Transport of cetaceans in captivity
Transport
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Transportation from one facility to another, or even from one tank to another within a facility, is an abnormally stressful procedure for marine mammals and for cetaceans in particular. Removing a cetacean completely from the water is incredibly unnatural. Even when beached, contact with the water is almost always partially maintained. However, captive cetaceans are routinely placed on stretchers, loaded into vehicles, and subjected to an alien environment for as many as 24 hours or more.
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An analysis from 1995 (Small and DeMaster, “Acclimation to captivity”) clearly demonstrates the negative effects of this stress. The paper indicates that mortality rates for bottlenose dolphins increase six-fold over the captive norm directly after capture or transport—every successive transport causes the same spike in mortality risk, meaning dolphins never grow accustomed to the transport process. It takes a
month before their mortality rates return to normal.
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Some marine mammals are seasonally shipped between various facilities each year, for commercial rather than husbandry purposes. In so doing, they are subjected to chronic, cumulative, unnecessary, and unacceptable levels of stress. An example of an animal who was subjected to this level of stress would be SeaWorld's current San Diego matriarch, Kasatka, who within a 5 year period (1982 to 1987) was moved to SeaWorld's San Diego Park 4 times, the Orlando park 3 times, and the Ohio park 6 times. In 1988, she was moved to the Texas park until finally being permanently moved to the San Diego park in 1990. Overall, including her initial transport from her capture location to a holding facility, Kasatka was transported 16 times within a 12 year period.
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Dolphinaria and aquaria routinely administer prophylactic antibiotics and ulcer medications to captive cetaceans as a result of the medical conditions they can suffer from because of ecessive stress. Pneumonia, which is generally brought about by some other condition, such as stress or a compromised immune system, is the most commonly
cited cause of death in the NMFS’s Marine Mammal Inventory Report.
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Caption: @be_humane (on Instagram)
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Transportation from one facility to another, or even from one tank to another within a facility, is an abnormally stressful procedure for marine mammals and for cetaceans in particular. Removing a cetacean completely from the water is incredibly unnatural. Even when beached, contact with the water is almost always partially maintained. However, captive cetaceans are routinely placed on stretchers, loaded into vehicles, and subjected to an alien environment for as many as 24 hours or more.
-
An analysis from 1995 (Small and DeMaster, “Acclimation to captivity”) clearly demonstrates the negative effects of this stress. The paper indicates that mortality rates for bottlenose dolphins increase six-fold over the captive norm directly after capture or transport—every successive transport causes the same spike in mortality risk, meaning dolphins never grow accustomed to the transport process. It takes a
month before their mortality rates return to normal.
-
Some marine mammals are seasonally shipped between various facilities each year, for commercial rather than husbandry purposes. In so doing, they are subjected to chronic, cumulative, unnecessary, and unacceptable levels of stress. An example of an animal who was subjected to this level of stress would be SeaWorld's current San Diego matriarch, Kasatka, who within a 5 year period (1982 to 1987) was moved to SeaWorld's San Diego Park 4 times, the Orlando park 3 times, and the Ohio park 6 times. In 1988, she was moved to the Texas park until finally being permanently moved to the San Diego park in 1990. Overall, including her initial transport from her capture location to a holding facility, Kasatka was transported 16 times within a 12 year period.
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Dolphinaria and aquaria routinely administer prophylactic antibiotics and ulcer medications to captive cetaceans as a result of the medical conditions they can suffer from because of ecessive stress. Pneumonia, which is generally brought about by some other condition, such as stress or a compromised immune system, is the most commonly
cited cause of death in the NMFS’s Marine Mammal Inventory Report.
-
Caption: @be_humane (on Instagram)
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