I learnt something new today: dolphins can’t smile. In fact, dolphins can’t show any facial expressions at all. Their mouths are just shaped in a way that we humans misinterpret as a smile. This is why we believe that bottlenose dolphins are always so ridiculously chipper, and that they are always having a whale of a time.
- Image from The Guardian
The reality is that they could be miserable, hurting, depressed and stressed out. They could be trapped in a living hell, and still they would be “smiling” through the pain.
This is what is happening to 25 bottlenose dolphins, currently stuck in the Philippines as enclosures in Resorts World Sentosa are readied for them.
These dolphins were captured from the wild, from the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Some were transport to Langkawi and others to the Philippines. Two of the dolphins kept in Langkawi (in bad conditions) died – so now they are all kept in the Philippines.
- Image from DailyScubaDiving.com
The ocean around the Solomon Islands is generally acknowledged as an awesome diving spot because of the abundance of marine life and beautiful corals. This is the home that the 27 dolphins were taken from.
This is where they were kept in Langkawi, where two of them died:
- Image from Acres
No beauty, no space, no stimuli. No fish to hunt, nothing new to explore. Nothing but the boundaries. Nothing for a dolphin to do but go round-and-round-and-round, going slowly mad.
If this isn’t death row for dolphins, I don’t know what is.
Yes, their enclosure in Resorts World will probably look nicer than this appalling holding pen in Langkawi. But compared to the gorgeous, natural habitat that the dolphins had been snatched away from, it will be just as bad. They would have to eat dead fish instead of the fresh ones they had caught for themselves, and then they would be made to do flips and jumps and be all cutesy – for our amusement.
We would be laughing and squealing at the expense of their pain. “How cute! So clever!” we’d exclaim, as the dolphins slowly go crazy, deafened by their own sonar bouncing off the concrete walls of their enclosures.
And Resorts World would be making money – out of depriving 25 beautiful, intelligent creatures out of their home, their freedom, and their nature.
What does this say about us? We, who are supposed to be able to reason and think beyond any other living creature on the planet?
25 bottlenose dolphins that once roamed free and wild in the vast Pacific Ocean, are now facing a life of captivity, boredom, stress, claustrophobia, frustration and slow death, thanks to Resorts World, which plans to keep them in its spa at Sentosa, Singapore. Two of their family have already died during the ordeal. Please help save these remaining animals.
Singaporean animal rights group ACRES has started the campaign Save The World’s Saddest Dolphins, urging Resorts World to show some humanity and release these dolphins. Please support them by visiting their website, liking their Facebook page and spreading the word about this to everyone you know!
Also, you can take a photo to express your disgust at this animal cruelty.
Until these dolphins are released, I am not setting foot into Resorts World again. There is nothing that they can offer me that is worth the pain and suffering of 25 bottlenose dolphins, and the lost lives of the two who perished.
C
May 28, 2011
I don’t have an issue with RWS buying dolphins born in captivity. I don’t see why they had to take them from the wild.
kirsten
May 28, 2011
I’m always a little conflicted when it comes to zoos and aquariums because while I do think that fundamentally animals should be free to be in their natural habitat I do love zoos and aquariums where I can see them and marvel at them, and I do think that these places – which of course, MUST be well-run and the animals well-treated – can be really good for teaching kids about the amazing animals around the world, and getting kids to care about them. It’s how I learned about animals and learned to love them. I’m not sure if I would be able to feel so strongly about animal rights if I hadn’t spent time at the zoos as a kid seeing with my own eyes how majestic and gorgeous they are.
But at the same time it’s kind of sad to imagine that these animals might not actually be happy where they are. And now that I know about the boredom and lack of stimuli for dolphins in captivity, and that they are actually being deafened by their own sonar in the enclosures, I’m starting to question whether I approve of dolphins in captivity at all.
After all a captive-born dolphin will still be suffering from the sonar bouncing off the walls.
But I agree with you that taking these dolphins from the wild are just terrible.
monkeysaur
May 28, 2011
i am not often got to see dolphin show or things like that much ( really not actually) . cos most the time i had seen in thailand was dolphins died on the beach by world climate change (as a report) but some of them were full of the wounds . personally dont like animal show especially like dolphin issue you posted ..so .. in thailand the cruelty news like this will be like elephant issue ya..i remember in CM media camp… the elephants showed was make me sad too cos i used to see how they threat elephants to performed well….. people have fun but who know the performers are crying inside
…
bookjunkie
May 28, 2011
Dolphins are just so lovely and I would love to see them thrive in the wild.
Can’t imagine the cruelty of those claustrophobic conditions. Hope the pressure on RWS works.
whatsaysyou
May 29, 2011
Dolphins do need their space and yes, they are beautiful animals that so many human beings just take them for granted.
whatsaysyou
May 29, 2011
Agree!
mypeaceofheaven
June 9, 2011
Oh god this is just horrid! :’(