Set Marine Mammals Free, Says the Public

A brand-new report on the devastating effects of confining cetaceans has been released in Washington, the United States, stating why marine mammals don’t belong in captivity, a position the public wholeheartedly approves.

“This report makes it very clear: all marine mammals are sentient beings who can experience emotions, pain, and pleasure,” explains Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach, head of wildlife research and animal welfare at World Animal Protection. “We will continue to fight for the thousands of cetaceans who continue to suffer in captivity, and to prevent more animals being bred or captured for the display industries.” 

The 186-page report – the sixth edition of “The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity” – details the suffering of marine mammals in captivity. Confined to small concrete enclosures, they are unable to carry out their most fundamental behaviors, including roaming freely, hunting, diving deep, and choosing a social group. The report concludes that “the entire captive experience for marine mammals is so impoverished and contrary to even the most basic elements of compassion, that it should be rejected outright when its primary purpose is to entertain people.” Due to public opposition, marine theme parks and aquariums featuring cetaceans struggle to remain relevant since display and entertainment have “passed the tipping point.” In 2019, Canada passed a law to ban the public display of captive cetaceans, and tourism companies – including Virgin Holidays and TripAdvisor – have ended or restricted their promotion of swim-with-dolphin attractions.