To think it’s hypocritical to shun Seaworld but not Disney?

[Mascarponeandwine]

I have a friend who is going to Florida for her next holiday. I mentioned that we’d been to Seaworld many years ago, just in conversation, and she said they wouldn’t go there as they don’t agree with animals captive in tanks. So they’re going to Disney instead.

I pointed out that Epcot, a Disney Park, has a tank of dolphins, a dolphin show and a dolphin encounter for $$$$. Allegedly this is “not the same”

So Aibu to think that it’s hypocritical to virtue signal by boycotting Seaworld because of animal welfare concerns, but quite happily give your money to Disney with their tank of dolphins?

Sea world take care of manatees that have been injured by boats, they are also into conservation.

Not make people are going to have the chance to see whales in the wild thought are they?

Walt Disney didn't use live animal shows because he thought audioanimatronics are much more reliable.

I thought this was about Cinderella being kept prisoner

YABU.

There is no dolphin show at Epcot, and the dolphin encounter does not involve forcing the dolphins to interact. It is left entirely up to the dolphins if they wish to interact with the humans. Furthermore, Dolphin's In Depth doesn't involve swimming with the dolphins, grabbing at their fins for the camera, and they limit numbers strictly.

To give you a sense of scale, BTW, the tank is big enough that it could hold the entire Epcot 'golfball' inside. It is shared with much other marine life, although they had to provide some barred-off space for all the other animals to easily escape to at will when it became clear that the dolphins were attacking the others (for example, they like to head butt the turtles), because dolphins can be utter shits.

Basically, it's entirely different to Seaworld.

When you’ve seen whales in the wild you can see how unbelievably cruel it is keeping them in captivity and making them perform so I personally couldn’t care less what chance people have of seeing them in the wild.

That said a whale watching ticket on a whale sense boat out in the open sea will cost far less than tickets to Seaworld. If people are that fussed about seeing whales they should pay the smaller amount and see them in their natural environment.

Doesn’t Epcot have swim with dolphin programs? I really can’t abide these sessions either. I’ve seen photos of kids clambering over them and they are still in captivity.

SeaWorld is quite different to Disney. Yes they have manatees and dolphins, but one there is no show for either, yes you can pay to interact with them but it's not something you can just do. Two, you actually don't see all of the enclosures for these animals as they are also 'back stage'. And 3 all of these manatees and dolphins are there due to illness or injury, one of the manatees is actually there because of a boat incident thanks to us as humans.

So yes you can say there are large animals in captivity but even the ones of the safari have much more space than we see, they also are there for breeding to release and to also find out about the animals and prevent extinction. Also 1/3rd of the Disney property is a wildlife reserve that will never be touched.

Epcot doesn’t have animal shows. The animals at Animal Kingdom are in a safari park type thing and well looked after, they don’t ‘perform’ and Disney manages all the land around in a sustainable way... the gators that get into the park are captured and released back into the Everglades...

I’m in agreement,m with your friend - I went to Several cities with famous Sea Worlds but declined to go because of the ‘shows’. The whole thing needs shut down - or they can actually turn it all into a proper rescue/ sea centre which they claim to be...

They should ALL be removed to sea pens. Bloody hideous practice

www.dolphinproject.com/blog/disneys-dismal-dolphins-no-make-believe-here/

Keeping animals in captivity to entertain and even worse allow kids to clamber over them and hold on to them whilst they swim is hideous.

Making dolphins interact in waist deep water is an animal show.

@Owlbabie5 at Epcot kids are not allowed to clamber over them, there is no swimming involved, and the dolphins are not made to interact.

From disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_GB/events-tours/epcot/dolphins-in-depth/

• Dolphins are highly intelligent animals whose interaction with Guests is voluntary; they are never forced to participate. Fortunately, dolphins are also extremely social and generally friendly, so while interaction isn’t guaranteed, it is likely.

• Please note that this is a wading encounter where the dolphins are brought to you in waist-deep water. You will not actually be swimming with the dolphins at any time.

• Guests must be 13 years of age or older. All participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a paying adult (18 years of age or older).

Pretty sure they’d prefer to be in the wild in deep water interacting with wild sea creatures instead of humans, as they’re supposed to be.

The dolphins are brought to people who have paid, how do they say no thanks and what happens if they do? Doesn’t seem like a lot of choice is involved. How often are they forced to do this?

If you bothered clicking the link you'd see it's a '3-hour dolphin encounter limited to a group of no more than 8 Guests per day.'

If they don't want to interact, they don't interact. You're free to contact Disney directly for more information if you need it explained more clearly.

Keeping an orca in a seaworld tank is like keeping a goldfish in a thimble they then expect these animals to perfom tricks I totally understand the boycott tbh .

But they allegedly only have 3 dolphins and hoards will want to book. I find it hard to believe they don’t take dolphins if they would rather not to the interaction area when visitors from around the world have booked and paid.

Don’t need to look on the Disney site as the whole thing is abhorrent and all the while they have animals like this in captivity I wouldn’t go near the place.

I think there is a big difference between keeping orcas and dolphins. Whales should never have been in captivity. I don’t really like the idea of dolphins in captivity either but I think the practices at Sea world were at such a different level that I can understand why someone would boycot one and not the other.

Not make people are going to have the chance to see whales in the wild thought are they?

To be fair if you can afford a visit to Florida and the theme parks then you can afford to go on an eco whale watch over there just as much!

I don’t know if they do that but if they do then yanbu.
I feel the same about sea life centres in the U.K.

we went to one a couple of years ago and it was horrible. Gorgeous marine animals in tiny pools. A beautiful sea turtle swimming round and round a small swimming pool.
They had seals they’d rescued but still had them on display for kids to bang on the glass. There was one seal who looked to be in a great amount of pain just laying in blood looking miserable while hoards of people trailed past.
I’ve never been back.

But they allegedly only have 3 dolphins and hoards will want to book.

So? It's still limited to 8 guests per day.

I find it hard to believe they don’t take dolphins if they would rather not to the interaction area when visitors from around the world have booked and paid.

They take them to the general area that's accessible, but the dolphins choose whether or not they wish approach. You finding it hard to believe makes no difference.

Don’t need to look on the Disney site as the whole thing is abhorrent and all the while they have animals like this in captivity I wouldn’t go near the place.

So you're coming at this with no actual knowledge of how it works at Disney and you won't even check the website to get some basic facts before launching into a debate about it. Got it.

So the dolphins are moved out of their scintillating pen to waste high water area to “meet” guests regardless of whether they feel like it or not.

As I said, it’s abhorrent.

How can people even try to defend this? Keeping animals as intelligent and social as dolphin in captivity is just horrendous, however much you dress it up with research/ conservation bollocks.

To be fair if you can afford a visit to Florida and the theme parks then you can afford to go on an eco whale watch over there just as much! @Aragog preach