A UK Collection applies for Dolphins

Well there are centres along the US Coast for rehabing dolphins, I think the success rate is OK. I mean, if a dolphin/whale beaches and its close to death - its better to euthanise, however if it simply keeps stranding or is a baby or some other reason I cant think of and shows a CHANCE of survival, I think an attempt should be at least made. I've never known of any dolphins or whales being rehabed in the UK? Kinda sad...
 
No permit activity yet...

Any such movement of marine mammals in or out of the USA requires a permit from NOAA/NMFS. I just got done checking the Federal Register, and I can't find any recent permit activity indicating movement of dolphins or any other protected (under US law) species to the UK.

If there is a park in the UK wanting to get the critters, I don't think they'd be coming from the US.

The good news: As other posters have mentioned, captive breeding of bottlenose dolphins, at least, has been wildly successful (heck, it's tough to STOP them from futzing around in that area!) :D Given that, it's exceedingly unlikely there'd be any impact to wild pods from something like this.

I will continue to monitor the US activity, at least.

Keep the peace(es).
 
I have heard of a place in Holland that rescue stranded porpoises. have you any names of the places in the US?
 
Hey. I'm old enough remembering seeing dolphins in uk collections. I even saw a killer whale when i was young 'on tour'. I am sure that they can live a happy and productive life in captivity IF ITS DONE RIGHT. We have some of the best keepers in the world here. If the enviroment is done right then it is right but it will have to be done well.
 
chrisroughley said:
Hey. I'm old enough remembering seeing dolphins in uk collections. I even saw a killer whale when i was young 'on tour'. I am sure that they can live a happy and productive life in captivity IF ITS DONE RIGHT. We have some of the best keepers in the world here. If the enviroment is done right then it is right but it will have to be done well.
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A killer whale on tour? are you sure.

The problem is Chris that no UK collection "had done it right" as I have stated before the exhibits in the Uk were not of a high standard and way to small (to save on money). Whipsnades Dolphin exhibit was so tiny and for four of them, I saw it very soon after it opened and knew it was to small then, the only place that came near the mark was Windsor and even their pool was not deep enough, It's no wonder they are all gone there today, If the UK ever wants Dolphins or Orcas again it should look at some of the best places overseas and have a first class display for them or it's going to be a very long time if ever before they are back in the country again
 
I quite agree. I understand that it must take literaly millions of pounds. That is the only way it is acceptable. There have been orca 'circuses' just the same as they have been doing with pandas. I may be behind the times but i do remember. Orca at Knowsley.
 
I also have to stress this has to be done very well. It works just the same as any other animal management issue. Only the best is good enough. Striving to be the best in terms of care is what we are all here for. If someone can build a facility that can be better than those in the US then it should be here because we DO have the people that can do it. If and only IF then it should be done. I STRESS no wild animals should be taken for that facility. But I think maybe the investment might be there for this sort of facility.
 
Chris I hope you take this the right way as I feel what this comes down to is a "mid set", sure the collections in the UK CAN build a first class exhibit to house these animals BUT they never have, the mind set to do things "on the cheap" is a major block in building something like they have at San Diego, the doing things on the cheap has only given reasons for people who do not want captive animals in zoos like PETA and the like, WHY feed ammo to these guys buy having any animals in sub-standard exhibits and conditions. Give them the best and you will find much less can be said
 
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chrisroughley said:
I quite agree. I understand that it must take literaly millions of pounds. That is the only way it is acceptable. There have been orca 'circuses' just the same as they have been doing with pandas. I may be behind the times but i do remember. Orca at Knowsley.
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Are you sure they had a Killer Whale at Knowsley as I`ve not heard of that before!!!!
 
zoogiraffe said:
Are you sure they had a Killer Whale at Knowsley as I`ve not heard of that before!!!!
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i havent either, i know orcas were kept at Windsor Safari Park, Flamingo land, Dudley Zoo And the Clacton Pier Dolphinarium, never knew that knosley had a one, knew they had dolphnis though.
 
One more thing on this. Its the animals that come first. We are capable of keeping them happy but money must be spent.. Its not a game. If the UK is to have cetaceans again full time then it has to be as good as the best. We all know it.
 
ok

The solution is. A lovely big pool. Loads of toys. One or better two keepers constantly giving them something to do. It is all. Its a creche but theses guys are cleverer than young humans.
 
All a zoo/aquarium needs to ensure is the following for a decent dolphin exhibit that would be approved by not only the public, but by law and the correct managing authorities;

Pool Size Big Enough
Exhibit Setting educational & naturalistic
Dolphins sourced properly (ie. the us doesnt allow dolphins to be imported if they were taken from the wild after 1996)

On a different note, has anyone thought about what a UK dolphinarium would/could look like? I've designed a few plans myself when I've been bored. Done it like several places in Europe, with pools in and outdoors...:P

cuddles15.jpg


Photo of Cuddles the orca in a pool somewhere in the UK. It says alot about the standards back then!
 
