SeaWorld, Take Note: National Aquarium Considers Emptying Its Dolphin Tanks

<p>Flickr: Mrs. Gemstone</p>
<p>Flickr: Mrs. Gemstone</p>

The National Aquarium Institute could have a big announcement coming soon, of which SeaWorld should take note: the organization has hired a team of consultants to determine whether or not its Baltimore aquarium should continue to keep dolphins in captivity. While the Baltimore Brew reports that it could be years before the dolphins are actually released, the institute's uncertainty about the ethics of keeping cetaceans on display represents an incredible step forward in the animal welfare movement, as well as the ramifications of the "Blackfish effect" taking hold.

The National Aquarium has brought in the consulting team, headed by architect Jeanne Gang, to overhaul the organization's mission and approach entirely -- but there's a reason they're starting with dolphins. "[The aquarium] currently has eight dolphins in its collection, and as public opinion and as science move forward, we all know cetaceans are highly intelligent," Gang said in a talk earlier this year. "As [the organization's] new CEO [John Racanelli] entered the National Aquarium, he really wanted to stop housing these animals in captivity ... and one of the first things he did was stop having dolphin shows."

In a statement released this week, the organization explained the steps it plans to take in reconsidering its captive dolphin program, including a "dolphin summit" of aquatic experts who will help determine the feasibility of building an ocean-side dolphin sanctuary. The National Aquarium will not reach any decisions about the dolphins' future before the consulting team completes its inquiry -- but even questioning whether that future should take place in a tank is a laudable first move.

SeaWorld and marine parks profit off keeping orcas and other marine animals in captivity -- despite evidence that captivity not only induces unnatural behaviors in whales, but also endangers trainers. Join us in pledging never to visit SeaWorld or other marine parks until they empty their orca tanks.

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