Letter to Philippines Daily Inquirer - 29 November 2006

Dear Sir,

I was appalled to read the article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer "Dolphin Show Starts Today". As Captivity Officer for Marine Connection, a UK-based charity campaigning worldwide for the conservation and protection of dolphins and whales, I felt compelled to respond.

Dolphins live in a three-dimensional world, travelling hundreds of miles across the ocean; they are also able to dive hundreds of feet. They use echolocation as a tool to explore their diverse surroundings, determine where they and catch their live prey. Each of these unique abilities specifically adapted for the huge and complex ocean environment over millions of years, are rendered useless when dolphins are enclosed in a lifeless, smooth tank such as that in the Mall of Asia without currents where they must eat dead fish at times of a humans choosing.

Compare the wide open ocean which covers 70% of the Earth to the "Aquatorium" mentioned in this article which is just 12 feet wide by 8 feet deep. Consider also that dolphins are between 8 and 12 feet in length - this does not leave much, if any room, to manoeuvre.

Yes, dolphins are mammals but they are marine mammals. They cannot survive being out of water for three days as suggested erroneously by the article. This would seriously endanger their health and would be fatal.

The article also listed "facts" about dolphins - surely even this little information can prove to readers that dolphins are not suited to such a small and artificial area where they are required to perform for humans five times a day for forty days? For example, it says "Dolphins…live in groups or pods of up to a dozen individuals.." - there are just two dolphins forced to live together within this Show. Also the article states "They are equipped with sonar, which allows them to detect underwater sound even 15 miles away!". Again, sadly this ability is rendered absolutely useless within a smooth tank which simply reflects the sound waves creating a confusion of noise for the dolphin. Many dolphins simply become mute in captivity.

I was shocked to read about this "Dolphin Show" which keeps dolphins in such as small tank and makes them perform five shows a day for forty days. This is no life for an animal capable of intelligent thought, communication, echolocation and swimming hundreds of miles and diving hundreds of feet.

In view of this, I urge the Philippines' public NOT to visit this facility.

Andrina Murrell
Marine Connection