As with all my dolphin posts, I wanted to reiterate, this isn't a Seaworld situation. We keep her in the aquarium because she was found unable to care for herself in the wild due to being deaf from an infection. Deaf dolphins can't echolocate, which means they can't hunt.
We do not keep any dolphins that could survive in the wild. I didn't even tell her to do that jump, because that's not what we do here.
I remember Sugar the dolphin from Key West. And she remembered me. Twice. I came back as a kid and it didn't take her long before she swam up to the side of her lagoon and started clicking and waving her head. The second time she didn't pay attention to me and I left after an hour. The next day when I was walking up to her lagoon, she noticed me and then bolted over to the side of the lagoon near me and clicked and clicked. It's nice when one of these great animals remembers you and wants you to know it.
I remember walking up to the short dock and her clicking and clicking and waving her head in a "come on in" motion. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I can't. I'm just a kid." Inside, I was so happy that here was a *dolphin* so enthusiastic about seeing me and letting me know just how happy she was.
I think what you are doing is beautiful; I just know they are social creatures that need more open space. Is there a way to determine if she is depressed?
She lives with 4 other dolphins in a very large system of interconnected pools. It's obviously not ideal compared to the wild, but she wouldn't be able to survive in the wild.
Yes, depressed dolphins often repetitively move around or try to hurt themselves. None of our dolphins have ever shown those behaviors.
I’m glad there are other dolphins there and it’s larger than the picture looks.
The way I see it: we wouldn’t like to die out in the wild either but living the rest of our days in a hospital with limited outdoor access and socializing may also steal our souls away even if we don’t show it outright every day.
I’m not saying I know more than you like someone else suggested but we put cats and dogs down if they are going to be miserable. Just wanted to ask some questions.
Are they breeding also?
How do you feel about the fact that OP said the dolphin doesn’t show depressive signs and expresses healthy and engaging behaviors? Or are you just going to continue acting righteous and holier-than-thou about a topic you know nothing about?
>The way I see it: we wouldn’t like to die out in the wild either but living the rest of our days in a hospital with limited outdoor access and socializing may also steal our souls away even if we don’t show it outright every day.
I seriously doubt that they see it that way. They have a lot of space to swim around, they do have outdoor access, and they have each other to socialize with.
>I’m not saying I know more than you like someone else suggested but we put cats and dogs down if they are going to be miserable. Just wanted to ask some questions.
Dolphins aren't cats and dogs. They're highly intelligent animals. They have languages, they form complex social groups and cultures. They're closer to humans in intelligence than dogs or cats.
>Are they breeding also?
No, they aren't. Some of our dolphins mate with each other, but pregnancies will never occur because our sexually mature female dolphin, Hope, is given birth control. Breeding in captivity is awful, because it continues the cycle of captivity to another generation and we will always try to prevent that.
Madamseminole, it’s nice you are trying to explain the awesome things you do but you can’t reason with someone who has a political agenda . I might even ad, perhaps the friend pictured here acquired the infection 2nd to all the crap we have done to the ocean.
Thanks for all you do!
By definition In a broad sense, if you’re going to question, OP in helping this critter you are certainly on one side and won’t listen to any reason as shown by this conversation
I think a mammal remembers their true home and they miss it but I still appreciate your efforts
Edit: I just looked it up and they are the second smartest creature to humans on Earth and have incredible memory. They certainly know what’s going on. They also care for the suffering around them so I think they would adapt and accommodate and protect her).
This facility looks small too (yes, larger than others but not for traveling 50 kph or 100 km a day)
It is small. The ocean is large comparatively.
But what does stink about the ocean is the fishing nets, the engine oil, the nuisance of boats, sunblock, overfishing, biodiversity loss, pollution, rising water temperatures from lack of on land vegetation, light pollution, noise pollution, over harvesting. But many humans seem to think this is acceptable for them also…
Food for thought:
- Yes, it sucks for this animal that it can’t be wild.
