Humane Society on Dolphin movie - "The Cove": What You Should Know About Dolphins in Captivity

[Annces]

trailer on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYKNCN1ESZM



Captured in the Solomon Islands, their troubles have just begun


The film “The Cove” shows in graphic detail what happens to hundreds of dolphins hunted and killed every year by fishermen in Taiji, Japan. A few dolphins escape immediate death, only to be sentenced to a lifetime of confinement in amusement parks and aquariums. Whether they’re performing in a tank or used to tow tourists around in a “swim with dolphins” attraction, whether the facility is obviously sub-par or looks like a lovely place for dolphins to live, the greatest issue is whether they should be in captivity at all. Humane Society International and The Humane Society of the United States believe the answer is a resounding “no.” No matter how big the box, it is still a box—keeping animals who are intelligent, highly social, and far-ranging confined is simply inhumane.

If you do go to an aquarium with performing dolphins, or to a “swim with” attraction, be aware that you’re not just having a good time—you are endorsing the practice of capturing these animals from the wild and keeping them captive. But if you do go, HSI and The Humane Society of the United States would like you to think about what you’re seeing.

The website for "The Cove" provides an opportunity to educate many more people about these issues. Read a downloadable brochure on the site about the captivity issue, with tips on what to look for at an aquarium or “swim with” program.

http://www.takepart.com/videos/the-cove-captivity-brochure/27042


View a list of opening cities and dates.
http://www.thecovemovie.com/festivals/upcoming_screenings.htm


http://www.hsus.org/hsi/oceans/marine_mammals_in_captivity/the_cove.html

[voteearlyvoteoften]

1. Don't pay to swim with dolphins

It sounds so wonderful,but if you pay you are contributing to the exploitation of dolphins. And even the captive born dolphins are not meant to be in a cage. Would you like it?

[csziggy]

2. I've been agains the use of "seaquarium" type facilities since visiting the original in Miami in 66

At first I was excited about seeing the real "Flipper" but when I saw the tiny pool he was housed in, and then the performance tank, which was small and not all that clean, I was upset about the conditions the dolphins had to endure. The contrast between the freedom shown on the TV show and what real life conditions the 'star' was living in made the entire premise of the show a fraud.

I've never visited another facility of that kind again and never will. Keeping creatures that should be in the vast oceans in tiny enclosures is cruel.