Dolphins die, but we like to see wild animals up close
When I turned 40, my relatives surprised me by fulfilling my dream to swim with dolphins in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, where I was visiting family.
On the boat, we squeezed into wet suits and rode out into the Bay of Plenty. Wearing masks and snorkels and clutching a bar towed behind the boat, we were dragged like chum.
Wild common and bottlenose dolphins darted and dived around us. It was unbelievable.
I’ve never been to Dolphinaris Arizona in Scottsdale, where visitors can watch and swim with dolphins. The facility has been controversial since it opened in 2016. Now half of their eight dolphins are dead.
The fourth to die, a 22-year-old dolphin named Kai, was euthanized Thursday after he had difficultly eating, swimming and breathing, according to a statement from Dolphinaris.
Four dead dolphins in such a short time means there are problems. But
business seems good at Dolphinaris; the parking lot is full when I drive by.
As a society, we want wild animals confined to enclosures that let us get close, watch and learn.
Zoos, aquariums and animal parks are nice for outings. We listen to the hooting, howling and grunting. We inhale the smells. We press close to the railings and enclosures.
Few of us would ever see an Asian elephant, Southern white rhinoceros or Bengal tiger otherwise.
When my son was young, we had a Phoenix Zoo membership and went every week. Good work happens there.
Arabian oryx owe their survival to conservation efforts by the Phoenix Zoo.
There are good facilities, doing exceptional work in education, conservation and research. There are some notso-good facilities.
Maybe dolphins don’t belong in the desert. Neither do Komodo dragons or Asian elephants.
But it’s how we learn about these animals, feel connected to them and compelled to protect them in the wild and ensure their survival. It makes us care.