A Farewell to Flipper Up North

This week, Canada passed legislation that effectively ended the keeping of whales and dolphins under human care in that country.  Existing animals are grandfathered in, and exceptions are made for rescue and housing of non-releasable individuals.  Currently, Canada has two facilities that maintain cetaceans - Marineland and the Vancouver Aquarium.


Down here south of the border (but north of the other one), keeper reactions have been pretty bitter.  To many zoo and aquarium professionals, a move against one species under our care is a blow to all of us.  Those keepers who have expressed approval of the legislation, citing their beliefs that whales and dolphins should not be kept in aquariums, have not been receiving the... shall we say friendliest reactions?


Arguments have been raised by other keepers that this isn't the end of the world.  The keeping of cetaceans is banned in the United Kingdom, for instance, and they still have plenty of excellent zoos that are beloved by the public.  It's also worth repeating that this impacts two Canadian facilities - if so few facilities in a country house a species, it's easier to see how the public could be more easily swayed against their keeping.  Still, it is a reminder (as if we really needed another) that we need to be vigilante and push back against those who do not wish our community well.


Earlier this month, CBS aired an episode of "The Whistleblower" that basically served a Blackfish Jr., criticizing SeaWorld and its program.  As annoying as that was, it really has been great to see the upswell of support from so many people, reminding everyone of the great conservation work that SeaWorld does.  I know my newsfeed isn't exactly a representative sample of the population, but I've seen a lot of "I Stand With SeaWorlds" - and I know those folks are spreading the message.


This has been an upsetting week, and I feel especially for my Canadian colleagues who feel like they have been villainized for trying to provide their animals with the best of care.  We'll get through this, though - not in the same shape as we started, but still, we will.  We have our animals, we have each other, and we have a mission that we believe in.