Antibes at Marineland Dolphinarium.

A "dolphin jail" !!! maybe it is a little like that, but think on all the positive thinks that this kind of parks create! children getting crazy about the animals, and everybody is telling them that this nice animals getting kild in some part of the world for stupid reasons!

I think it is a verry small price to pay to have a few dolphins etc, in captivity to learn people about them.

Offcourse the way that the animals getting treated and the size of the tanks etc is verry important but in this times even the realy commercial guys that are trying to make money from this animals have to make sure everthing is more then OK! or it wil blow up in there face!

And if i have to chose between 10 people making money on this way from animals instead of 1 guy killing animals for money, i know what i am choosing :-)

There is no perfekt World so we need to make it so close to perfekt as possible, and if we need this kind of parks to learn the people about nature and animals then i am more then OK with them!

sorry for my english (talking and reading is much easier then writing it :-)

It is interesting how this thread has developed from an initial reaction of "oh, my god how could they" to an "actually it is not all bad".

 

Interesting info, Carol. And this is already quite old (given that the prices are in Francs not Euros). One would expect that they would have become more focused on conservation and had more captive births in the last decade.

 

Alex

Actually Alex I don't think the opinions expressed here have anything to do whatsoever with this thread evolving or "developing"; these are real issues, opinions and situations that are occurring right now regardless of any "thread" at WetPixel "developing".

Thanks for pointing out Alex that the undated article was "pre-euro"; yes it was a quick search but an interesting article regardless - plus being here in the US can you believe I don't recall if I've ever even seen a Euro? Dates me, huh????

Best, Carol and Thanks to all here for their concerned posts it shows we all care and want what is best for our fellow underwater creatures....

Sorry, what I meant is individual's opinions evolving. Most of us were initially shocked with the attitude that all dolphinariums are evil!

Then with a bit of thought and info, like that you provided, about dolphinariums with mainly captive bred individuals and examples of good education and rescue programs we realised it was a more complex issue and not necessarily all bad.

Alex

Yes, Alex I understand this.

Here's a quote that best expresses some of my feelings about this topic better than I can, it is the intro quote to Bob Bonde's [and Roger Reep's] marvelous book "The Florida Manatee Biology and Conservation". While it is the intro to a manatee book many of the same marine mammal "captivity" issues apply:

"This book is dedicated to the proposition that it only takes a few people to change the world, and you are one of them. For those who rise to the challenge, may you seek the middle ground of harmony in the midst of harsh realities"

Good Luck to all participants in Antibes and I think our underwater photographs do help to change things for the better!

Best, Carol

Mark,

You bring up an interesting point in that I hear from so many divers strongly arguing for the marine environment's protection while they go out to eat at their favorite seafood restaurant every other week. Look at your live aboard boats. No matter how often I write on the 'guest preferences' sheet, "No seafood please", they always serve up a net full throughout the trip. Personally, I don't care for any seafood other than tuna sandwiches so, as not to be a complete hypocrite, I hope Bumble Bee raise their tuna in a test tube. The fact is that more people than not think that because they are only one person that their voices do not count. I've felt that way myself often. And then I think of an email I received from Stephen Wong a few years back. He and I had met and dove at KBR. Apparently Master Card had a new promotion in Japan. Get a card and receive a coupon for a bowl of shark fin soup. Well, so many, including myself, wrote long letters of protest to Master Card that they pulled the promotion surprisingly quick. Damn if I didn't feel proud of having contributed to doing something worthwhile. Thus, the individual voices do count and its just up to folk walking their talk.

Since I do not know as much as I should about the Antibes situation, I will refrain from extrapolating over that issue.

Steve B)

I hear ya Steve,

Soooooo many times these arguments come out amongst people here too. Same thing, discussion over......"Anyone for Sashimi"? Doesn't make too much sense really.

Cheers,

Mark.

