was I unreasonable to refuse to go an aquarium on welfare grounds

Bit dramatic there 🤣

My understanding from your original question was not about animal welfare but about expressing a perhaps unpopular opinion that might be taken as a criticism and therefore you being left out of future arrangements? In my group of friends/acquaintances there are a couple whose views on some issues I’m totally against but that doesnt automatically mean we disagree about everything and can’t be friends. So if this group can’t cope with a difference of opinion on a matter that hardly affects day to day life, then that’s on them.
Going forward I’d just carry on as usual. I wouldn’t refer to it at all. If they stop inviting you to meet ups well really no loss to you if they are that shallow. Suggest another meet up yourself if you normally would see what the response is.

My understanding from your original question was not about animal welfare but about expressing a perhaps unpopular opinion that might be taken as a criticism and therefore you being left out of future arrangements? In my group of friends/acquaintances there are a couple whose views on some issues I’m totally against but that doesnt automatically mean we disagree about everything and can’t be friends. So if this group can’t cope with a difference of opinion on a matter that hardly affects day to day life, then that’s on them.
Going forward I’d just carry on as usual. I wouldn’t refer to it at all. If they stop inviting you to meet ups well really no loss to you if they are that shallow. Suggest another meet up yourself if you normally would see what the response is.

I'm with you OP.
I can't bare using animals for entertainment.
I was completely put off about fifteen years ago,seeing wolves pace up and down at a wildlife park in the cotswolds, even though they had quite a bit of space.
Even riding expand bathing elephants in other countries makes me so sad.

I sort of agree but having any hope of some species being back in the wild may depend on maintaining several generations in captivity especially among the short lived species. The well run places know about this and are clear that its not enough to maintain an animal that LOOKS like the endangered animal but also keeps its behaviours alive so that it will flourish in the wild. I remember seeing a program about Tamarins and the work done to maintain a wide gene pool and also to keep their natural behaviours intact. This means doing things we may think of as unkind such as allowing a level of violence and keeping life harder for them than it could be. Its also a hard fact that much of the funding for this comes from the public, either from visits and merch or from donations. Either way the public have to feel rewarded for their money. This is a general comment, not about the indoor kept penguins. Honestly I don't know enough about that to comment but if you don't like it then don't support it.

I feel quite sorry for the others. Theyre all new mums and that a heck of a life change and they're probably all sleep deprived and recovering. Hormones all over the place.

They were probably thinking it would be a nice thing to do. The tanks and fish may be mesmerising for the little ones and not completely mind numbing for adults either. They

Now you've got OP who's poured cold water on this outing and made them feel bad. They're not bad people they're just looking for something to suit all of them.

No matter it'll be the last OP probably gets included.

I don't go to zoos , farms or aquariums with my children only sanctuaries because we are against it, people don't realise that alot of captive conditions are extremely inhumane,well done for sticking to your principles.

It's really hard. As a mum there is so little available to entertain kids so if they'd all got excited about it I imagine they wouldn't enjoy having that guilt on their shoulders.

However you can still meet them after to catch up surely?

Well I guess Seaworld technically meets the basic requirements of its occupants as in they are fed (can’t see how it provides any more than that to be honest) but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s fucking barbaric. And those original orcas WERE taken from the wild as babies. Absolutely disgusting that people still pay to watch the shows or visit the parks.

I don’t think you need to come up with excuses.

Simply saying “I’m sorry I won’t be able to come to that, I’m not comfortable with animals being kept in captivity for entertainment purposes. If you decide to meet else where please let me know and I’ll be there.”

"it must be fine or it wouldn’t be legal" is such ridiculous nonsense. I agree with you totally @pppppppickupapenguin

Its a bit like saying people must enjoy being poor cos otherwise why do they stay poor. - perhaps a bad analogy but I hope it makes sense to others not just me!

Surely you know you’re not being unreasonable? You stood by a moral and ethical belief you hold. That is absolutely fine to do so. If the others feel uncomfortable, that’s their issue. You didn’t tell them they couldn’t go. Adults make different choices in life.

Do zoos really remove animals from freedom these days? I'm not sure that they do any more.

I'm on the fence because in an ideal world we wouldn't need zoos, but if humans keep destroying animals' habitats or keep poaching them for fur, ivory and "medicinal" purposes what is the answer? Do we let these breeds die out? Are safari parks a better option?

The Amur leopards and tigers at YWP are critically endangered. There are estimated to be about 70 leopards and less than 500 tigers left in the wild.

Without people who are prepared to stick their neck out for what they believe in, we’d be absolutely stuffed.

Animals born into captivity never know any different, you can't miss what you've never had. Arguably they have better living conditions being looked after if sick, fed, warm etc.

I don't love zoos but I can see they're not mistreating animals

That post from the 'zookeeper' is the usual speciesist claptrap about how actually animals are glad that humans have either removed them from freedom to imprison them, or bred them into captivity, so humans can gawk and the zoo can make money from them. They will never understand that no amount of 'perfect enclosure' nonsense will make up for taking an innocent living being and putting them in jail.

What about the south pole summer where the sun never sets?? How is keeping penguins captive away from any natural light or air representative of their habitat?

I hope this is sarcasm but this is the stupidest thing I have ever read on the Internet. Christ.

I doubt the conditions replicate the penguin’s natural habitat in any other way though?!

Not all penguins come from the Antarctic, plenty come from hot climates including Africa and Australia!