HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In 1985 after concerns raised about the care of cetaceans in the UK by various animal and environmental groups the then Department of the Environment, now part of DEFRA, commissioned biologists Dr Margaret Klinowska and Dr Susan Brown to research and review the keeping of these animals in UK zoos and aquaria. Klinowska and Brown's report 'A Review Of Dolphinaria' was published in 1986. The authors did have the authority to recommend that cetaceans should not be held in captive care if their research supported such a position. However it did not and they maintained that these animals could be successfully kept in animal collections provided they were given the right conditions. In 1986, a Steering Group of experts and officials was setup to review the recommendations of the report "A Review of Dolphinaria" and after consultation with various interested parties in 1988 they published; "Dolphinaria: Report of the Steering Group" which setup recommendations for the future welfare and keeping standards for cetaceans in UK animal collections. A copy of this report can be found HERE. Within the report I have included links to pages from the UK Dolphinaria web site to provide photographic and in some cases video of the facilities mentioned.   A Review of Dolphinaria was published in 1986 and is and remains Crown copyright and reproduced here under the terms of fair use. CONTENTS
Introduction Sources and Acknowledgments Summary of Conclusions Advice Standards Conclusions Biology and Conservation of Cetacea Existing UK Dolphinaria Former UK Dolphinaria Animals List: Bottlenose dolphins Killer whales Other species	Mortality Rates Water Treatment Legislation Strandings: Strandings Rescue Welfare Ethics Education Research Breeding Bottlenose dolphin births in the UK Standards Review Draft Standards For UK Cetacean Keeping References

INTRODUCTION

Terms of Reference

(1) To advise whether the educational, research or breeding benefits of dolphinaria and similar establishments in the UK are, or can be, of sufficient value to justify the import and display of live cetaceans;

(2) To suggest the standards that should be applied to dolphinaria if they are to be justified on educational, research or breeding grounds (or some combination of these purposes).

The review should take account of:

(i) International Conventions, European Community and national legislation and related rules under which cetaceans are already protected;

(ii) The views of operators and conservation bodies.

The Reviewers

Under a Consultancy Contract between the Department of the Environment and the University of Cambridge, Dr M. Klinowska, of the Research Group in Mammalian Ecology and Reproduction, Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, was appointed to analyse and make recommendations on, the matters referred to in the terms of reference. Dr S. L. Brown, formerly of the International Laboratory of Marine Radioactivity, IAEA, Musee Oceanographique, Monaco, was appointed as assistant.

Margaret Klinowska, BA (Keeley, PhD (Cracow), MSc (London), DIC (Imperial College), MA (Cantab); has specialised in the study of cetaceans for the past ten years. She has produced reports for the Nature Conservancy Council and for the Commission of the European Communities on the status of cetaceans and is currently working on the IUCN Cetacean Red Data Book. Her research interests are in the relationships between animals and their environment, particularly where this relates to biological time-keeping. Current projects include: investigation of the earth's magnetic field as a map and position finding aid; the behaviour of wild and captive dolphins. Dr Klinowska is a member of the Society for Marine Mammalogy, European Association for Aquatic Mammals, British Society for Chronobiology, IUCN Species Survival Commission - Cetacean Specialist Group, Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (UK delegation), European Pineal Study Group, Cambridge Philosophical Society, Groupe d'Etude des Rythms biologiques, International Society of Biometeorology, and of the Shropshire Trust for Nature Conservation.

Susan L. Brown, BSc (Swansea), PhD (Swansea); is a biological oceanographer. Her research interests are in biological processes affecting the flux and cycling of nutrients and pollutants in marine and estuarine ecosystems. She has also taken part in field observations of wild dolphins and has a general interest in environmental and conservation problems. Dr Brown is a member of the Challenger Society and of the Marine Conservation Society.

Methods

The Department of the Environment initially invited submissions of evidence from interested organisations and individuals, and publicised the Review by the issue of a Press Statement. Many issues were raised in the submissions which were received and a wide range of views expressed - all of which have been carefully considered by the reviewers. The submissions also revealed considerable dispute over the facts on which these issues and views were based. The first task, therefore, was to try to establish a set of basic facts about cetacean keeping, particularly in the UK, in the light of which the education, breeding and research questions could be evaluated. To this end, the reviewers entered into extensive correspondence world wide and conducted a thorough literature search. Meetings were held with a number of interested parties and fact finding visits made to all the existing UK dolphinaria and to other organisations, as set out in the Sources and Acknowledgements section.

