Designing Captive Habitats for Delphinidae

Date of Award

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Beulig, Alfred

Keywords

Dolphins, Whales, Delphinidae, Captive Enclosures

Area of Concentration

Marine Biology

Abstract

Captivity of marine marnmals built long been a subject of controversy. Although care and treatment are two main issues with captivity, my thesis focuses on the quality and design of the habitat. Delphinidae is the largest group of whales currently held in captivity. They include dolphins, orcas or killer whales, and other rnelon-headed whales. It is difficult to decipher what a 'proper' habitat is, but it should take into account animal size, activity level, socialization, and meet the animal's anatomical and sensory needs. The pool should be rounded and large enough to allow for swimming at fast speeds (25mph), have environmental enrichment to stimulate cognitive thinking and induce play, and have other features to reduce stress in captivity.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS