Bottlenose Dolphin Captivity

Bottlenose Dolphins: Wild vs. Captivity Imagine that all your life you were free to run to any place that you wanted, and nothing could stop you. But wait, there was one thing. Stop! There is a person taking you by the arm and dragging you back home against your will. From that day on, you were locked in your house, never to be let out again. This is what is happening to Bottlenose dolphins, who are being taken out of the wild and brought into captivity around the world. Many people say this should absolutely not be happening and that is much better for Bottlenose dolphins to be free in the ocean (“Swimming With Captive Dolphins”). But, there are other people who think that putting them in aquariums actually might help some of their population. On one hand, these aquariums give captured dolphins the attention that they need to survive. But, would you want to have to swim around with people for hours just to get food? (“Swimming With Captive Dolphins”). Capturing Bottlenose Dolphins from the wild …show more content…
Bottlenose dolphins are a part of the Delphinidae family (“Bottlenose Dolphin”). Delphinidae dolphins are classified as oceanic dolphins. According to AnimalSake, a website containing Bottlenose dolphin facts, Bottlenose dolphins live in a tropical climate. They are able to jump as high as twenty feet in the air. All dolphins do this because they aren't able to breathe underwater. Generally, dolphins are at the top of the food chain and therefore are highly appreciated in their ecosystem ( “Swimming With Captive Dolphins”). The American Cetacean Society mentions that some Bottlenose dolphins eat a wide variety of food but each dolphin is different. For example, “An adult bottlenose dolphin may consume 15-30 pounds (8-15 kg) of food each day”(“Bottlenose Dolphins”). In captivity, Bottlenose dolphins are fed after doing tricks. Many Bottlenose dolphins have been brought into captivity, which has brought about a controversy among many