Sea creatures are fascinating, and their world can seem so alien to us, so it’s understandable many people want to get up close to them.
Commercial marine parks and aquariums capitalise on this curiosity to the tune of millions of dollars globally each year. But what does this mean for the animals themselves?
This image contains content which some may find confronting
One uncomfortable fact underpins much of the plight of animals in marine parks and aquariums: these restricted environments can never allow captive animals to express the full range of their natural behaviours.
Animals like king penguins, who regularly dive to a depth of 100 metres in the wild – and have been recorded at over 300 metres deep – are often kept in enclosures only a fraction of that size. On the sub-tropical Gold Coast, Sea World Australia displays several captive polar bears – animals who are naturally adapted to freezing Arctic conditions. These incredible bears can range enormous distances in their natural habitat, with scientists reporting in 2005 that a tracked polar bear had swum at least 74km, and possibly up to 99km, in only 24 hours.
Facilities like Sea World Australia often attempt to use ‘environmental enrichment’ to prevent boredom and the potential negative psychological effects of captivity on polar bears, however experts note that this can never be sufficient for their needs. According to veterinarian Samantha Lindley, “….there is nothing which can substitute for the ranging-hunting-waiting-surviving lifestyle which a polar bear has in the wild.”
This image contains content which some may find confronting
The groundbreaking documentary ‘Blackfish‘ caused waves internationally by highlighting the experience of captive orcas at marine parks including SeaWorld (USA), especially those taken from their families in the wild and forced to perform unnatural behaviours for cheering crowds. This eye-opening film focuses on the experience of Tilikum, who was captured as a baby in the waters off the coast of Iceland – and has been implicated in the tragic deaths of several human ‘trainers’ in the three decades since.
Another orca, Tokitae – famously known as Lolita – was captured and torn from her family in 1970, at just four years of age. She was kept in the Miami Seaquarium in what some have described as the smallest, bleakest orca tank in the world. Initially, Tokitae had the company of another captive orca, Hugo, but in 1980 he died from a brain aneurysm, likely caused by repeatedly ramming his head against the tank walls – a disturbing sign of the psychological torment experienced by some captive marine animals.
For four decades, Tokitae swam in circles, without the company of other orcas. Her “life” was far from natural, deprived of lifelong family bonds, complex social structures, and the freedom to cover vast distances and depths of the ocean. Many advocates fought tirelessly for her freedom – and plans were finally made for her release into an ocean pen. But tragically, Tokitae died from multiple chronic conditions in August 2023 at 57 years of age – her only freedom from suffering in captivity came from passing.
This image contains content which some may find confronting
While there are no captive orcas in Australia, facilities around the country display many other intelligent marine mammals including dolphins and seals. Like Tilikum, Tokitae, and Hugo, these animals are confined to restricted, artificial spaces and often required to perform unnatural tricks for large and noisy crowds in exchange for food.
Animals in marine parks and aquariums cannot forage for food as they would normally do in the wild, they may be separated from their family and be unable to create social bonds of their choosing. Ultimately, they are prevented from exerting any degree of control over their surroundings.
A UK study found that at least nine out of ten of the aquariums surveyed had animals displaying ‘abnormal’ behaviours, which can include circling, head-bobbing, spiralling swimming patterns and repeatedly touching glass barriers. Sharks and rays in particular were observed performing ‘surface breaking behaviours’, which are not known to be part of the normal range of natural or wild behaviour of these species.
“The percentage of marine animals in UK public aquaria estimated to be wild-born is 89% … Many wild-caught individuals are donated free to aquaria because they are by-catches of the fishing industry … During this study no evidence of in situ conservation activities (such as habitat protection) … was found. Despite this, 61% of the UK public aquaria use the ‘conservation’ term in their publicity and/or displays…” — The Captive Animals’ Protection Society
Health problems discovered in UK public aquariums during this study also included lacerations, wounds, scars, eye disease, deformity, infection, abnormal growths and even death.
Animals kept captive in these facilities don’t have a choice. But you do! If you think families shouldn’t be torn apart, vast horizons shouldn’t be reduced to solid walls, and animals shouldn’t be induced by hunger to perform tricks in front of a crowd, you can take action to help stop these practices.
References
All images: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
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