aren't the easiest species to keep in captivity.
Given the modern public objection to the husbandry of cetaceans in general, I doubt any experiments regarding the husbandry of smaller cetaceans will be undertaken any time soon (except for individual beached specimens cared for in rehabilitation facilities).
Bottlenose dolphins, belugas and orcas, for all the issues associated with their husbandry, appear to do better in captivity than most other cetacean species. In regard to ex-situ conservation of highly endangered species like the Vaquita, maybe not too optimal...
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Oh, yeah. The US military experimented with working with many different cetaceans, including the Dall's porpoise. (I think there was some aquarium that attempted that once, but it didn't go well) But the bottlenose dolphin remained the best animal for their purposes.
 
You know the Navy had a Killer Whale at one point? But he escaped during a mission. Does anyone know where he came from (what population) and where the mission he deserted on took place?

Also, the Russians took the Ukraine's dolphins. Did the Russians really build a new Dolphinarium for them like they said or is it more garbage floating around the internet. Also, they use Bottlenose's too, right?
 
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Lolita in Miami can imitate a siren, a seagull, and a foghorn, and maybe some other stuff. I wonder if she can speak White Sided Dolphin.
 
wensleydale said:
You know the Navy had a Killer Whale at one point? But he escaped during a mission. Does anyone know where he came from (what population) and where the mission he deserted on took place?

Also, the Russians took the Ukraine's dolphins. Did the Russians really build a new Dolphinarium for them like they said or is it more garbage floating around the internet. Also, they use Bottlenose's too, right?
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The escaped whale was a southern resident. The mission was somewhere in Hawaii, I believe off the coast of Oahu. I think they were training him to retrieve stuff but one day, he just refused to come back to the boat when he was called. If you want to look for more information on him, his name was Ishmael.

A Russian dolphinarium/oceanarium is being built in Moscow. It seems legit, but I don't know if they're getting any military dolphins.
 
JVM said:
I'm quite surprised smaller cetecean species aren't popular in captivity, they would solve some of the bigger issues with the larger species such as space.
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In Netherlands 2 collections have harbour porpoises and they do very well, but they are recque animals and they are not allowed to breed with them. Harderwijk had one successful birth in 2009 (which died in 2011) but that was an accident.
 
I suppose the presence of the entertainment facilities creates a more easily accessible stock for zoos and aquariums, so the entertainment-oriented facilities are going to influence what other places have.
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That's an interesting point. I still find it somewhat ridiculous that there seem to be no orca in a true zoo/aquarium in the United States. (Lolita excluded given the complex nature of her current exhibition.) I find belugas far more fascinating as an adult than a child, I have to say, and I do consider it a blessing there are two dolphin species represented in Chicago.

Bottlenose dolphins, belugas and orcas, for all the issues associated with their husbandry, appear to do better in captivity than most other cetacean species. In regard to ex-situ conservation of highly endangered species like the Vaquita, maybe not too optimal...
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True. I was thinking more in line with, for example, the Tucuxi, which I was informed in another thread has been kept successfully in the past but no longer, or the Commerson's dolphin, which seems to be more common in marine mammal parks than traditional aquaria.

I had no idea there was once an Indus Dolphin in a Swiss University Cellar. I would love to do a series of cognitive studies on one. I wonder if they could thrive in the right conditions, because I think that learning more about their physiology and cognitive abilities might help us in increasing their numbers and protecting them in the wild.
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I've heard speculation they would be a good species for captivity due to the shallowness of some of their habitat and supposedly, that they don't mind swimming in circles. I've said before that despite the failures with river dolphins in the eighties, I think the continued survival of a few specimens who were accommodated is a signal that the family could be supported in captivity today, especially with decades of additional research to assist.

In Netherlands 2 collections have harbour porpoises and they do very well, but they are recque animals and they are not allowed to breed with them. Harderwijk had one successful birth in 2009 (which died in 2011) but that was an accident.
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Interesting to note! Is there a particular reason they don't allow breeding?
 
I remember that Gulf World Marine Park had a Rough Toothed Dolphin birth happen earlier this year from their rescue population (about 5 animals) but it didn't survive. However it was a first calf, who knows what the future holds. Also, I know that at least one rescued Bottlenose has had multiple calves, but she is with the descendents of non rescued animals and was only declared non releasable on account of her age. I would be interesting to see how it will effect the population of Bottlenose Dolphins if rescues continue to breed (Louie at the Dolphin Research Center has a girlfriend I think, but God only knows what the oil did to his fertility and sperm quality) and contribute to the captive population.
 
wensleydale said:
I had no idea there was once an Indus Dolphin in a Swiss University Cellar. I would love to do a series of cognitive studies on one. I wonder if they could thrive in the right conditions, because I think that learning more about their physiology and cognitive abilities might help us in increasing their numbers and protecting them in the wild.
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Not just one, but several specimens where kept at Bern during the 1960s/1970s. The thereby obtained observations contributed to the little we know about this animal. The person responsible, Italian neurologist Giorgio Pilleri, is now, according to his own testimony, against keeping cetaceans in captivity. Maybe he's right; maybe Italian neurologists who know jack about proper cetacea veterinary medicine or their care in general shouldn't keep Indus river dolphins in tiny tanks within the cellar of a psychiatric clinic of the University of Bern, just to let them die miserably of pneumonia without any treatment or seeking professional help (and without recognising till today that it was pneumonia...).
 