Considering the controversial nature of the subject of cetacean keeping, it was somewhat surprising to find an almost total international lack of the kind of factual published material required to investigate the various problems. We therefore tried to collect as much original material as possible on UK cetacean keeping and immediately ran into the problem of an almost total lack of written records, except for recent years, for both existing and former establishments. We were thus mainly reduced to checking and cross-checking memories of events up to 20 years ago.

The working method adopted for expanding the information base and checking memories was as follows: everything sent or found was noted. Either the original source of the material was requested or other sources asked whether, to the best of their knowledge, certain statements were likely to be reasonable. A general assessment of the accuracy of sources was made and material which could not be checked was then regarded in the light of the general accuracy of that source. Nobody should be embarassed if their memories of events many years ago, contributed in good faith, have turned out to be less than completely accurate. A working draft of material collected was sent to selected sources, on a confidential basis, in early February 1986, for further checking. Sources were selected on the basis of whether, in the light of experience, they were likely to be able to contribute to the data base and/or check that the various points of view had been accurately and fairly presented. Representatives of the majority of the UK dolphinaria, and their veterinary advisors, met at Windsor in late February 1986, and provided an agreed information paper. This, and other reactions to the working draft, indicated that there were substantial gaps, inaccuracies and misunderstandings. The new material and sources revealed by this exercise substantially improved and expanded the avaliable material, refuted some preliminary conclusions and provided the opportunity to correct some inadvertently infelicitous phrasing.

Timetable

The original contract began on 2 September 1985, with work to be completed by 31 January 1986. By mid-November 1985 it was obvious that, because of the need to establish an original data base, late submissions of material and some problems in arranging the fact finding meeting schedule, the project was running at least three weeks behind the original timetable. An extension of the contract, to the end of February, was negotiated. However, an avalanche of new material arrived in the post in January, and although the working draft was sent out in early February, the rewriting was such a major task that a further extension was required.

The delays have undoubtedly caused inconvenience, for which we apologise, but it would have been unsatisfactory and unsafe to proceed on the basis of the information available in January 1986.

Final Copy

Since so much of the original material in this review is based on memories, and it has not been possible to communicate at first hand with all those involved in past and present UK cetacean keeping, there are still likely to be some gaps, misunderstandings and inaccuracies. However, since information most recently received tends to confirm or add details to known information, rather than opening new areas of enquiry, it appears that at least an overall picture has been obtained and that we do have sufficient accurate information on which to base an assessment.
We ask everyone, particularly those whom we have not been able to contact, to understand the limitations and to accept our apologies for any inadvertent infelicities. Since it is our aim to treat everyone fairly, as well as to present accurate data, comments and corrections are welcome, and should be addressed to Dr Klinowska. If there are sufficient substantial points an update of the factual material can be published as an Appendix for distribution with the Review or in an appropriate scientific journal.

SOURCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - Return to contents

Literature Review, Visits and Meetings

The computer data, sets BIOSIS, ENVIROLINE, Oceanic Abstracts, Aquatic Science Abstracts and America - history and life; the reference file of the late Dr F.C. Fraser (some 5,000 references covering the pre-1963 cetacean literature); the collections of the Scott Polar Research Institute, the Anatomy Department, the Zoology Department and other libraries of the University of Cambridge; publications of the International Whaling Commission and the European Association for Aquatic Mammals; the private collection of Dr Klinowska; were thoroughly searched for relevant material.

Fact-finding visits were made to Flamingo Land, Woburn, Windsor, Brighton, Whipsnade, Merseyside Development Corporation, Knowsley, Scarborough and Morecambe. Video and photographic records of the pools were made and underwater sounds emitted by animals recorded. Windsor kindly made special arrangements for us to observe and record sessions with two visiting school parties. Meetings were held with Wildlife Link, Sea Mammals Research Unit, Nature Conservancy Council, the Board of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals, Greenpeace, the International Zoo Veterinary Group, International Dolphin Watch and Ms J. Gordon Clark.

We are most grateful to everyone for their time, cooperation, patience in the face of almost endless questions, and hospitality.

Submissions, correspondence etc.