For the french speakers:

http://www.longitude181.com/actu/suite.php?newsid=366

Alex

It's a pity we all get in such a mess over conservation and have to go on guilt/blame trips. The fact of the matter is that most of us live in an industrialised society and benefit from that. For example, a true conservationist would never get on a plane. We certainly should not buy goods that have been delivered or travel ourselves by diesel-driven boat. Of course we should all protest at individual examples of cruelty or even try to stop them. Circuses (including traditional dolphinarium) are an indictment of the human condition. Pol Pot had an idea but it was inevitably cruel. I can understand why people eventually turn to religion. (It'll be all right in Heaven.)

I will not be going to Antibes. I still cannot forgive the French for surrendering to the Germans without telling their allies first... or for De Gaulle.

(Actually, I lied about the last bit!)

What you 'are' going or you have forgiven the French ????

Glad I started this thread now...Its a learning curve...

It may upset a few but I'm looking forward to Antibes... No not the venue, although I will investigate...Including the bars....Oh and Mark Thorpes elusive 'round dodging' tactics.

Dive safe

DeanB

You know whatever is said, whatever excuses are given, I am still 100% against holding marine mammals in captivity.

To me it's the same old argument. 'Oh look what we can do to educate people' or 'this dolphin needed to be rescued'. That same argument contributes to the existance of the dolphin drives in Japan etc, where dolphinairums claim to have 'saved' their captives from certain death (although I am not suggesting that Marineland obtained their dolphins from these).

Yes there are times when dolphins and other marine mammals need to be helped with rehabilition or treatment, but under those circumstances you have to remember that it is very, very rare that they will ever be released back into the wild. I'm a trained marine mammal medic (kind of a first aid for marine mammals) and it sickens me to say it, but sometimes the best option is to put these animals out of their misery and suffering.

As for the education argument, then shouldn't we be attempting to do this with our photos and with our films? If we start with 0 tolerance of such places then we are forced to be imaginative about how we educate the wider public, rather than relying on putting intelligent animals that roam thousands of miles in the open ocean into little more than a box room or a cupboard under the stairs.

No offense to anyone of differing opinions as I know that this is a sensitive subject. This is just my personal, honest, blunt and heart felt opinion.

Cheers, Simon

Good thoughts Simon,

Its always best to hear everyones opinions..And passionate ones at that...

I take it your not going to Antibes then because of this fact.. Please don't tell me your taking your film out

Dive safe

DeanB

Nope I'm not pulling out mate, although if it were solely a personal decision I probably would. However, if the film gets shown then I think it could generate interest and more importantly funding to continue with the Porbeagle research next year. With that in mind sometimes you just have to grin and bare it!

Still not sure on whether we will be able to attend either, that will probably be only a last minute decision.

Cheers, Simon

Maybe the Antibes judges will be directed to read this thread and told to mark down anyone who speaks out against dolphinariums!

Alex

Oh crap !!!! never thought of that...But then again the judges are impartial to anything said and will only look at the quality of the art put in front of them...They are the true bastions of honour...And some very good looking people as well...

Vive la france...fromage frais..Thank heavens for little girls...

Merci

Dive safe

DeanB

Haha like I said in a previous thread I'm not under any illusions of actually getting anywhere - after all Porbeagles are a delicacy in France!

But Dean's right though, those judges are incredibly good looking and sexy people!! Viva la France, or something like that!

Cheers, Simon

Have they released the titles of the films to be shown?

Steve B)

Stop it Steve !!!

I'm getting a little nervous and excited....

Dive safe

DeanB

Wetpixel flyers at Antibes:

Hey guys. Are there any volunteers who would be willing to bring some Wetpixel flyers to Antibes this year? We can mail some out to you, if you're up for it.

We also need COVERAGE. Take pictures of your antics while you're out there. We'd love to post them!

No news is good news thus far Steve.

Wetpixel flyers at Antibes:

 

Hey guys. Are there any volunteers who would be willing to bring some Wetpixel flyers to Antibes this year? We can mail some out to you, if you're up for it.

 

We also need COVERAGE. Take pictures of your antics while you're out there. We'd love to post them!

eric if you get some to me i'll gladly go around and give them around and stuff.

pm me if you want the home address.

and if we do meet up with some wetpixel folks i am sure one or more of us will have a camera of some sort to document the antics

/paul