National Aquarium in Baltimore Ending the Dolphin Exhibit?

Zooplantman said:
National Aquarium: The time is right to move our dolphins to a seaside sanctuary. - Baltimore Sun
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Great news! I understand that there will be many dissenting opinions on this forum but cetaceans in captivity is something that I've become extremely uneasy with. As a long-time supporter of zoos and having had a life-long obsession with visiting hundreds of zoos and aquariums, purchasing hundreds of zoo books, maps, toys, cups, etc, I'm as big a fan of captive wildlife as probably just about anyone on ZooChat. However, I applaud the National Aquarium for making a bold step in the right direction and it will be interesting to see if other facilities follow suit.

Indianapolis Zoo has had 25+ dolphin deaths, still-births and miscarriages and still has a number of the animals; Brookfield Zoo is the only other zoo with dolphins and those animals reside in a badly outdated complex. How soon before those zoos phase out the species forever?
 
@Snowleopard: As someone who has a deep respect about your zoolife knowledge, your opinion and as a great fan of your zoo travel reports I allow myself to disagree.

It's sad news. It would be good news if National Aquarium would improve their exhibit or built a new one instead of end keeping dolphins. Regarding the fact of overfishing and pollutioning of our seas, it is time to realise that we need captive populations to preserve at least some cetacean species for the future (when hopefully the mentioned problems are solved).
Also, altough I respect the opinion to keep some animal species in captivity, while some others should't be kept, it is (and probably will always be) still unlogical to me.
Why should zoos keep Elephants, Apes, Big Cats, Bears etc., whom many need huge territories or do migrate in the wild or have comparable social behaviours but not ceteaceans?
 
@zoomaniac: I always appreciate your input! The feeling is mutual in terms of respect.

I wouldn't mind at all if Baltimore built a huge new dolphin complex but the sheer cost of something like that (Georgia Aquarium spent $110 million!) is not feasible and even then would such a structure be adequate for the species? Zoos have proven that with elephants, gorillas, bears, etc, there can be amazing exhibits built that see the animals thrive in captivity but cetaceans require much larger enclosures and there really hasn't ever been a truly great dolphin pool at any zoo. Also, the reproduction rate of captive dolphins is not impressive and I copied and pasted this section from a news article:

"The natural mortality rate for bottlenose dolphins within their first year of life in the wild is 20 percent, but according to a U.S. Marine Mammal Inventory Report conducted between 1960 and 1993, more than 50 percent of the dolphins born in captivity perish within the first four months of life (133 of 261 animals). This figure doesn't include miscarriages and abortions, as U.S. law doesn't require facilities to register those."
 
@snowleopard: Agree with the point of the costs (nobody said it would be easy to accumulate enough money). But remember Sea World San Diego: They have had plans (and obviously the money) to built a better/bigger tank/exhibit for their orcas, but were stopped by authorities by their demand to end breeding those species. (Well, that story is over yet anyway).

Ref. the mortality: I don't know your source (news article from which media?), but I have some doubts about the credibility of this statement. How do they know the exact rate of mortality of bottlenose dolphins in the wild? This can only be an estimate (in opposite to the numbers collected in the US Marine Mammal Inventory). And I presume the natural mortality rate for this species doesn't include miscarriages and abortions either. Further more: Since 1993 breeding of dolphins has improved. I like to give you a CURRENT(!) example of the bottlenose dolphins, that Sea World Orlando is keeping (last update 06/14/2016):
Ceta-Base, Captive Cetaceans (Living): SeaWorld Orlando - Florida, United States
It shows that from 34 bottlenose dolphins ONLY ONE (in numbers: 1!) is NOT captive bred. So the breeding rate couldn't be that bad at least at SeaWorld Orlando.
 
My respect to the Baltimore Aquarium for its courageous decision to stop the husbandry of dolphins.

I'm a supporter of ceteceans in human care, and I also know the National Aquariums dolphin exhibit, what is doubtless a very good one, but on the other side, I agree the well understood reasons of the Aquarium, to stop with and send them to a sanctuary.I think, this is well done decion in the interest of the animals.

Everyone, who is keeping animals, has a high responsibilty for them, especially Zoos and Aquariums. But to many zoos made in first line decions for the visitors and not for the animals, especially in the Usa. Not to many of them decide to change the life of some of their animals in such a dramatic way like the National Aquarium plans to-they have my high respect and my full Agreement for that.

I wish, also german zoos would have the courage to do such a step-not for only for dolphins, also for other species, especially elephants-many german zoos still have to learn how to keep elephants in human care.


@snowleopard
So why dolphins need larger exhibits than elephants, apes or as other animals ? Can you prove that ? Belive me-the dolphins at National Aquarium are doing much, much better than the gorillas at Broookfield(indoors only),or Cincinnati(tiny exhibit with a huuuge moat),or the elephants at the Bronx-or let us talk about Aardwolf,Aardvark,Binturong!,Cluoded lepard!,Beaver! and many other species, kept in NOCTURNAL HOUSES ! Belive me, the dolphins at Baltimore are doing much better than these pitifully creatures.You should think about it if it is okay to keep Polar bears and Snowleopards in the hot climate of San Diego......not from my point of view. By this is another story.
 
Here is the link to the news article that I quoted:

Empty the Tanks protest at Indianapolis Zoo | News | NUVO News | Indianapolis, IN

SeaWorld has had a lot of success with dolphins and so thanks for that informative link. What I'm most intrigued with is whether or not Indianapolis Zoo and Brookfield Zoo (the last two USA zoos with dolphins) will phase out the species in the next couple of years. It seems as if eventually it is inevitable that there will be zero dolphins at those two facilities, but SeaWorld will obviously be the last place to ever get rid of its dolphins.
 