We are most grateful to everyone who has helped the review:

Mr J. L. Adams and colleagues (National Zoological Society records and personal dolphinarium archive; an invaluable source of independent information), Mr M. Amundin (Kolmardens Djurpark, Sweden), Sir David Attenborough, Mr C. Arden-Clark (Political Ecology Research Group, Oxford), Mr J. Braithwaite, Mr V. M. Cohen, Mr J. Smolders (Koninklijke Maatschappij voor Dierkunde van Antwerpen, Belgium), Mr C.L. Bieler (American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums), Dr R. M. Warneke (Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Australia), Mr G.R.V. Anderson and Professor J. D. Ovington (Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service), Mr P. Barsdell (Australian Senate Select Committee on Animal Welfare), Mr I. R. Bishop and the Education Department (British Museum, Natural History), Mr R. Bloom (Dolphin Services, Bloom UK), Mr R. Brill (Brookfield Zoo, USA), Mr G. Evrard (Ministry of Agriculture, Belgium), the Earl of Cranbrook, Mr P. B. Turner (British Veterinary Association), Mr M. J. Fielding (British Veterinary Zoological Society), Blair Drummond Safari Park, Dr P. Birnie (London School of Economics and Political Science), Dr M. Brambell, Brighton Aquarium, Mr S.G. Brown, Lord Buxton (Survival Anglia), Mr W. G. Doubleday (Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada), European Association for Aquatic Mammals, Mr P. Clarke (veterinary surgeon), Dr A. Collet (Oceanographic Museum, La Rochelle, France), Mr L. H. Cornell and Mr E. D. Asper (Sea World Inc. San Diego, USA), Miss I. M. Heaton (Captive Animals' Protection Society), Cruelty to Animals Inspectorate (Home Office), Mr D. Jamieson (Circus Fans' Association of Great Britain), Mr D. Cartlidge and colleagues (former dolphin trainers), Mr J. Verges i Coch (Zoo Barcelona, Spain), Mr P. Florio (World Wildlife Fund and TRAFFIC, Italy), Dr A. Gauckler (Stadt Nurnberg Tiergarten, GFR), Dr W. Gewalt (Duisberg Zoo, GFR), Ms S. Goldswain, Ms P. Deimer (GFR), Dr H. E. Dobbs (International Dolphin Watch), Mr G. Newman (Fisheries and Wildlife Service, Australia), Dudley and West Midlands Zoological Society Ltd., Mr N. Carter (Environmental Investigation Agency Ltd., South Africa), Dr P. G. H. Evans (Cetacean Group of the Mammal Society, University of Oxford), Farm Animal Welfare Committee, Flamingo Land, Mr J. Weir (Friends of Marine World, Australia), Dr A. W. van Foreest (the Netherlands), Mr M. Glover (Lynx) and Greenpeace, Ms J. Gordon Clarke, Mr A. G. Greenwood and Mr D. C. Taylor, Mr R. Taylor, Dr Blanke and Mr Ulrich (Bundesamt fur Ernahrung and Forstwirtschaft, GFR), Ms E. W. Gerslund (translations from German and Danish), Mr T. Dokter (Harderwijk, the Netherlands), Dr G. Haydon (University of London Institute of Education), Dr L. Harrison Matthews, Professor Sir Richard Harrison, Mr G. J. Lawrenson (Harrison Horncastle Insurance Brokers Ltd.), Dr K. Hagenbeck (Hagenbecks Tierpark, GFR), Mr A. iiaworth-Booth, Professor P. H. Hirst (Department of Education, Cambridge University), Mr W. C. Hourston (Director of Fisheries in the Pacific Region, Canada, 1960-1975), Dr S. J. Holt (International League for the Protection of Cetaceans), Dr W. E. Evans (Hubbs Marine Research Institute, USA), Professor dr. L. Dittrich (Zoo Hanover, GFR), Italian Cetacean Strandings Study Group, Mr N. Jackson (Welsh Mountain Zoo), Ms H. Kaye, Dr S. Whiteside, Dr P. Fullagar (Project Jonah, Australia), Mr J. Jacobsen (Humboldt State University, USA), Dr C. Kamminga (Technische Hogeschool Delft, the Netherlands), Knowsley Safari Park, Mr