"Based on my personal experience with whales and dolphins in the wild and my observations of these magnificent animals in captivity, I believe there is no justification for allowing them to be used as performers in theme park shows and that breeding them in captivity to sustain a captive population solely for entertainment and profit is unacceptable. The concept of watching cetaceans perform tricks in theme parks is anti educational and is inhumane. These are animals that live in family pods for their whole lives with life spans similar to our own. Capturing whales and dolphins for entertainment and profit forces them to live in artificial families, in spaces that are insufficient, and rewards them with food for doing tricks they do not do in the wild.
Today, we have the interactive film and video technology to show cetaceans in the wild to audiences around the world. For the amount of money a family spends to go to an animal park, they can have an on the water experience seeing whales in their natural environment. It is long past due for us as a thinking and caring human species to adopt and require practices that respect whales and respect their right to live in their natural wild environment.
Anywhere on the planet we are connected to the ocean. We have the opportunity to do what needs to be done to protect our life support system and improve the quality of life not just of the marine environment - of the marine mammals -- but for ourselves. This is the choice we have. If we protect the ocean, we protect ourselves."
Jean-Michel Cousteau
"There's about as much educational benefit studying dolphins and whales in captivity as there would be studying mankind by only observing prisoners held in solitary."
Jacques Cousteau
"Whales and dolphins, like chimpanzees, are highly intelligent and intensely social creatures, forming close emotional bonds between family and group members. I have watched them leap in the freedom of the ocean and feel deeply saddened and angered to see them in cruel captivity, swimming endlessly and hopelessly around their sterile concrete prisons. As David Kirby so eloquently documents in this timely work, whale and dolphin captivity only benefits the captors. It is impossible to read "Death at SeaWorld " and come to any other conclusion."
Dr. Jane Goodall.
