OPINION: Dolphin shows are a thing of the past

PHUKET: The furore brewing over the possibility of a dolphin show being set up in Chalong’s Soi Parlai is growing. While the details are still murky at present, if suspicions about the almost-completed structure are spot-on, the parties behind the project will only see objections and protests escalate.

In most of the world, dolphin shows are thankfully becoming a thing of the past – as well they should be, given the greater knowledge we have about these wonderful mammals and how they live and thrive in their natural habitat.

There are some, however, who remain unaware of the ethical and zoological objections to holding dolphins in captivity. In light of the looming disgrace in Chalong, these objections are worth reiterating.

Dolphins can and often do travel over 100 kilometres a day in their territory, hunting and playing, but obviously can’t do that in a small concrete tanks. And they are highly intelligent, yet in captivity they live miserable confined lives performing the same boring tricks day after day.

The capture of dolphins is a brutalizing experience which, scientific research has conclusively shown, has a devastating impact on the family group left behind.

And even though captive dolphins are kept in an environment free of predators and other threats, they die prematurely because the mental, emotional and physical stress that these creatures endure weakens their immune systems.

Worse, when not performing, captive dolphins are often kept in holding tanks smaller than show pools. Confining animals together in such unnaturally close proximity results in tremendous stress that often finds an outlet in aggression against other dolphins.

We have no right to imprison these amazing creatures for our “entertainment”. Captive dolphin shows have nothing to do with education or conservation, despite the ludicrous claims of show owners. They are all about making money – at the expense of the well-being of some of the most intelligent and sensitive animals on our shared planet.

Simply put, dolphin shows are wrong. Indeed, they are an untenable disgrace.

There are a few tour operators here in Thailand who take visitors out to sea to see these creatures in their natural habitat, happy and unthreatened. It is our hope that demand leads to a rise in the number of such eco-responsible tour operators, and a decline – right down to zero – in the number of on-land dolphin shows the world over, including in Chalong.