S. Leatherwood (Hubbs Marine Research Institute, USA), Mr S. Lyster, Mr D. McBrearty (Anatomy Department, University of Cambridge), Mr McInty (Clacton Pier), Mr V. J. A. Manton, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mr M. W. Cawthorn (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Australia), Dr P. Vincentini (Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Italy), Merseyside Development Corporation, Ms M. Moore, Mr M. Huigen (Delphinarium Munster, GFR), Mr R. Abel (Marine World Victoria Ltd., Australia), US Marine Mammal Commission, Mr G. Emones (Ministry of Agriculture, GFR), Morecambe Marineland, Nature Conservancy Council, Dr R. B. Brumstead and Mr C. Karnella (National Marine Fisheries Service, USA), Dr. P. Nachtigall (Naval Ocean Systems Center Hawaii, USA), Dr K. S. Norris (University of California, USA), Mr D. Nicol (Centre for Environmental Studies, Tasmania), Dr A. N. Baker (National Museum of New Zealand), Mr T. Nutkins, Dr. K. Parry, Dr W. F. Perrin (Chairman, IUCN Species Survival Commission Cetacean Specialist Group), Mr A. Ottaway, Mr I. H. Dardagan, Mr M. R. Gonzalez, Mr W. J. Jordan (Peoples' Trust for Endangered Species), Professor G. Pilleri (Brain Anatomy Institute Berne, Switzerland), Ms K. Pryor (USA), Mr R. F. Rendell, Dr S. Ridgway (Naval Oceans Systems Center, San Diego USA), Mr M. Riddell (Marineland Antibes, France), Mr D. Robinson, Dr P. Rothery (British Antarctic Survey), Mr A. J. B. Rudge, Dr H. C. Rowsell (Canadian Council on Animal Care), Mr P. Vodden (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Mr G. Smart, Mr E. van Stijn (Dolphin Show Bruhl, GFR), Mr L. Stanzani (Adriatic Sea World Riccione, Italy), Mr E. D. Asper (Sea World Enterprises Inc., Orlando USA), Dr R. M. Laws, Dr J. Harwood, Mr P. Hammond, Mrs C. Lockyer, Mr R. Hoelzel and colleagues (Sea Mammals Research Unit), Mr F. Fay (Sea World Australia Ltd.), Scottish Home and Health Department, Mr L. D. Tennant, Mr J. Tiebor (Florida Delphin Show, GFR), Dr M. Tillman (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre), Ms K. Timmel (Switzerland), Dr K. Turner (Department of Education, Cambridge University), Mr R. Ewbank (Universities Federation for Animal Welfare), Dr B. Nielsen (UNEP), Mr K. Gilbey Hewlett (Vancouver Public Aquarium, Canada), Ms R. Lawes (World Society for the Protection of Animals), Woburn Wild Animal Kingdom Ltd., Windsor Safari Park, Mr P. Worswick, Wildlife Link Cetacean Group (including Greenpeace, International Fund for Animal Welfare, International League for the Protection of Cetaceans, Peoples' Trust for Endangered Species, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, World Wildlife Fund UK, Flora and Fauna Preservation Society, Friends of the Earth, Marine Conservation Society, World Society for the Protection of Animals), Ms T. Robertson (World Wildlife Fund UK), Professor A. V. Yablokov (USSR), Mr J. M. Knowles (National Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland), The Zoological Society of San Diego (USA), Vlaamse Vereniging voor de Bestudering van de ZeeZoogdieren (Belgium), Werkgroep ZeeZoogdieren (the Netherlands), Professor P. J. Fensham (Monash University, Australia), Mr R. Williams (School of Education, University of Sussex), Whipsnade, The Zoological Society of London; to those who have provided information on a confidential basis; to the Department of the Environment for initiating and supporting this work, and to Professor P. A. Jewell, Head of the Research Group in Mammalian Ecology and Reproduction, Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, for accommodation and encouragement.

