From the dolphinproject.org page:
Dolphins have evolved over millions of years, adapting perfectly to
life in the ocean. They are intelligent, social and self-aware,
exhibiting evidence of a highly developed emotional sense. Here are just
a few of the issues with captivity:
Captures of dolphins are traumatic and stressful and can result in
injury and death of dolphins. The number of dolphins that die during
capture operations or shortly thereafter are never revealed in
dolphinariums or swim-with-dolphins programs. Some facilities even claim
their dolphins were "rescued" from the ocean and cannot be released.
This claim is almost invariably false.
Training of dolphins is often deliberately misrepresented by the
captive dolphin industry to make it look as if dolphins perform because
they like it. This isn't the case. They are performing because they have
been deprived of food.
Most captive dolphins are confined in minuscule tanks containing
chemically treated artificial seawater. Dolphins in a tank are severely
restricted in using their highly developed sonar, which is one of the
most damaging aspects of captivity. It is much like forcing a person to
live in a hall of mirrors for the rest of their life - their image
always bouncing back with no clear direction in sight.
Want to help?
First: Stop buying tickets to dolphin shows!, then join the dolphin project pledge