Maybe. Another view would be that if Thais came away with the idea that dolphins are fascinating, charismatic animals then a cetacean exhibit done well (and I have no idea whether this is) is something worth doing. If garish plastic balls provide the animal with some enrichment, then what's the harm?
It's all a matter of opinion. Perhaps devilfish can cast more light on the issue.
Unfortunately these scenes are quite common in Asian dolphin shows. The ball I don't mind so much, but putting glasses, hats and musical instrument models on marine mammals are a bit harder for me to comprehend.
As Ian says, it is all a matter of opinion. My feelings are fairly mixed, and from a personal point of view I don't feel the benefit of dolphin shows/experiences as much as other visitors might, and that's why this was my first 'proper dolphinarium' visit.
In my eyes, dolphin shows have an element of controversy in many areas, and all these 'tricks' fall on a spectrum. I agree that dolphins have a great ability to inspire, and a show can leave members of the audience fascinated not just by dolphins, but many aspects of the natural world. I felt this when I went to Safari World Bangkok, who seemed to have the audience absolutely captivated. Children would scream and jump with excitement, and the roars of the stadium crowds were the loudest I'd ever heard outside a sports venue.
This was different. I felt that the vibe of the place on a weekday morning gave the impression that everything was there as part of an inefficient struggle for business. The show was drawn-out, amateurish with a small audience. It is run five times daily. But then tricks like this, or getting the dolphin to wear glasses, went down very well with the audience.
There are also cultural differences to bear in mind. From our point of view, this situation doesn't seem worth it, but since these animals are going to be in the show anyway - glasses or not, no matter what we think - I think that if it's not significantly more trouble for the animal, it's probably better to give the audience the best possible experience.
I don't know if you can class this as enrichment, particularly as the lap of the pool holding a ball is enforced in each show.
This was not a well-run show, but had it been better organised and executed, there's a chance it would have been a powerful little spectacle where small actions like pushing a ball would be minor additions to the programme. Judging by photos online, I just caught a quiet show on a quiet day, so they could potentially inspire the masses.
I don't feel that I've given a very solid answer, sorry, but I'm happy to have a go at any questions you might have about the place or about my sentiments.
