The kid

"She puts on the tv, and presses play. On the wide screen a young boy is playing with an orca, he is laughing and the orca is splashing him. The orcas name is Willy and the young boy is called Jess. The little child watching the movie is filled with exitement and decides to watch the entire movie. In the end, Willy is released back into the ocean thanks to Jess and his friends. Although Jess misses his friend a lot, he knows that Willy is where he belongs - in the ocean. The girl is both disappointed and happy, she wants to see Willy jump and do tricks, but still she wants him to remain in the ocean because he is happy there.

She realizes she can't have both and needs to put Willys hapiness and wealth first. The movie is finished and she has no possibility to change the ending even if she'd like to. But in her mind she has made a moral decission which will make her think twice before she even thinks about visiting a sea aquarium keeping whales and dolphins

What gives us the right to possess what is not ours?

" You can't loose something you never had", if only that were true. Maybe to us humans these words make sense, bur for cetaceans living in captivity they don't. The creatures that suffer in the small tanks are living proof of it. They are victims of humans who just don't get enough and appreciate what they already have. Instead they just want more, not caring for anyone or anything else but themselfes. To them it's an investment that will make a lot of money, and money is luxury, comfort and so much fun! What gives them the right to possess freedom that does not belong to them? What gives them the right to take away a little orca-calf from it's mother and put it in a small tank for the rest of it's life? Leaving the mother with nothing but grief and anger to the humans who took away her little baby. Taking away her precious youngster only for one reason - to entertain and satisfie a hunger that will never be saturaded. The hunger for money.

Picture from: http://www.oceanecoventures.com/wildlife/images/orca_pod.jpg

The first words...

...are the ones that will either grab your attention or make you click on to another website. As you can see, there aren't many words and columns written to convince you to stay.
But before you go, please let me make a short summarize of why this organisation has been founded and why you should keep yourself updated to this blogg.

ACC (Against Cetaceans in Captivity) was founded the 19th of August 2007 by Emily, from Southern Sweden. ACC:s main purpose is to make people realize why they should not support aquariums keeping cetaceans.

Introduction:

• Cetaceans are a group of large marine mammals including whales, dolphins and porpoises. For many years they have been kept in aquariums only used for two purposes - to entertain and make money.


• Since the first orca (killer whale) was captured 1961 over 145 orcas have died in captivity in the hands of humans. None of them made it to the age of 40, which is less than half their normal lifespan.


• Today 49 orcas are facing the same destiny unless they are rehabilitated as soon as posible and put back into the ocean, where they belong. Over 100 dolphins live in captivity today and the number of deceased dolphins is not known exactly, but we can be sure it's over 250 creatures.


• When catching whales and dolphins it's not just the individual who is being captured that is harmed, but also it's pod. Family and sound are the most important things for whales and dolphins.


• Each pod has its own unique combination of sound, and makes it possible for them to communicate with eachother. Putting a whale/dolphin in captivity takes away its capability of communicating because none of the combinations of sounds are simular. If we take an example that we can relate to, it's like putting two persons coming from different speaking countries into a small cell and commanding them to speak to eachother. It's impossible! Fortunately, cetaceans have very good memory and even though being kept in captivity does not take away their ability of communicating with their family again if they were to be reunited. The aquariums deny this, because according to them when the cetaceans make sounds they are speaking to eachother. But the truth is they are trying to call on their family, and hoping that they will hear a sound that they recognize. Which they never will.


• The only reason a cetacean would leave it's pod is either capture or death. There are exeptences, if there are too many males in a pod there will be competition for the females which means the oldest/youngest leaves depending on strength of the creature. This rarely happens because cetaceans are very social animals and family bonds are one of the strongest bonds you will find in the animal kingdom.


• The worst consequence for a cetacean living in captivity is death. But alive the animal also suffers from a huge amount of stress, fear and diseases. In order to perform the animal has to be hungry, why else would it perform if it wasn't for that feeling of hunger that we all know. It does what is has to in order to survive. Cetaceans are different compared to other sea mammals, they do not breath "automaticlly". If a cetacean wants to live, it's will swim up to the surface to take another breath. If it doesn't want to live, it just doesn't swim up to the surface for another breath. If you ever read about a dolphin or whale in a report where the cause of death has been unknown, it's because the animals has not wanted to live anymore. The aquariums often say that their cetaceans cause of death is unknown, because if they were to tell the truth it could result in giving the aquarim a bad reputation. Bad publicity means no visitors, which means no money.

I hope I have given you some information that you did not know and I hope you visit again. I will be at least once a day giving you personal thoughts and facts.