Preview

Dolphins as Entertainers

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1339 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Dolphins as Entertainers
Sociology of Animals
Term Paper
Dolphins as Entertainers
When one goes on vacation to a tropical island or visits an aquarium such as Sea world, we all wish to see the dolphins splashing and performing tricks for our entertainment. Although they are loveable creatures they are treated unfairly by society. Dolphins are wild sea mammals that are captured from their natural habitat by humans and forced to live in small habitats in marine mammal parks or swim with dolphin attractions where humans pay to swim with them. The separation of dolphins and their pods may have an emotional effect on them which might be the cause of the drastic difference in life span between wild life dolphins and captive dolphins.
Baby dolphins are born 90-130 cms and will grow to about 4 meters. Their physical features allow the dolphin to survive in the wild. Their skin is very smooth which allows them to move through water with ease. The smooth skin feature also helps the dolphin reduce heat loss. They are built to swim with fast speeds through the water. Their pectoral flippers are used to guide them as they swim through the water. They have a strong fin that allows them to swim in an up and down movement. This fin is good for hunting for food. They can leap high heights and swim great depths in the ocean. They use their blow horns to breathe under water for long periods of time.
“According to Scientists at Emory University the cerebral cortex and the neo-cortex of bottlenose dolphins were so large that dolphins' cognitive capacity is second only to humans”. This means dolphins are very smart mammals. Research has also determined the brain of the dolphin is two separate brains. When dolphins sleep, one side of their brain is still active while the other completely shuts down. The active side of the brain is on alert for predators or any danger to the dolphin. According to researcher Carol J. Howard, “Dolphins never sleep with both parts of their brain simultaneously.” Each of the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Once the dolphins had been caught and placed into their farms, they swim around inside their own fecal matter, and disease. The dolphins are also constantly being separated from their families and begin to emote depression through their body language and daily activities. Moreover, when the time has come to collect dolphin meat, the slaughter men stab the dolphin at the top of their head with a spear and stab them on the sides once put into the boat, leaving a bloody body of water for the remaining dolphins to swim in. Overall, the environment the dolphins are put into once in captivity, cause emotional and physical distress onto the dolphins.…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Blackfish Essay

    • 1976 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Who does not love to see dolphins and whales flipping and doing tricks? Although the animals look happy and unharmed, there is a dark truth behind the captive marine life in amusement parks and zoos. Yes, attending zoos and marine life amusement parks are a part of childhood; but recently researchers have discovered just how cruel the environment is for the marine life in captivity. After studies of comparing the quality of life of marine animals in the wild and in captivity, there are multiple examples shown in Blackfish, PETA, and the Animal Welfare Institute that show that animals prosper and live longer in their natural habitats. Due to the cruelty endured by the captivated Orcas, all the SeaWorld parks should be shut down and the Orca whales should be set free to prevent further demise to their species.…

    • 1976 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Whales in Captivity

    • 1390 Words
    • 6 Pages

    One of the most salient physical effects of captivity is dorsal fin disfiguration. In the captive population, almost every male has a flopped dorsal fin, and most females have at least some bend to their dorsal. In the wild, male dorsal fins can exceed heights of six feet straight up. The best theory is that the dorsal fin flops from the force of gravity. Dorsal fins are made of cartilage, not bone. Orcas are one of the fastest mammals in the sea; they can reach speeds up to 30 miles per hour. Orcas can dive underwater to depths of close to 200 feet. When diving, the animal’s heart rate slows from 60 beats per minute to 30 beats per minute. Meanwhile, oxygen-carrying blood diverts away from the extremities, and then navigates toward the heart, lungs, and brain, where there is more oxygen needed. These biological changes permit the animal to conserve oxygen while submerged for longer periods of time (About Orcas - Physical Characteristics, 2005). In the wild Orcas have support from the water, keeping their dorsal erect. In captivity, Orcas are at the…

    • 1390 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Shane, Susan H., Randall S. Wells, and Bernd WOrsig. "Ecology, Behavior and Social Organization of the Bottlenose Dolphin: A Review," Marine Mammal Science 2(l), 1986, pp. 34-63.…

    • 1764 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The average age of death of an Orca at SeaWorld is thirteen years.“No Aquarium, no tank in the marine land, however spacious it may be, can begin to duplicate the conditions in the sea.” Jacques-yves Cousteau said in the film, “Blackfish.” Who would want to go to marine parks knowing that the animals captive there are dying more rapidly than those in the wild? In other words, SeaWorld's tanks cannot compare to the ocean, the tanks at SeaWorld are approximately three-hundred and fifty feet long. The average size of an Orca is twenty to thirty feet long, though in the wild an Orca travels more than one-hundred miles a day. A whale would have to swim one thousand two-hundred and eight laps a day in a tank that size to reach the amount of miles an average Orca swims in the wild. “Life in cramped tanks is no prize for Orcas and Dolphins, who want to be free with their families in the ocean,” Bob Barker quoted. The male Orcas in SeaWorld all have collapsed dorsal fins, which is not common in the wild. A collapsed dorsal fin is a sign of a unhealthy or injured Orca. Most of the whales are injured from the other whales that live in the tanks along with them. Living in such confined spaces creates tension among the whales which leads to attacks against each other. In the ocean, there is a vast amount of space for the whales to eventually flee. Although in the tank,…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Burrunan Dolphin