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JVM said:
I've heard speculation they would be a good species for captivity due to the shallowness of some of their habitat and supposedly, that they don't mind swimming in circles. I've said before that despite the failures with river dolphins in the eighties, I think the continued survival of a few specimens who were accommodated is a signal that the family could be supported in captivity today, especially with decades of additional research to assist.
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Due to the decrease of populations in the wild, international and national red tape (among others, CITES), chances of obtaining specimens for a Western ex-situ husbandry project are very unlikely.

As for institutions breeding porpoises:the worlds only harbour porpoise research center including lots of displays/auqrium on the marine life in the baltic sea - Fjord & Baelt, Kerteminde Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor
 
Do the rough toothed dolphins at Gulf World live with the Bottle nosed dolphins or separated?
 
As far as I know the two species are kept separately; the parents of Baby Rough Toothed were both Rough Toothed. Alas visiting Gulf World is still on my to do list.

The two species have been kept together in the past though, at what must have been other institutions. There have even been hybrids between the two in the past (though none seem to be alive today, at least not in captivity).
 
A couple of days ago I read about SeaWorld supposedly being about to take a Pacific White Sided Dolphin from Japan on a breeding loan. Though it is captive bred supposedly its parents were obtained from a drive hunt. Can anyone tell me: 1. Does this animal even exist and what species/gender is it (I believe her name is starts with a K)? Could it be deceased? Is that why I can't find her? 2. Is there any truth to the assertions that it is intended to be transferred to SeaWorld? 3. Where this supposed dolphin is currently located, I do not see any animals from Japan at any of the SeaWorld parks save Argo the formerly stranded Pilot Whale. 4. Should I stop getting information from the comments section on internet articles? Because that is where I found this out.
 
wensleydale said:
A couple of days ago I read about SeaWorld supposedly being about to take a Pacific White Sided Dolphin from Japan on a breeding loan. Though it is captive bred supposedly its parents were obtained from a drive hunt. Can anyone tell me: 1. Does this animal even exist and what species/gender is it (I believe her name is starts with a K)? Could it be deceased? Is that why I can't find her? 2. Is there any truth to the assertions that it is intended to be transferred to SeaWorld? 3. Where this supposed dolphin is currently located, I do not see any animals from Japan at any of the SeaWorld parks save Argo the formerly stranded Pilot Whale. 4. Should I stop getting information from the comments section on internet articles? Because that is where I found this out.
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I've been hearing about this for a year now (I think) and nothing has happened yet.
 
The dolphin in question is very much a real animal, she is a 12 year old captive bred female named Kirara. Her parents are Spica and Hokuto (both of whom are still alive and still at Kamogawa Sea World), both of whom were rescued animals (in fact Spica still has the scars on her pectoral fins from getting caught in fishing nets) and Kirara herself is very much alive, too.

Now Seaworld in the states does indeed have the permits to import her if all is to be believed, however it is very much a question of "if". As it stands all of Seaworld's breeding age female lags are out of the same line (all sired by a deceased male named Jump), so getting a new female would make sense. However both of their males are related through a female (Lorelai) and one is related to Jump as well. So really, to keep their program going, they will need a couple more lags of different genders to ensure a healthy breeding population.

As it stands, NA only has 2-3 different lines of male Pacific White Sided Dolphins:

  • Lii and his two male offspring out of Loke and Piquet
  • Arrow, who was fathered via AI by a Japanese male at Kamogawa Sea World named Arrow and mothered by wild caught female Lorelai
  • Bolt, who was fathered by a different Japanese male and related to Arrow via Lorelai (Bolts mother Catalina is the daughter of Lorelai, Arrows mother)

So really, we are in desperate need of new males to keep the population growing and healthy.

For females, we've got:

  • Catalina, Avalon, Hailey, and Munchkin, all sired by jump, out of females Lorelai, Catalina, Betty, and Lavern, respectively.
  • Betty, who is most likely to old to breed (and is the mother of Hailey)
  • Loke, who is the mother of a male and female calve sired by Lii
  • Piquet, who has one male offspring sired by Lii
  • Katrl, Kri, Tique, Hana, and Helen, who are all breeding age wild caught/rescued females without any offspring.

So as for females, there are 9 unique female lines (although one is most likely to old to breed), so although they are in much better shape than the male side of things, the addition of another female line or two could never hurt the population, either.
 
Hyak_II said:
The dolphin in question is very much a real animal, she is a 12 year old captive bred female named Kirara. Her parents are Spica and Hokuto (both of whom are still alive and still at Kamogawa Sea World), both of whom were rescued animals (in fact Spica still has the scars on her pectoral fins from getting caught in fishing nets) and Kirara herself is very much alive, too.
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Thank you for answering my question instead of letting it languish! :)

So her parents aren't drive hunt obtained after all? They were obtained through bona fide rescues, as Westerners might define them? That's good.

Where is she now? I don't see her on one of my source websites and Ceta-base keep giving me the not found thing.

Where are we with artificial insemination in Lags? It might be more sensible to us AI in order to obtain more male lines given that any potential new male lines are so far away. That said a new female would still be nice. Also, is there likely to be any kind of a heads up right before she is transferred if she is transferred?
 
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