This is the final post regarding Clearwater Marine Aquarium:

Winter

Hope

Nicholas

Dolphin Tale two is exactly that: a tale that continues to mislead the public and make millions in the process. What is most upsetting to me is that these movies are geared toward children. Kids don’t understand “creative license” and tend to believe what they see.

This video was taken October 18, 2011: 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3yuG8sNTbM  

Please note the energy level and spirit of Winter.

Winter’s artificial tail not only looks uncomfortable but to portray Hope as a dolphin that goes crazy when she sees Winter’s tail for the first time is insulting. If you go to this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8AxMm6ry7o  you will see the real video of a very interested, caring dolphin that looks more protective than anything.  Notice the change in just two years. This video was taken July 26, 2013. Also please note that Winter does very little swimming with the tail but looks like she is dragging it around. The curvature of her spine is getting more and more prominent from swimming like a fish (tail going side to side) instead of a dolphin (tail going up and down).

In Dolphin Tale 2 a small paint chip is portrayed as being at the center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s violations. In reality there were many violations that could have put the dolphin’s lives in danger. (View my post of Sept. 11, 2014, enlarge the pictures under Conditions and you can see how disgusting the tanks actually were.) A listing of other violations is also available at that post.

Much is made of the release of a dolphin named Mandy from Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The actual release was November 2, 2006. That is eight years ago and no dolphins have been released since.

There is also a scene that the dolphins were speed swimming around the tank. This is physically impossible due to the small size of the tank. There is no way that one dolphin could do this let alone two. Winter could never do that anyway with the artificial tail. 

Lastly they show Winter at the end of the movie joyously jumping in the air. Sadly that is something that Winter will never be able to do, as a dolphins tail is what propels them out of the water. Again, this is  not possible for Winter with her artificial tail.

Obviously Winter can never be released but doesn’t Clearwater Marine Aquarium owe Hope and Winter something better. Both of these dolphins give so much and get so little in return. Possibly a Seaside Sanctuary such as Baltimore National Aquarium is considering. Baltimore seems to be more progressive in their thinking than other marine attractions, who justify why dolphins are kept in captivity, while Baltimore is asking: Should they be? Public opinion is beginning to change. Baltimore’s priority seems to be to ensure the health and well- being of the animals they care for by providing the dolphins the best possible living environment in the years ahead. 

Thanks to all who have supported my efforts to bring this information to the public for possible change. 

Jennifer Semro

In Dolphin Tale #1 it looks as if  Winter finally accepts the tail, it is attached and off she goes.     Totally untrue!

This past August, 2014 I was able to observe Winter in the process of getting ready and then actually swimming with her prosthetic tail.  It took probably 45 minutes of what looked like massage to her lower vertebrae to accept the tail. Her actual swim was maybe 15 minutes as she was coaxed with fish rewards back and forth between the two smaller tanks by a trainer. After a few minutes she looked very uncomfortable and seemed to be almost hopping through the water.  

 

preparation for tail attachment

 

Tail removal after about 15 minutes

Comparing Winter’s tail to human’s wearing prosthetics is very unrealistic being that human’s wear prosthetics most of the time. Winter does not wear hers every day and when she does it is only for a few minutes. 

After the tail was removed Winter exhibited another behavior I have never seen before by any dolphin, but then I don’t see many captive dolphins so maybe this is normal behavior but I found it distressing. She began to submerge her body to the bottom of the tank and stay there until she needed to breathe. She did this continually almost as if she didn’t want to be seen or maybe didn’t want to see all the people watching her. 

 

Winter beginning to submerge

 

                                                                 Winter submerges

 

Winter on the bottom of the tank

 

Winter stays on the bottom, not swimming

  

                                  Winter preparing to surface after about 7 minutes to breathe

This brings me to comment on the first Dolphin Tale movie. These movies are geared toward children. Putting false information out there and calling it truth is shameful. The movie begins by showing wild dolphins swimming freely. Strange being that the whole movie is based on dolphins in captivity. 

The water scenes are filmed almost at water level to make the Clearwater Marine Aquarium small tank look much larger than it really is. 

At the end of the movie it portrays Winter being transferred to an open waterway to swim a relay race. This never happened! If you look closely you can see that this is all done with animatronics. Unfortunately,Winter has never been in a waterway other than Clearwater’s tanks.  First of all moving a dolphin involves high stress for the dolphin being moved and great care has to be taken due to the fact that when dolphins are in the water they are gravity free. Once removed from the water and placed on land the weight of their body will crush their internal organs. This is what kills many stranded dolphins along with the fact that they have no way to cool their bodies. One of the most important things someone can do for a stranded dolphin is to continually pour water over their body but taking great care to make sure no water gets into the blowhole, or they will drown. 

Next post will will deal with Dolphin Tale #2 and will complete the blog on this issue

If you are against exploiting dolphins please pass this on.

Jennifer Semro

 

This video is featuring Nicholas from Clearwater Marine Aquarium with staff telling me how dolphins prefer to be alone. This is the same dolphin that was partnered with Indy for six years. I wonder what staff told the public then. They seem to have an answer for everything whether it is true or not doesn’t seem to matter.

       This video is dedicated to all the dolphins that have lost their freedom

The beginning is a little hard to understand but CMA staff is saying after my question of dolphins getting bored, "Absolutely not, they have toys and a trainer comes every thirty minutes and after a while he will show signs of wanting to be alone" From there he goes on to say how dolphins in the wild prefer to be alone.

Also please notice that all seating is covered unlike Nicholas' pool. In the video one other person can be seen visiting Nicholas while I was there.

 

Jeff Bilyeau pronounced (billyou), my friend, fellow photographer and great editor put this together. I am very grateful for his time and expertise.

 

If you are against the exploitation of dolphins please pass this blog on.

Jennifer Semro

 

 

 

Nicholas is the OTHER dolphin that lives at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 

   In 1979 The Animal Welfare Act was enacted to protect marine mammals in captivity and states that “Marine mammals, whenever known to be primarily social in the wild, must be housed in their primary enclosure with at least one compatible animal of the same or biologically related species.

  It also states that if the attending veterinarian, in consultation with the husbandry/training staff determines that such housing is not in the best interest of the marine mammal’s health or well-being then they need to be moved away from other animals that may cause them stress, discomfort or interfere with their good health. 

  Most people don’t even know about Nicholas until it is announced that he will be preforming. Every time I have visited, a staff member and I were the only ones there. Another male dolphin named Indy was Nick’s performing partner of six years, Indy, died in 2011. He was 9 years old which is relatively young for a dolphin that can reach forty years in the wild. They performed together daily. One day Indy began to act oddly and within 24 hours he was dead.

 The staff was shocked when they discovered his lifeless body on March 24^th 2011. He had been held at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium since May 3, 2004. Indy was rescued with numerous bites and couldn’t swim.  Although he made a good recovery, he was considered non-releasable because he lacked full hunting and other survival skills. No details were given on what these skills might be.

  I now understand why Nicholas is housed in a small round pool on the second level all by himself and staff keeps telling the public “dolphins prefer to be alone”. As I have previously stated “that is totally false”.  I don’t understand why he has no protection from the sun or other weather related issues and yet the seating where people watch Nick do tricks or paint on canvas is totally protected. 

 I have done an extensive search for Indy’s necropsy (autopsy) with negative results. 

Jennifer Semro