Kenneth C. Balcomb III- Copyright 1995
- Center for Whale Research
- Friday Harbor, WA 98250
"Over the years that dolphins have been kept in captivity, some
have been released back into the wild after varying periods of time. During
most of these early dolphin reintroductions, the animals were often taken
from a tank and placed back in the bays close to the facilities. Some of
these were display animals no longer of use to the facility. In all these
cases there was no followup monitoring." (Bassos, 1993).
This document is dedicated to "Keiko", "Junior",
"Tanouk" and "Lolita" , as well as the many smaller
captive cetaceans which have been and are maintained in solitary confinement
and inadequate facilities devoid of significant educational benefit to the
public or conservation benefit to their species. They could be returned
to the benefit of all.
For this preliminary summary, I have included anecdotal reports of releases
of dolphins (including large species such as killer whales) from captivity
by institutions and individuals which have maintained them in many parts
of the world. I have also included a few examples of reintroductions of
stranded cetaceans which provide useful background on followup documentation.
But, it is not the astonishing durability and survival instinct of these
animals in nature that is in question. Currently, a major point of contention
in the issue of release or reinstatement of captive cetaceans is whether
the dolphin or whale will readapt to catching live prey after it has been
fed piecemeal in prolonged captivity. Another point of contention is whether
released animals will spread acquired pathogens to the wild community, or
have sufficient immunity from pathogens in the wild. And, a third point
concerns the question of whether a released cetacean will readapt socially,
or be condemned to a life of loneliness.
These points must be responsibly addressed; but, if post-captive release
is lethal, dangerous and irresponsible, then why has it been done so many
times by organizations that are generally considered responsible?
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, and any additions or suggestions
the reader can offer will be appreciated. Considering the worldwide, sometimes
illegal and often unregulated trade in these animals, there undoubtedly
have been other releases for institutional and business convenience which
are not included herein. In the interest of proper historical documentation,
I will list only those which have been published or have been reported to
me firsthand by reliable sources. This does not include reports of approximately
20 dolphins that have been rehabilitated from stranding events and released
back to the wild (NMFS records). It will be particularly useful in future
editions of this publication to compile a list of releases of cetaceans
that were examined by qualified veterinarians prior to release, and for
which veterinary records (and/or specimen materials) may be available. This
information, together with similarly compiled information from stranding
events may yield useful epidemiological insights into the question of immunocompetence
and introduction of 'captive acquired pathogens' to wild populations. The
state of the art in telemetry and observational studies can in many cases
reveal whether released animals fare well and are socially reinstated.
In the case of non-native introductions, DNA techniques may now be employed
in studies of the host populations to reveal additional information concerning
the genetic ramifications of non-native releases (eg. in The Bahamas Tursiops
truncatus population; or in operational releases such as done by the U.S.
Navy, other navies, and swim programs).
Whatever one's view on captivity may be, it is in the interest of humanitarian
treatment of those animals which are no longer suitable for display, etc.,
to seriously examine release and reinstatement to the wild as an option
for their retirement. In this respect, the genetic and immunological issues
are important and should be objectively addressed; but, in a very real sense
they represent spilt milk due to the common past practices of institutions
the public has entrusted with the care of marine mammals.
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