#dolphin training

But with the exception of certain veterinary settings where the animal’s health is the immediate priority, why is it so important to us that animals do exactly what we want exactly when we want it? Why do we have to invent all these tools and contraptions to force them to behave?

When a whale swam away from a session, that was that. The trainer just waited for them to decide to come back. If they flat out refused to participate in behaviors, they still got their allotment of fish. Nothing bad happened. Not even when 20-30 people were assembled for a procedure, and the whale chose not to enter the medical pool. No big deal. Their choice and comfort were prioritized over human convenience.

It’s almost shocking to return to domestic animal medicine afterwards and watch owners use shock collars and chokers and whips to control their animals. It’s no wonder that positive reinforcement was pioneered by marine mammal trainers. When you literally can’t force an animal to do what you want, it changes your entire perspective.

I'm sorry that you're disappointed. I thought I had been clear about my opinions on here but yes, I do support SeaWorld, just like I support every other AZA-accredited zoo and aquarium. I support their veterinarians and veterinary staff, people I've actually met or who have worked closely with many of my colleagues and mentors. I support their rescue teams, which have responded to over 40,000 individual marine animals in distress, and are currently one of only half a dozen facilities equipped to handle the Florida manatee unusual mortality event. I support their husbandry and training staff, folks who've made a career out of caring for animals and, like the trainers I currently work with, tirelessly advocating for their needs. I support their contributions to marine research, both through the parks and the independent Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute. I support the connection to the marine world that they provide children (and adults) like myself years ago, gifting them with a lifelong love for the ocean and its life.

At the moment, I'm completing a residential internship program with the medical team at a small marine park (not SeaWorld, but similar in many ways) as a complement to my ongoing education as a DVM student. I see and work with dolphins every day. You’re right, they are extremely intelligent. Each one is an individual, with his or her own distinct personality, likes and dislikes, best friends (human and dolphin), and favorite activities. Perhaps they are “people” in their own way, although from a scientific perspective I can’t anthropomorphize them to that extent. Their trainers are more intimately familiar with the dolphins’ moods and needs than the vast majority of people are with their own pets (speaking as a 7-year veteran of general practice and emergency vet hospitals), and every second of their work day revolves around the animals, be it enrichment, training, husbandry, diet prep, habitat maintenance or, yes, public presentations. Each dolphin has a specialized care plan, made for them by their own full-time veterinarian, to ensure they are always in peak body condition. They receive a full routine medical work-up (complete with bloodwork, fecal, urine, gastric, and chuff cytology) multiple time a year, far beyond what any domestic animal receives. Their diet consists of a wide variety of human-grade seafood, with each individual fish (hundreds of pounds a day) hand-checked by a trainer to ensure it has no defects. They are never, ever forced to participate in a session and usually happily do so, because exercising their minds and bodies is enriching for them. If not, no big deal, they will still get all the food they need. 

About half of our dolphins are rescues, deemed non-releasable by the federal government (not the team who rehabbed them, or even the “higher ups” in aquarium/marine park management). These dolphins stranded when they were babies, too young to have learned what they needed from their mothers, or suffering from disabilites or chronic health conditions that would make survival in the wild impossible. Without “captivity,” they would be dead. Instead, I get to see them thrive every day, bonding with their trainers, playing with their dolphin friends, exploring their enrichment, and inspiring everyone who meets them. I’m sorry but no, I will never say these dolphins should be put to death or left to suffer an excrutiating fate in the wild. Not when I’ve seen the life they get to live instead.

An accredited “dolphin sanctaury” like you suggest, run by people with the proper training, resources, and (extensive) funding to care for these complex animals, does not exist. And if one did, it would be no different than any other accredited facility (many of which are “sea pen” habitats, which have their own pros and cons versus a traditional “tank” habitat) that is already open. There would still be training for husbandry, exercise, and enrichment. There would still be hand-fed diets. There would still be (nearly constant!) breeding behavior, just without any babies. And there would still be barriers keeping them from leaving although fun fact, the US Navy uses trained dolphins in open ocean missions and they always return to their human caregivers. The only thing missing would be the educational, inspirational experience aquariums give the public. 

But don’t take my word for it. Last year, the Cetacean Welfare Study was published, the result of years of work by 43 different AZA and/or AMMPA-accredited institutes. It’s a collection of studies, the first of their kind, surveying the factors affecting welfare in managed cetaceans (mainly bottlenose dolphins but also Pacific white-sided dolphins and beluga whales), and oftentimes, it’s not what the general public might think. Both SeaWorld and my park were part of it.

what is the purpose of orca whale (and other cetacean) performances in regards to the animal itself? right now assuming it provides mental and physical stimulation, but im wondering if there is a definitive or more thought-out answer.

sorry if this has been answered before by the way. i checked and couldnt seem to find anything. thank you so much in advance!

Hi! Thanks for the ask!

You're correct! Public performances are a form of physical exercise and mental enrichment for the animals, with the added bonus of engaging and hopefully educating the public. While most follow a format or script of some sort, the actual behaviors are different every time to keep it stimulating for the animals, so you can go to the same show over and over again and see something different every time.

I’m not going to delve into a discussion of the US military (which I’m sure isn’t what you’re looking for anyway) since that’s not the theme of this blog, but as far as the animals themselves—

Their care is pretty excellent. The program itself was founded by the late great Dr. Sam Ridgway, who passed away in 2022. Dr. Ridgway was known as “the Father of Marine Mammal Medicine” (and is the namesake of baby Ridgway the rescue dolphin calf at SeaWorld Orlando), and essentially everything we know about cetacean healthcare can be traced back to his work.

(Dr. Ridgway auscultating a dolphin in the 1960s. Courtesy of the LA Times).

The Navy dolphins (and sea lions) are considered active members of the military and have access to the same medical facilities as human service members (i.e. if a Navy dolphin needs an MRI, he goes to the local VA hospital). They have their own team of trainers and veterinarians who travel with them if deployed.

Contrary to what was believed before the program was declassified, the Navy dolphins are not out there launching tactical assaults on enemy vessels. Their main responsibilities are detecting and disabling underwater mines (designed to be triggered by watercraft, so something the size of a dolphin will not set it off) and alerting to the presence of enemy divers. They are rarely in direct danger the way a military working dog is.

One of my favorite facts about Navy dolphins ties in with my last post about animals and “freedom”—while housed in sea pens, military dolphins are frequently worked in the open ocean. There is absolutely nothing keeping them from swimming off during an operation or training exercise and never returning (and keep in mind—while all the current dolphins are captive born, the original set were captured from the wild and knew how to survive without human help)! And yet, they without fail return to their human caregivers. The program would not have lasted as long as it has without the dolphins’ willing participation.