Vulpes said:
I have heard of a place in Holland that rescue stranded porpoises. have you any names of the places in the US?
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Just about any of the stranding rescue places will take in whatever cetacean happens to need help at the time, subject only to limitations on their space and equipment.

Example: Sea World San Diego once rehabilitated a young gray whale. Then again, a young gray is not much bigger than a young orca, so their equipment and pool space were easily up to the task.

I have heard of harbor porpoises being rescued, and the Point Defiance Zoo/Aquarium once had a rescued common dolphin (I even got to play with her a bit). The Dolphin Research Center, in the Florida Keys, also does rescue work.

Perhaps the easiest way to say it is no oceanarium worth their salt (pardon the pun) will turn down a rescue, if they are logistically and financially able to spare the effort.

Happy travels.
 
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ollielloyd said:
All a zoo/aquarium needs to ensure is the following for a decent dolphin exhibit that would be approved by not only the public, but by law and the correct managing authorities;

Pool Size Big Enough
Exhibit Setting educational & naturalistic
Dolphins sourced properly (ie. the us doesnt allow dolphins to be imported if they were taken from the wild after 1996)

On a different note, has anyone thought about what a UK dolphinarium would/could look like? I've designed a few plans myself when I've been bored. Done it like several places in Europe, with pools in and outdoors...:P

cuddles15.jpg


Photo of Cuddles the orca in a pool somewhere in the UK. It says alot about the standards back then!
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that is cuddles at the Flamingo Land in north yorkshire

can we see these plans?
 
Dolphinria UK

There seems to be a lot of interest in UK dolphinaria so as I actually worked in various dolphinaria in the UK I am developing a web site on the various establishments that exsisted. It's located off my marine animal welfare site:

Marine Animal Welfare - dolphins in captivity

at:

UK Dolphinaria

It's a work in progress so it will expand and change as I upload varous photos etc.

There is also an excellent web site relating to the dolphinarium that was on Clacton Pier at:

The Dolphins on Clacton Pier (Bubble & Squeak)
 
Wow! That site has tons of great photos and floorplans that show alot about dolphins in the uk back in the day! Thanks :)

What are your views in dolphins being brought back to the UK?
 
Vulpes said:
I have often thought about the stranded dolphins, there are quite a few every year. is it possible to rescue stranded dolphins and rehabilitate them or do they literally just strand themselves to die and are past the point of rescue?
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No, many are rescue and rehabilitated. In Europe Harderwijk does a good job with porpoises.

Dolfinarium | A full day programme with nine spectacular shows and demonstrations

They incidentally display them as well and have just bred porpoises. This is the second successful breeding of this species in Europe.

Porpoise is 2nd to give birth in captivity

The UK situation is somewhat different. We do not have any cetacean rehabilitation centres is the UK. Moreover, most cetacean stranding in the UK been coordinated by the self-styled British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity which is very anti-dolphinaria;

British Divers Marine Life Rescue - Home

they were involved in the controversial Into The Blue project that “rehabilitated” the three ex-dolphinarium dolphins in the Caribbean many years ago.

INTO THE BLUE

Therefore, most cetaceans that can not be immediately returned to the sea are killed by lethal injection regardless that some could have been saved if they had been stranded in say the Netherlands.

The famous bottlenose whale that found it way into the Thames in London
rescue was coordinated by BDMLR.

BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Lost whale dies after rescue bid

Personally I was rather shocked to discover that vets with direct handling experience of living cetaceans were not asked to be involved in the rescue, maybe because they worked with dolphinaria. Likewise I know a number of former dolphin and whale trainers in the UK who have experience in transporting large cetaceans, e.g. orcas, and they were also not approached. A colleague mentioned that it was ironic that the only veterinary consultant used was pathologist. The whale, of course, died. Although, in fairness to those involved, the chances of it being saved where very remote.

So if I were a whale in distress I would avoid standing on any beaches or rivers in the UK. ;)
 
Yeah what you're saying all makes sense. I think it's a bad attitude, that just because a group of people are against keeping dolphins in captivity, they will not even try to rehabilitate a stranded animal...It seems so selfish.

I always look at dolphin captivity in 2 ways. 1 way I am against (the circus style, swim-with-flipper dolphin shows) and the other I am for (educational exhibits - Shedd, Vancouver Aquarium etc).

The UK needs a dolphin exhibit badly, if its not to raise public awareness, then to rescue stranded animals! Someone needs to donate a grant to a Zoo or Aquarium for stranded animals, to build a rehab pool!
 
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