- Yes, we have imposed our judgement that life as a prisoner is better than the horrible fate that awaited it otherwise.
- Yes, we interfered with the course of events and that normally is a no-no; if this were a healthy animal and orcas preyed upon it, biologists would not usually try to prevent this.
## BUT:
- It is an animal, and if we anthropomorphize it, we will misunderstand it worse than necessary. We are only recently aware that dolphins might have a sense of self. Everything we have learned reinforces the idea that animals in general do not think like we do. Sure, they can understand many things, but is there a dolphin Nietzsche? Almost certainly not.
- While dolphins are “wickhed smaaht,” and we don’t know exactly how they think and feel, some generalities are possible: they don’t think about time m the way we do. Unlike a human, it’s not in that tank thinking “I’ve been in here a long time and I wonder if I’ll get out tomorrow; I hope I’m not here in a month.”
- It doesn’t know it will never be freed. It might not even “know” it is a prisoner in the human sense. I’m pretty sure it would get out if it could, and it knows what it likes, but that doesn’t mean it feels the way a human would. A human imprisoned by aliens would deduce all kinds of emotional and philosophical things, but I doubt a dolphin can do nearly as much - if for no other reason than it has no human education.
- I would not assume that a captive dolphin understands that “humans did this to me” or that it thinks anybody/thing is responsible for what is done to it, or even understands the concept of blame. I’m sure it associates humans with captivity, and I can imagine one being shy of humans if it had a bad experience, but for all we know, it doesn’t realize that humans have anything to do with its situation; maybe it simply thinks we’re fellow prisoners, and more likely, it doesn’t think about categorizing us at all, and simply accepts its reality. In fact, captive cetaceans that have been released are generally fond of people, if they’ve been treated well, and there are many instances of this happening.
I would like to know what u/MadamSeminole thinks of this analysis.
I definitely agree. I don't think our dolphins see themselves as being imprisoned. They have no reason to think that. First of all, they don't think like humans do, and second of all, they have everything they need here. They have enough space, as much food as they'd like and they have each other for companionship.
Dolphins that are stressed by their environment will perform repetitive behaviors such as moving in a circle, and they may even try to hurt themselves by bumping into walls or beaching themselves. That's not happening here. These behaviors often happen at Seaworld since the dolphins are placed in pools that are much too small, and forced to perform in unnatural ways for humans.
“2013 study revealed that dolphins have the longest known memory other than that of humans.” And if other animals and mammals are aware of captivity then they sure are.
A couple links:
[https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-smart-are-dolphins-lori-marino](https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-smart-are-dolphins-lori-marino)
https://www.treehugger.com/how-smart-are-dolphins-5112510
This is interesting, but how is dolphin memory persistence related to this conversation? Also, how do you know that any animals are “aware” of captivity with the sophistication of a human?
I’m sure that animals know they want to go and can’t, and that they dislike it, but that is a different thing entirely.
Also, we know dolphins are really smart, I mentioned that, but you seem to be trying to convince me of that anyway.
Not sure what you hope to prove here.
I want humans to error on the side of empathy towards creatures they don’t know enough about and imagine themselves in that same scenario and feel into what that would be like. Assume they have memories of their old home in the wild. Assume they want to swim as fast as they once did and place their heads above water in the glistening sun and be in true sea water with other life they find beautiful and healthy to be around. They probably have favorite places to swim to. They probably enjoy so much more than the average person can fathom. They also are another mammal that does things for pleasure because they know what pleasure is.
If they have tremendous memories then they most definitely remember their circumstances prior to captivity.
Have a look. They certainly aren’t dumb. And any animal, mammal or creature prefers their true home. They also care for each other and mourn their dead.
https://www.treehugger.com/how-smart-are-dolphins-5112510
https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-smart-are-dolphins-lori-marino
Dolphins can swim 100 km in a day and 50 kph. Even in the largest captive facilities, dolphins don’t have access to this kind of space or natural physical expression.
I noticed the facility is near the ocean. Perhaps a part of the facility could be expanded to have a glass area that shows the ocean they could return to. Then if they want to leave they can. And if they want to return, they can 💙
Edit: obviously structured in a way where the water from the facility doesn’t contaminate the ocean
Dolphins are my favorite animal. Thank you for caring the ones in need.
OP, If you don't mind me asking—how did you get into the profession, what are the education requirements, and what's it like? My dream job as a child was dolphin training, but as I got older and understood the ethical problems with 'seaworld situation', I gave up. I've been pondering a career change for a long time. Dolphin & marine sanctuary/rehab work sounds like it would be so fulfilling and tickled that childhood dream of mine.
>how did you get into the profession
I've always loved dolphins and I volunteered at Clearwater Marine Aquarium (where I currently work) as a kid, and I interned while I was in college studying marine biology, so I already had hands-on experience working with dolphins.
>what are the education requirements
Typically a bachelor's degree in a biology field, ideally marine biology. A diving certification would also be ideal, but it's not strictly necessary because you'd be trained once you got the job anyway.
> what's it like?
It's an amazing job and I love it! It can be quite demanding but it's definitely worth it, and it's also really fun. Dolphins are very playful and intelligent creatures!
Trainers spend the day seeing to it that all the dolphins' needs are met and playing with them and entertaining them. At CMA, we also assist guests in seeing the dolphins up close. We try to avoid overly training the dolphins, because we want them to act like they would in the wild. We mostly just work on settling them into their new home and that's about it. We don't teach them to perform tricks like Seaworld would. The dolphin I work with is named Izzy, and I've actually been trying to teach her my own version of morse code using clicks when we don't have many guests. It's been done before but I wanted to see how much she could learn. So far, I've gotten her to understand that 2 long clicks means "up," as in "come up to the surface" and one long and one short means "food." She actually seems to have taught it to Rosie (the dolphin in the picture) because her trainer told me that she kept clicking at her with a long click and a short click. It just goes to show you how smart dolphins are! I try to treat the dolphins like people more than animals, because when it comes to intelligence, they're much more than just animals.
Honestly, I think you should go for it. If this is really what you want to do. How you'd go about it depends on what your profession is already, and if you have a degree in biology. If you don't have a biology degree, you'll have to go back to college before you even try to get a job.
If you do have a degree, then I would recommend searching for aquariums in your area, and seeing where they stand ethically. You already mentioned you don't want to work at somewhere like Seaworld, which is a good thing. In that case, you should look for aquariums that care for and give a home to dolphins that can't be released into the wild. Avoid Seaworld, Miami Seaquarium, Georgia Seaquarium and Shedd Aquarium, this isn't an extensive list and there are a lot of other terrible aquariums out there.
Thank you so much! This is great information. I do not have a biology degree (I very, very last second changed my mind and went into graphic design.) but going back to school in the future is not something I would mind doing if I can afford it, because I actually loved learning in college.
I will look into volunteer opportunities around, and will definitely do my ethics research.
Again thank you so much!
Any sort of biology degree would do it and then working for little to no pay as an intern for years. I have a degree in wildlife biology and have had offers for these positions. I could never swing the pay though.
I work at a zoo and aquarium (don't worry, we don't have marine mammals) and it is the best job in the world. But I work every holiday and couldn't afford vacation anyway. Yet, I look forward to going to work. Most surprising part of the job is the camaraderie between keepers. I feel like we are tight like army buddies. It really is that kind of vibe.
Anyway, just wanted to share my two..
It's definitely sad that the dolphins in our aquarium have to live in captivity, but we do our best to make sure that they live under the best circumstances possible.
I’m really sure you do. I’ve been looking on your website and I think it’s really great. I just don’t think I could ever not be sad looking at this I’m sorry
I know it’s ultimately good, but I’m just so against captivity for cetaceans I can’t help feeling a little sad at this even though I know she wouldn’t survive without human intervention
Yeah, all mammals have a pancreas that can get infected.
There’s a test to determine deafness. I don’t really understand it fully but dolphins emit electrical signals in their brain when they hear something, and the vets basically just test the voltages and if they’re low, the dolphin can’t hear well.
https://sarasotadolphin.org/measuring-dolphin-hearing/
I don’t think I’ve ever put thought into dolphins and whales getting pancreatitis haha but it totally makes sense. And thanks for the link. Very interesting read
Thats great! I was really worried about her with the bad luck you guys have had recently but I figured no news was good news since CMA seems very upfront about what goes on with their patients
As with all my dolphin posts, I wanted to reiterate, this isn't a Seaworld situation. We keep her in the aquarium because she was found unable to care for herself in the wild due to being deaf from an infection. Deaf dolphins can't echolocate, which means they can't hunt. We do not keep any dolphins that could survive in the wild. I didn't even tell her to do that jump, because that's not what we do here.
THANK YOU For Caring for these Helpless Dolphins.
I remember Sugar the dolphin from Key West. And she remembered me. Twice. I came back as a kid and it didn't take her long before she swam up to the side of her lagoon and started clicking and waving her head. The second time she didn't pay attention to me and I left after an hour. The next day when I was walking up to her lagoon, she noticed me and then bolted over to the side of the lagoon near me and clicked and clicked. It's nice when one of these great animals remembers you and wants you to know it. I remember walking up to the short dock and her clicking and clicking and waving her head in a "come on in" motion. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I can't. I'm just a kid." Inside, I was so happy that here was a *dolphin* so enthusiastic about seeing me and letting me know just how happy she was.
Eyy, I was at CMA a few weeks ago!
She may be happier in the wild ‘til death anyway
I seriously doubt she would be happy starving to death.
I think what you are doing is beautiful; I just know they are social creatures that need more open space. Is there a way to determine if she is depressed?
She lives with 4 other dolphins in a very large system of interconnected pools. It's obviously not ideal compared to the wild, but she wouldn't be able to survive in the wild. Yes, depressed dolphins often repetitively move around or try to hurt themselves. None of our dolphins have ever shown those behaviors.
I’m glad there are other dolphins there and it’s larger than the picture looks. The way I see it: we wouldn’t like to die out in the wild either but living the rest of our days in a hospital with limited outdoor access and socializing may also steal our souls away even if we don’t show it outright every day. I’m not saying I know more than you like someone else suggested but we put cats and dogs down if they are going to be miserable. Just wanted to ask some questions. Are they breeding also?
How do you feel about the fact that OP said the dolphin doesn’t show depressive signs and expresses healthy and engaging behaviors? Or are you just going to continue acting righteous and holier-than-thou about a topic you know nothing about?
>The way I see it: we wouldn’t like to die out in the wild either but living the rest of our days in a hospital with limited outdoor access and socializing may also steal our souls away even if we don’t show it outright every day. I seriously doubt that they see it that way. They have a lot of space to swim around, they do have outdoor access, and they have each other to socialize with. >I’m not saying I know more than you like someone else suggested but we put cats and dogs down if they are going to be miserable. Just wanted to ask some questions. Dolphins aren't cats and dogs. They're highly intelligent animals. They have languages, they form complex social groups and cultures. They're closer to humans in intelligence than dogs or cats. >Are they breeding also? No, they aren't. Some of our dolphins mate with each other, but pregnancies will never occur because our sexually mature female dolphin, Hope, is given birth control. Breeding in captivity is awful, because it continues the cycle of captivity to another generation and we will always try to prevent that.
Madamseminole, it’s nice you are trying to explain the awesome things you do but you can’t reason with someone who has a political agenda . I might even ad, perhaps the friend pictured here acquired the infection 2nd to all the crap we have done to the ocean. Thanks for all you do!
What’s the political agenda?
