A life sentence
March 1st, 2007 by admin
Yesterday, the Daytona Beach News-Journal published a fluff piece about a birthday celebration for “Nellie,” a dolphin at the Marineland aquarium who they claim as “the world’s oldest bottlenose dolphin born in captivity.” Nellie was born in a steel tank at the amusement park in 1953, which makes her 54 years old. That’s old for a dolphin. But she’s not the oldest dolphin on record. That honor goes to “Niklo,” a dolphin who lives free in the Sarasota Bay. She is estimated to be 57.
We understand why Marineland (recently renamed, “The Dolphin Conservation Center at Marineland”) likes to emphasize Nellie’s age. High mortality rates among captive dolphins is one well-known feature of marine parks. At least 35 dolphins have died at Marineland since 1973, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The contrast between the lives of Nellie and a free dolphin such as Niklo couldn’t be more dramatic. Nellie has spent her entire life in a barren tank a stones throw from the Atlantic Ocean. She swims endless circles in a tank which is at most 14 feet deep. Wild dolphins can dive to depths of hundreds of feet, and sometimes travel great distances feeding or following their social group.
Dolphins and whales belong in the ocean!