I don't feel that's a fair comparison since the Bronx Zoo's elephant exhibit is actually decent and fairly immersive if not incredible.
 
zoomaniac said:
It would be good news if National Aquarium would improve their exhibit or built a new one instead of end keeping dolphins.
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The NAIB has had a troubled history holding dolphins. They may well be ready to move on.
The NAIB doesn't have the space to expand and create a much larger exhibit. They perhaps could spend a fortune for a slight improvement, but they cannot build anything large without tearing down part of the aquarium. They cannot, for example, double the size of the current exhibit
 
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GraysonDP said:
Do you really think the Bronx Zoo's elephant exhibit is that bad? If so why
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In its day it was top notch. Actually both were (at the Bronx). But our knowledge, standards, and visitors' expectations have changed. Even WCS has decided to phase out elephants rather than build the new exhibit they need.
I never saw the Wild Asia elephant yard as in any way immersive though. Decent, yes I suppose.
There are so many better elephant exhibits.

Why do you rate it so highly?
 
I really hope Bronx does end up changing their mind and building a new elephant exhibit. I'm not saying it's an amazing exhibit- I think it's middle of the road as far as elephant exhibits go. What I like about it is that it's forested, which is something I appreciate about all of Wild Asia. Some other elephant exhibits while newer and often larger feel barren and less like an Asian forest to me (San Diego, OKC, Houston and Jacksonville being examples). I think it's medium sized, shaded and has a pool. However it's nowhere near as good as elephant exhibits at NC, Saint Louis, Dallas, Omaha, Sedgwick County, SDSP, Oregon, Cleveland, Reid Park, DAK, Cheyenne Mountain etc. I mostly meant I felt it was inappropriate to put it on the same level as Brookfield's Tragic World exhibit for gorillas.
 
I would honestly like to know who read the article?

The aquarium isn't ending their dolphin program. Its being moved and will still be operated by the aquarium.

Other articles I've read suggest that there would likely be a public display aspect to the facility.
 
gerenuk said:
I would honestly like to know who read the article?

The aquarium isn't ending their dolphin program. Its being moved and will still be operated by the aquarium.

Other articles I've read suggest that there would likely be a public display aspect to the facility.
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I can honestly say that I read the entire article, which is long and informative, before posting any of my replies. Obviously the Baltimore facility is going to continue to maintain dolphins in its collection but there will be no more breeding in the multi-acre "sanctuary" and even if the dolphins are on public display there will certainly not be 1.3 million annual visitors. It is certainly the end of an era and the question is not whether the two remaining USA zoos with dolphins (Indianapolis and Brookfield) will phase out dolphins but WHEN that decision will be made.

With Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus retiring its elephants, SeaWorld's orca announcement and now the National Aquarium's dolphin news these are interesting times for some captive wildlife facilities.
 
zoomaniac said:
@snowleopard: Agree with the point of the costs (nobody said it would be easy to accumulate enough money). But remember Sea World San Diego: They have had plans (and obviously the money) to built a better/bigger tank/exhibit for their orcas, but were stopped by authorities by their demand to end breeding those species. (Well, that story is over yet anyway).
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Actually they were not stopped by authorities. They were "stopped" by the California Coastal Commission,and the building of the exhibit was not stopped (which is what they do have authority over),they left a ruling that breeding was to be stopped (which they don't have authority over). They were going to take that to court but decided it was not worth it. Joel Manby made the decision personally to not build the exhibit and then make his own breeding ban,instead of building a better exhibit at all,because building new exhibits for non-breeding animals is apparently a waste of funds.
 
Shellheart said:
Actually they were not stopped by authorities. They were "stopped" by the California Coastal Commission,and the building of the exhibit was not stopped (which is what they do have authority over),they left a ruling that breeding was to be stopped (which they don't have authority over). They were going to take that to court but decided it was not worth it. Joel Manby made the decision personally to not build the exhibit and then make his own breeding ban,instead of building a better exhibit at all,because building new exhibits for non-breeding animals is apparently a waste of funds.
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If you insist on being proper (I don't see a problem with what Snowleopard originally said, although strictly speaking it may not be the most accurate or precise phrasing), it was not settled whether or not the Coastal Commission had authority to enact a breeding ban - that's why there was a court case filed. I know that you (and many others) may feel that the CCC lacked this authority, but in the absence of a court ruling, this is far from settled (obviously, the CCC thought it was within its authority, and they did have a colorable argument).

As to snowleopard's belief that dolphins programs are not likely to continue at the two zoos that still exhibit them (Brookfield and Indianapolis), I would agree that in time these institutions will probably phase out dolphins, but I'm not sure why he singles out these "zoos", as, several AZA-accredited aquaria in addition to NAIB hold dolphins (including, of course, Sea World).
 
snowleopard said:
I can honestly say that I read the entire article, which is long and informative, before posting any of my replies. Obviously the Baltimore facility is going to continue to maintain dolphins in its collection but there will be no more breeding in the multi-acre "sanctuary" and even if the dolphins are on public display there will certainly not be 1.3 million annual visitors. It is certainly the end of an era and the question is not whether the two remaining USA zoos with dolphins (Indianapolis and Brookfield) will phase out dolphins but WHEN that decision will be made.

With Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus retiring its elephants, SeaWorld's orca announcement and now the National Aquarium's dolphin news these are interesting times for some captive wildlife facilities.
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Where was it mentioned that there would be no breeding?
 
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