By definition In a broad sense, if you’re going to question, OP in helping this critter you are certainly on one side and won’t listen to any reason as shown by this conversation
I think a mammal remembers their true home and they miss it but I still appreciate your efforts Edit: I just looked it up and they are the second smartest creature to humans on Earth and have incredible memory. They certainly know what’s going on. They also care for the suffering around them so I think they would adapt and accommodate and protect her). This facility looks small too (yes, larger than others but not for traveling 50 kph or 100 km a day)
Yes because you're 10 minutes of Google makes you an expert....
It is small. The ocean is large comparatively. But what does stink about the ocean is the fishing nets, the engine oil, the nuisance of boats, sunblock, overfishing, biodiversity loss, pollution, rising water temperatures from lack of on land vegetation, light pollution, noise pollution, over harvesting. But many humans seem to think this is acceptable for them also…
Food for thought: - Yes, it sucks for this animal that it can’t be wild. - Yes, we have imposed our judgement that life as a prisoner is better than the horrible fate that awaited it otherwise. - Yes, we interfered with the course of events and that normally is a no-no; if this were a healthy animal and orcas preyed upon it, biologists would not usually try to prevent this. ## BUT: - It is an animal, and if we anthropomorphize it, we will misunderstand it worse than necessary. We are only recently aware that dolphins might have a sense of self. Everything we have learned reinforces the idea that animals in general do not think like we do. Sure, they can understand many things, but is there a dolphin Nietzsche? Almost certainly not. - While dolphins are “wickhed smaaht,” and we don’t know exactly how they think and feel, some generalities are possible: they don’t think about time m the way we do. Unlike a human, it’s not in that tank thinking “I’ve been in here a long time and I wonder if I’ll get out tomorrow; I hope I’m not here in a month.” - It doesn’t know it will never be freed. It might not even “know” it is a prisoner in the human sense. I’m pretty sure it would get out if it could, and it knows what it likes, but that doesn’t mean it feels the way a human would. A human imprisoned by aliens would deduce all kinds of emotional and philosophical things, but I doubt a dolphin can do nearly as much - if for no other reason than it has no human education. - I would not assume that a captive dolphin understands that “humans did this to me” or that it thinks anybody/thing is responsible for what is done to it, or even understands the concept of blame. I’m sure it associates humans with captivity, and I can imagine one being shy of humans if it had a bad experience, but for all we know, it doesn’t realize that humans have anything to do with its situation; maybe it simply thinks we’re fellow prisoners, and more likely, it doesn’t think about categorizing us at all, and simply accepts its reality. In fact, captive cetaceans that have been released are generally fond of people, if they’ve been treated well, and there are many instances of this happening. I would like to know what u/MadamSeminole thinks of this analysis.
I definitely agree. I don't think our dolphins see themselves as being imprisoned. They have no reason to think that. First of all, they don't think like humans do, and second of all, they have everything they need here. They have enough space, as much food as they'd like and they have each other for companionship. Dolphins that are stressed by their environment will perform repetitive behaviors such as moving in a circle, and they may even try to hurt themselves by bumping into walls or beaching themselves. That's not happening here. These behaviors often happen at Seaworld since the dolphins are placed in pools that are much too small, and forced to perform in unnatural ways for humans.
“2013 study revealed that dolphins have the longest known memory other than that of humans.” And if other animals and mammals are aware of captivity then they sure are. A couple links: [https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-smart-are-dolphins-lori-marino](https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-smart-are-dolphins-lori-marino) https://www.treehugger.com/how-smart-are-dolphins-5112510
This is interesting, but how is dolphin memory persistence related to this conversation? Also, how do you know that any animals are “aware” of captivity with the sophistication of a human? I’m sure that animals know they want to go and can’t, and that they dislike it, but that is a different thing entirely. Also, we know dolphins are really smart, I mentioned that, but you seem to be trying to convince me of that anyway. Not sure what you hope to prove here.