    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages

    truncates and T. aduncus. DNA tests were carried out to determine which species they were to be categorized under. Through these tests as well as external and internal cranial measurements, it was concluded that this was a new species of bottlenose dolphin. The new species in comparison to the two recognized Tursiops species differ in cranial characteristics as well as external morphology, the major differences being the overall size of the fully-grown adult body, the color variations and smaller beaks of the new species. The common name used to describe the species, Burrunan, is an Aboriginal name meaning “name of a large sea fish of the porpoise kind” to pay respect to the Aborigines that were on her research team. The Burrunan dolphin falls under the Kingdom Animalia, referring to animals, Class Mammalia which is describing mammals, Order Cetacea is known as marine mammals, Family Delphinidae classifies oceanic dolphins, and finally, Genus Tursiops is used to represent bottlenose dolphins as a…

    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    As a part of the secret merfolk community of Jaffrey’s Cove, Chelsea’s been trying to get the sexy Sheriff Braden Marley to notice her for a long time. Not only does the stubborn man hold her at a maddening arm’s length, he’s chased away every other man in town leaving her frustrated—dolphin shifters crave sex, and he’s driving her mad with desire.…

    • 200 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    With a total of 23 beautiful orca whales, it is no surprise SeaWorld attracted 4.4 million tourists in 2014. These millions flock to watch the black and white beauties swim, splash, and wave in front of huge audiences and charismatic trainers, but these millions might not be so excited once they watch, Blackfish. In the documentary, Blackfish, filmmakers attempt to discredit the SeaWorld corporation, for compromising the welfare of captive orcas for a higher financial gain. Blackfish caused quite the stir when it comes to SeaWorld’s treatment of their orcas, and brought into question, if it is ethical to keep these animals in captivity.…

    • 1838 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dolphin Research Paper

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen geaner. They vary in size from 1.2 m (4 ft) and 40 kg (90 lb), up to 9.5 m (30 ft) and 10 tonnes. They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continelnta shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacea, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Dolphins are considered to be amongst the most intelligent of animals and their often friendly appearance and seemingly playful attitude have made them popular in human culture.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bottlenose Dolphins are a very beautiful dolphin and according to the underwater animal kingdom scientists, one of the most beautiful in the sea. It is still beautiful even though it does not have many features. It can only vary its colors from a light and fluffy whitish color to a dark rock grey color. The Bottlenose Dolphin has a very soft back with a soft stomach. This makes it slimy underwater. If you tried to touch a Bottlenose Dolphin’s back or stomach, you would say “eww,” and pull away. The dolphin’s flukes are hard and splash the water hard when going back under from the surface. The Bottlenose Dolphin also makes various sounds that range from whistles to barks. It makes sounds like whistles, squawks, and rasps. Scientists have also found recordings of them barking, much like a dog. Echolocation is the most useful sound a dolphin can make. It is very loud and is about as loud as a rocket ship taking off. It is how it finds its mate from very far away. Its beak is super long and shaped much like a water bottle. This is why the Bottlenose Dolphin is called the Bottlenose Dolphin because it has a bottle shaped nose. This beak makes the dolphin look like it’s smiling at you.…

    • 869 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sharks and dolphins are both ocean creatures. From afar they look alike but are contrasting ocean creatures. One of the main allusions is that they are the same type of creature, but a shark is a fish while a dolphin is a mammal. Because sharks are fish, they are cold blooded, and because dolphins are mammals they are warm blooded. Dolphins have blow holes and can only stay under water for up to seven to twelve minutes. Although sharks do not have blow holes, they have five to seven gills on their side and stay under water their whole life. Sharks swim by moving their tail and bodies side to side; instead dolphins move their tails and bodies up and down. Lastly, one more main difference between a dolphin and a shark is the dorsal fin; on a dolphin the dorsal fin at the top is curve, yet on sharks the dorsal fin is straight. While they both live in the ocean, these are just a few points about how sharks and dolphins are truly different ocean creatures.…

    • 287 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Taiji Dolphin Hunt

    • 895 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Imagine you are gliding through the still blue ocean, surrounded by your family and friends. Suddenly, a loud booming sound breaks through the peaceful underworld. Before you know it, you have been herded into a bay and sealed off from the free world. You watch and wait as others are picked and plucked from the water; they are the “lucky” ones. Next thing you know, a metal rod has pierced your spine, instantly paralysing you but not yet killing you. You are then tied to a boat by your feet and dragged through, struggling for breath and slowing drowning. The last thing you see and feel is a blade slicing through your body, spilling out the contents as you drift into eternal darkness. Shocking as it may be, this becomes a harsh reality for many helpless dolphins swimming the Taiji waters.…

    • 895 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Spinner dolphins can dive 900 feet in depth and stay 8 minutes under the water when they are searching for food, Squid is a huge part of the diet for the Spinner Dolphins. These dolphins have no problem successfully hunting in the deeper and darker waters. They can survive from 20 to 20 years in the wild. Natural enemies of spinner dolphins are sharks, killer whales and pilot whales. Spinner dolphins are very social animals. They live in groups (called pods) of 100 to 1.000 animals. The average size…

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One of the pink pink dolphin's behavior is that it sleeps upside down! It sleeps floating. It floats like a dead goldfish.…

    • 97 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 2013 documentary entitled “Blackfish” directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, tells of the beloved, yet infamous killer whales. There is a dramatic contrast that is exposed in the film given the fact that Orcas in the wild are majestic creatures friendly and endearing yet when they are in captivity they hold an innate ability to be savage and brutal killers. The theme of Blackfish contends that these animals should not be held captive. I strongly concur with this notion. Several emotional appeals are made many times, in order to exemplify the shameful and harmful effects of captivity on killer whales; footage of whale on whale aggression is shown. In fact actually Orcas are the largest species of Dolphin not whales. Nonetheless this was done to prove that Orcas, when held in a very confined space, exhibit hostile actions towards…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics