Is it possible to have a dolphin as a pet

Place discarded fishing line in special recycling bins for monofilament fishing lines. In the absence of recycling bins, cut line into small pieces and throw them into a lidded garbage can. Helicopters and airplanes should maintain an altitude of at least 1, feet above groups of dolphins. In fact, federal law mandates aircraft remain 1, feet above whales specifically, humpback whales in the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii.

Avoid taking off, landing or hovering over marine mammals whether they are in the water or on land. This is considered harassment and may inflict physical and psychological stress on them. Never fly drones over wild dolphins. The noise and nearness of drones will likely disturb natural behaviors of dolphins, especially pregnant dolphins and calves. British researchers discovered that swimming near or with bottlenose dolphins was "incredibly stressful to the animals".

As a result of their findings, these researchers have called for regulation to prevent dolphin-human interaction in the wild such as swimming because of the detrimental impact it could have on dolphins. According to Dr. Berggren, the investigation determined that tourist boats meant to allow people to swim with dolphins unsettled the dolphins and reduced the time they spend socializing, resting and feeding.

Watching how dolphins behave for over a month, researchers say that resting time for dolphins essential for their general health dropped nearly 40 percent. When it comes to exporting dolphins, marine facilities and aquariums are not required to get a permit. According to MMPA, the authorization issued by NMFS to buy a dolphin from another country for public display gives the current of the dolphin the authority to move it from one public display facility to another without extra authorizations.

The implication is that marine parks are allowed to sell, exchange or purchase dolphins from parks within and outside the United States at will without any restrictions. The NMFS requires that the facility in the receiving country meets certain standards.

For instance, it must meet the US criteria for water quality and space requirements. Moreover, the organization receiving the dolphin should have educational or conservation oriented programs. The receiving country must also provide comity, which shows courtesy through which one state demonstrates honor for the decisions made by another sovereign to NMFS. This means that it becomes unable to finally ensure the welfare of the marine mammals. It ultimately remains that the life of a dolphin, whether captive-bred or wild-captured is typically poor.

Many captive programs claim to be conservation minded. However, the reality is that these dolphins are bred to replenish their numbers for displays and interactive programs. The artificial environments to which dolphins are introduced cannot be justified as conservation oriented because the surroundings alters their behavior from that of their wild counterparts.

Scientists cannot therefore claim that the captive-bred dolphins can reveal all the secrets of their wild counterparts. Dolphins need to be housed in a tank that enables playing and free movement. All dolphin enclosures, regardless of their sizes fall short of what the open sea offers the dolphin.

It is crucial to remember that once a dolphin is confined, it loses its freedom and choice. They also have to put up with unusual smells and sounds. If a couple of dolphins live together, they may bully the less dominant ones. They may also die if they swallow foreign objects. Therefore, regardless of whether the dolphin is kept in a sea pen or a tank, measures should be implemented to ensure that it is as comfortable as possible. Keeping a precious animal like the dolphin means that a person must take extraordinary care to ensure that it is as comfortable as it would have been in its natural habitat.

The requirements are as follows:. The AWA establishes the criteria for keeping marine mammals in captivity and specifies guidelines for the following:. According to the space requirements under AWA, a bottlenose dolphin can be legally confined to a space that measure no more than 24 x 24 feet -- just 6 feet deep!

For an energetic, inquisitive marine mammal that can swim up to 40 miles a day in the wild, this requirement is shockingly inadequate. While the AWA does establish space requirements for the dolphins, qualifications for personnel managers, behaviorists, trainers and veterinarians , ratio of human participants to facility personnel, interaction time, and veterinary schedules, the guidelines were clearly designed to protect and benefit the tourist industry not the dolphins.

The USDA took over the responsibility for setting standards and enforcing regulations for captive marine mammal facilities in , including swim-with-the-dolphins SWTD and interaction programs. Between and , dolphin interaction programs operated without any regulation from the U. On Oct. Unfortunately, the rules were quickly suspended on Apr. Since the USDA took over the responsibility of overseeing dolphin interaction programs in , operators have not been required to report injuries to staff or visitors.

Although APHIS inspectors are responsible for monitoring compliance at marine mammal facilities, the understaffed office does not have the resources to visit each park more than once per year which means that the captive dolphin industry is called upon to police itself. Whether swimming or wading with dolphins, these programs are inherently dangerous for both humans and dolphins. They are wild animals, even if they are in captivity and have been trained to be around people.

Some places, however, are better than others for finding wild dolphins. The Azores has the greatest variety of dolphin species and dolphins there frequently come close to shore. New Zealand and the Bahamas should also be on the top of the list for any tourist hoping to see dolphins in their natural habitat. While visiting a beach alone, keep your distance from dolphins. You can appreciate them from afar, but will put yourself at risk if you approach too close. Support dolphin life. While it might seem like more fun to swim with the dolphins, the best way to interact with a dolphin is to protect them from danger.

Some species of dolphin are endangered due to overfishing, global warming, and human encroachments on their habitat. Part 2. Research the law. In some places, humans try to interact with dolphins so frequently that it disrupts their natural behavior. As a result, it is illegal to feed or approach a wild dolphin in many countries, including the United States.

Dolphins are large, powerful creatures that can and occasionally do hurt humans. Restrictions on human-dolphin interaction, therefore, are typically in the interest of both parties. Get into the water with dolphins and a qualified guide. If you are visiting dolphins in their natural habitat, get into the water no less than fifty feet from them.

You should never attempt to approach a dolphin alone. Better yet, do this with someone who is properly trained to interact with wild dolphins and knows how to read dolphin reactions. Do not approach the dolphin. Let the dolphin approach you. Dolphins are easily scared and may get defensive and territorial. They will view you swimming up to them as aggressive behavior. While you might feel the urge to approach them, they are more likely to be friendly if they find you to be non-threatening.