I want humans to error on the side of empathy towards creatures they don’t know enough about and imagine themselves in that same scenario and feel into what that would be like. Assume they have memories of their old home in the wild. Assume they want to swim as fast as they once did and place their heads above water in the glistening sun and be in true sea water with other life they find beautiful and healthy to be around. They probably have favorite places to swim to. They probably enjoy so much more than the average person can fathom. They also are another mammal that does things for pleasure because they know what pleasure is. If they have tremendous memories then they most definitely remember their circumstances prior to captivity.
I like how you think you know more than the person actually qualified and working with dolphins.
I worked with dolphins and I agree. I have a whole podcast about captivity called A Dolphin Pod.
Have a look. They certainly aren’t dumb. And any animal, mammal or creature prefers their true home. They also care for each other and mourn their dead. https://www.treehugger.com/how-smart-are-dolphins-5112510 https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-smart-are-dolphins-lori-marino Dolphins can swim 100 km in a day and 50 kph. Even in the largest captive facilities, dolphins don’t have access to this kind of space or natural physical expression.
And people can run marathons but not everyone wants or needs that much space.
But what if this whale wants to? Ultimately it should be the whale’s choice between facility or fate of the wild.
Yeah, I'll let you know if the dolphins start yelling at us in English to return to the ocean. Lol
I noticed the facility is near the ocean. Perhaps a part of the facility could be expanded to have a glass area that shows the ocean they could return to. Then if they want to leave they can. And if they want to return, they can 💙 Edit: obviously structured in a way where the water from the facility doesn’t contaminate the ocean
There's always one idiot eh?
I could be way off, but that’s not Clearwater, is it?
Yes, it is! Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Knew it! I’d recognize that rooftop from anywhere!
That's not a Scientologist dolphin, is it?
No, our dolphins are very anti-Scientology, especially after the Church of Scientology bought the land we were trying to get to expand our facilities.
What's your education and background? What is normally needed for this type of job?
Awesome pic. And thank you for doing what you do
Dolphins are my favorite animal. Thank you for caring the ones in need. OP, If you don't mind me asking—how did you get into the profession, what are the education requirements, and what's it like? My dream job as a child was dolphin training, but as I got older and understood the ethical problems with 'seaworld situation', I gave up. I've been pondering a career change for a long time. Dolphin & marine sanctuary/rehab work sounds like it would be so fulfilling and tickled that childhood dream of mine.
>how did you get into the profession I've always loved dolphins and I volunteered at Clearwater Marine Aquarium (where I currently work) as a kid, and I interned while I was in college studying marine biology, so I already had hands-on experience working with dolphins. >what are the education requirements Typically a bachelor's degree in a biology field, ideally marine biology. A diving certification would also be ideal, but it's not strictly necessary because you'd be trained once you got the job anyway. > what's it like? It's an amazing job and I love it! It can be quite demanding but it's definitely worth it, and it's also really fun. Dolphins are very playful and intelligent creatures! Trainers spend the day seeing to it that all the dolphins' needs are met and playing with them and entertaining them. At CMA, we also assist guests in seeing the dolphins up close. We try to avoid overly training the dolphins, because we want them to act like they would in the wild. We mostly just work on settling them into their new home and that's about it. We don't teach them to perform tricks like Seaworld would. The dolphin I work with is named Izzy, and I've actually been trying to teach her my own version of morse code using clicks when we don't have many guests. It's been done before but I wanted to see how much she could learn. So far, I've gotten her to understand that 2 long clicks means "up," as in "come up to the surface" and one long and one short means "food." She actually seems to have taught it to Rosie (the dolphin in the picture) because her trainer told me that she kept clicking at her with a long click and a short click. It just goes to show you how smart dolphins are! I try to treat the dolphins like people more than animals, because when it comes to intelligence, they're much more than just animals. Honestly, I think you should go for it. If this is really what you want to do. How you'd go about it depends on what your profession is already, and if you have a degree in biology. If you don't have a biology degree, you'll have to go back to college before you even try to get a job. If you do have a degree, then I would recommend searching for aquariums in your area, and seeing where they stand ethically. You already mentioned you don't want to work at somewhere like Seaworld, which is a good thing. In that case, you should look for aquariums that care for and give a home to dolphins that can't be released into the wild. Avoid Seaworld, Miami Seaquarium, Georgia Seaquarium and Shedd Aquarium, this isn't an extensive list and there are a lot of other terrible aquariums out there.
