The Tricks of the Trade

Whales and dolphins are easily the most controversial animals to be maintained under human care.  Earlier this month, I mused that it might have to do with their relatively barren-looking habitats in aquariums.  Upon further reflection, another possibility has come to mind.

It's the shows.

Read any commentary protesting the keeping of cetaceans in oceanariums and you are bound to find lots of people outraged about the thought of these powerful, intelligent animals doing "tricks" for our amusement.  In our (recent) cultural imagination, there are lots of images of dolphins jumping through hoops or balancing balls on their noses.  SeaWorld was put on the map by the Shamu shows.  Despite its anti-captivity messaging, Free Willy, the most popular orca in pop culture, was only made possible because of a highly-trained killer whale that could act on cue.

Historically, the pendulum of education vs entertainment at zoos and aquariums was swung far more to the former, and not just with cetaceans.  In the old days, you could see tea parties with chimpanzees, dancing elephants, and other examples of the blurring of the lines between zoos and circuses.  Marine parks just took that to a further extreme.  Add in the carnival-like atmosphere of SeaWorld, the rock music accompanying shows, and the theatricality of the programs, and you could see what might leave a bad taste in the mouths of some people.

Today, the comedic/sensation shows are being phased out, but training demonstrations continue.  I could easily understand how some people might confuse the two - animals are performing trained behaviors while people watch.  To feel that the later "shows" are being done solely (or even mainly) for the amusement of visitors, however, would be incorrect.

Marine mammals pose special husbandry challenges.  The spend most of their lives completely submerged.  They are big and strong.  In the water, they are in their element and can swim endless loops around their keepers... or a vet.  If proper medical care is to be given to them - whether for routine physical exams and preventative care or as a response to illness or injury - keepers need to be able to examine them closely and apply treatment.  For this to be at all feasible, it requires the dolphins or whales to have a working relationship with their caretakers that allows parts of their bodies to be presented.

At the same time, cetaceans are extremely intelligent animals, as well as (for the most part) highly social.  They benefit from the stimulation and diversion that training provides, as well as the interaction with their caretakers.  Training encourages physical exercise as well as mental.

If SeaWorld was to keep orcas forever but never be open to the public, the routine for the animals probably would continue unchanged.  If there was one takeaway that I wish visitors who saw whale or dolphin training demonstrations realized, it's that the training isn't for the benefit of the visitor.  It's for the animal.