Decline in number of Living Sea's inhabitants?

[George]

I used to live there, but with all the changes over the years....essentially, the opening of Turtle Talk with Crush is what caused me to move into Image Works which was then turned into the DVC airport lounge. I'm not going to tell you where I live now. I'm tired of moving. It certainly isn't a small, seldom used room off the main corridor in Innoventions East.

 

[Little Green Men]

Wait there's dolphins? I don't remember dolphins.

Yes they're usually on the tank to the left of the exit of the ride, but sometimes they're in another area where I assume they get fed and such.

 

[OliveMcFly]

Wait there's dolphins? I don't remember dolphins.

HA! Exactly. There are 2 or 3 I believe.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

HA! Exactly. There are 2 or 3 I believe.

I think there are 4, and to be honest, I can't believe they've been able to keep them in that complex for this long.

While everybody got all frothed up over Blackfish, there are 4 dolphins (3 captive born and 1 wild captured) living in a small, indoor-only complex with zero access to fresh air and only receiving sunlight through two skylights in their part-time, off exhibit exercise pool.

I'm a huge advocate for the humane and responsible captivity of animals, but the more time I've spent around world-class facilities and trainers, the less comfortable I feel with having these dolphins at The Living Seas.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Armchair Imagineering concept for The Seas: Remove Nemo, remove the real world aquarium before Sea World makes a similar move. Create a new attraction based on the exploration of the Marianas Trench. Partner with James Cameron in the development and you've got a unique concept about Discovery that fits the theme of my re-imagined Future World (or as I'd like to call it Discovery Expo).

 

[articos]

I don't believe the tank stocks have been replaced as often over the past decade as they once were.

 

[21stamps]

I think there are 4, and to be honest, I can't believe they've been able to keep them in that complex for this long.

While everybody got all frothed up over Blackfish, there are 4 dolphins (3 captive born and 1 wild captured) living in a small, indoor-only complex with zero access to fresh air and only receiving sunlight through two skylights in their part-time, off exhibit exercise pool.

I'm a huge advocate for the humane and responsible captivity of animals, but the more time I've spent around world-class facilities and trainers, the less comfortable I feel with having these dolphins at The Living Seas.

If there would have been a documentary about the Epcot aquarium then I'm sure people would have been all frothed up about that too. As long as it was talked about on social media anyway..

The thing about the Epcot dolphins is what are they going to do with them, especially without drawing attention? They can't choose SeaWorld. They could choose the Dolphin Research Center, but the attraction would have to be replaced with something else. Then do they get rid off all existing marine life?

 

[JoeCamel]

I used to live there, but with all the changes over the years....essentially, the opening of Turtle Talk with Crush is what caused me to move into Image Works which was then turned into the DVC airport lounge. I'm not going to tell you where I live now. I'm tired of moving. It certainly isn't a small, seldom used room off the main corridor in Innoventions East.

That is quite an Odyssey you are on @George

 

[PREMiERdrum]

If there would have been a documentary about the Epcot aquarium then I'm sure people would have been all frothed up about that too. As long as it was talked about on social media anyway..

The thing about the Epcot dolphins is what are they going to do with them, especially without drawing attention? They can't choose SeaWorld. They could choose the Dolphin Research Center, but the attraction would have to be replaced with something else. Then do they get rid off all existing marine life?

From an aquarium standpoint, the exhibit is perfectly acceptable for most of its other inhabitants. They should phase out the dolphin program with the 4 they currently have. Ranier, the only wild-caught dolphin there, was retired from the Navy research program in 1993, so he has got to be getting up there in years. It hasn't been all that long since Disney was shuffling animals around with other aquariums.... I wish they would stop that. The dolphin program there has largely failed to do anything productive besides make lots of extra money for The Mouse. The first 5 dolphins that were there when TLS opened, all wild-caught, suffered from very early deaths due to poor oversight.

 

[21stamps]

From an aquarium standpoint, the exhibit is perfectly acceptable for most of its other inhabitants. They should phase out the dolphin program with the 4 they currently have. Ranier, the only wild-caught dolphin there, was retired from the Navy research program in 1993, so he has got to be getting up there in years. It hasn't been all that long since Disney was shuffling animals around with other aquariums.... I wish they would stop that. The dolphin program there has largely failed to do anything productive besides make lots of extra money for The Mouse. The first 5 dolphins that were there when TLS opened, all wild-caught, suffered from very early deaths due to poor oversight.

I remember reading that. I think a few were sent elsewhere and died not too long after.
It's considered a "research program" currently, not quite sure what they've done though.

So you think they should just fill that area in with fish? It would still be pretty. Or they could build a better setup for the dolphins. But I don't see that happening.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

I remember reading that. I think a few were sent elsewhere and died not too long after.
It's considered a "research program" currently, not quite sure what they've done though.

So you think they should just fill that area in with fish? It would still be pretty. Or they could build a better setup for the dolphins. But I don't see that happening.

The number of changes making the area appropriate for dolphins, and to a lesser extent, the manatees, would be too cumbersome in that facility. A reconfigured exhibit showcasing rays, turtles, or different species of sharks would be reasonable.

 

[Raineman]

The definition of "Sustainable Catch" has been widely expanded at all WDW dining locations...