Thank you so much! This is great information. I do not have a biology degree (I very, very last second changed my mind and went into graphic design.) but going back to school in the future is not something I would mind doing if I can afford it, because I actually loved learning in college. I will look into volunteer opportunities around, and will definitely do my ethics research. Again thank you so much!
Any sort of biology degree would do it and then working for little to no pay as an intern for years. I have a degree in wildlife biology and have had offers for these positions. I could never swing the pay though.
I work at a zoo and aquarium (don't worry, we don't have marine mammals) and it is the best job in the world. But I work every holiday and couldn't afford vacation anyway. Yet, I look forward to going to work. Most surprising part of the job is the camaraderie between keepers. I feel like we are tight like army buddies. It really is that kind of vibe. Anyway, just wanted to share my two..
Thanks for all that you do!
They don’t officially require interning but it definitely helps.
Shout out to CMA. I was a marine mammal care volunteer there wayyyy back in the olden days.
You should do an AMA!! I'm sure we all have tons of questions about what dolphins are like up close!!
That would be awesome!
I think it’s great you care for her, and others who wouldn’t survive in the wild, but somehow I’m still sad seeing them in captivity :(
It's definitely sad that the dolphins in our aquarium have to live in captivity, but we do our best to make sure that they live under the best circumstances possible.
I’m really sure you do. I’ve been looking on your website and I think it’s really great. I just don’t think I could ever not be sad looking at this I’m sorry
Do you look at someone in a wheelchair and just feel sad for them? Try and look at things from another point of view
Okay idk if this will help but to me it is less sad than seeing it's carcass being scavenged
I know it’s ultimately good, but I’m just so against captivity for cetaceans I can’t help feeling a little sad at this even though I know she wouldn’t survive without human intervention
Do you think that OP can cure deafness but is rudely choosing not to or something
They have such cool shaped heads… I love how the rostrum slopes into the melon
Thank you for doing everything for her health and happiness. 🥰💕💓💕💓👍👍👏👏 She is beautiful. May I ask, what is her name?
Her name is Rosie.
So I take it she’s doing better? I follow CMA on instagram and know she was sick recently but don’t remember seeing an update
She had pancreatitis a couple of months ago, but she's better now! It was a very mild case.
TIL that dolphins can get pancreatitis. How was it determined that she was deaf
Yeah, all mammals have a pancreas that can get infected. There’s a test to determine deafness. I don’t really understand it fully but dolphins emit electrical signals in their brain when they hear something, and the vets basically just test the voltages and if they’re low, the dolphin can’t hear well. https://sarasotadolphin.org/measuring-dolphin-hearing/
I don’t think I’ve ever put thought into dolphins and whales getting pancreatitis haha but it totally makes sense. And thanks for the link. Very interesting read
Thats great! I was really worried about her with the bad luck you guys have had recently but I figured no news was good news since CMA seems very upfront about what goes on with their patients
Great shot!
How often do you guys get dolphins that can be released and how many have you released?
She’s beautiful!
Awesome work 😎
I knew they could fly and no one believed me
How big is her enclosure?
I'm not sure of the exact measurements, but there's five interconnected pools that are very large and deep.
that’s a literal bathtub yikes
That’s only one small section of one of our 5 pools. Most of the facility is inside the building.
That doesn’t look like a whale
Dolphins are toothed whales
Technically dolphins do fall under the whale umbrella
Iii
She's beautiful
happy baby jumping around
How many dolphins do you have?
We currently care for 5 dolphins, 3 bottlenose and 2 rough-toothed.
BS video. Dolphins swim. They don't fly!! Nice try! Huge sarcasm. Lol Get pic!! Thank you for sharing and doing the work you do!!!