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS - Return to contents

General.

1. Most of the concern about the keeping of cetaceans in captivity is based in one way or another on concern about the animals' health and welfare.

2. This concern with welfare is almost inextricably bound up in the points made about the use or potential use of captive animals for education, research or breeding.

3. It was therefore important to establish facts about the keeping of cetaceans, particularly in the UK, before any assessment of the other questions could be made.

4. It appears from this exercise, that few, even within the UK cetacean keeping community, have been in a position to have any overall. view of events and that the conservation and welfare organisations have not had access to the best information sources.

5. Given the information generally available, the wide concern about the welfare of captive animals is not surprising.

6. In general, many of the concerns about the physical and mental welfare of the animals were either not well founded, related to particular incidents, mainly in the past, or would require extensive research to establish.

7. In general, many of the points put forward in favour of the display of cetaceans were either not well founded, related to particular cases or would require extensive research to establish.

8. Almost none of the conservation and welfare groups were, in principle, against the keeping of other animals for display to the public.

9. There are very many animal species, the vast majority of which are in danger of biological extinction in the wild, of the same legal status under the EEC Regulations as cetaceans.

10. The majority of cetacean species, including those usually kept in captivity, are not in danger of biological extinction in the wild, although cetaceans do have a special place in public affections.

11. It would be anomalous if cetacean holding requirements differed significantly from those for the holding of other species of similar legal status, but significantly worse conservation status, particularly where matters of health and welfare, as well as of education, research and breeding, are concerned.

12. No substantial contra-indications to the keeping of cetaceans have been found which would not apply equally to the keeping of any other wild-caught animal.

13. This is not to say that there are no problems with cetacean keeping, only that the problems are not dissimilar to those encountered in wild-caught animal husbandry in general, and could be solved.

Legislation

1. In the UK, the CITES and EEC provisions cover the catching (through assessments of status and origin), transport and housing of the animals. They also monitor the purpose of imports.

2. The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 gives very wide powers for the control of accommodation and management.

3. Trainers and performances should be registered under the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925.

4. There therefore appears to be ample means in the UK to ensure the welfare of these animals and to control their importation and use at all stages.

5. Since bottlenose dolphins and killer whales are native to UK waters, they, and the other suitable UK cetacean species, could in theory provide specimens for UK dolphinaria.

6. The EEC Regulations only require catching operations in the waters of Member States to be legal or approved by the appropriate authorities.

7. Except for bottlenose dolphins and two other small species, the legal basis for live capture operations in UK waters is obscure.

8. The general legal protection of wild cetaceans is in some confusion, but is almost completely lacking, except for a very few species, and even these may not have protection from over-eager, ignorant or malicious visitors.

9. The legal status of live stranded cetaceans which may be candidates for rehabilitation in captivity is particularly obscure.

10. The EEC Regulations, which treat all Cetacea as if they were listed incites Appendix 1, appear partly on concern for the welfare of captive animals.

11. While importation and keeping of cetaceans is adequately covered by existing provisions, a complete review of the legal status of UK wild cetaceans is required.

12. A far better and more comprehensive way to safeguard the welfare of all captive animals would be by specific EEC Regulations covering all zoo animals. The ad hoc promotion of species to CITES Appendix I status

Education

1. The dolphin shows and guidebooks have unanimously been assessed by three education experts as containing little to any educational purpose. They
find that the form and content of the shows may well give visitors a anthropomorphic impression of the animals.

2. The consultants were also worried about the effects of the so-called hidden curriculum. In other words, the general surroundings and atmosphere also play an important role in determining the things visitors may learn about the animals. For example: the construction and layout of the dolphinaria have nothing in common with the natural habitat and everything in common with the requirements of performances. This makes it more difficult for visitors to imagine the animals in their natural surroundings and reinforces the impression created by the shows that the animals are only charming entertainers.

3. The material and programmes for schools were thought by the experts to be ill thought out and amateur, with the exception of Windsor and Whipsnade which one consultant thought were more professional.

4. The dolphinaria, however, were not set up as primarily educational establishments nor were they required to be so in the past as a condition of holding animals.

5. It is, therefore, to the credit of the dolphinaria that they do have, in some cases long-established, educational provision for school parties.

6. It is not to the credit of the dolphinaria that the form and content of the shows - the only educational provision for the vast majority of visitors - has been found entirely educationally wanting.

7. There can be no excuse for factual inaccuracies in biological and conservation information included in show scripts and other material, or for staff knowledge of the biology, habits and conservation of their charges to be lacking.

8. It appears to be widely agreed, even among some opponents of dolphinaria, that there is a 'something' about seeing a live animal which stimulates interest in a way which cannot be done by films, television or other types of exhibition.

9. There is also wide recognition of the educational value of live animal exhibits which are related to the biology, habits and role of the species (and relatives) in the natural ecosystem.

10. There is no reason why education about the Cetacea, their habitats and conservation cannot be provided at all levels for all visitors.

11. There is no reason why such education should be dull, boring or amateur; an educational exhibit or programme which failed to attract people would have little purpose.

Research

1. The dolphinaria were not set up as research establishments and do not employ research staff. The Zoological Society of London does carry out research and has research staff, but there has been no overall programme involving the cetaceans. Attempts to set up research oriented establishments failed for lack of financial support.

2. Some staff have carried out research projects for personal interest or as part of their professional training.

3. From the earliest days, dolphinaria have cooperated, on request, with a variety of outside research workers, allowing access to animals and to post-mortem material. The veterinary profession have been particularly active in publishing their findings, the academic workers less active in recent years.

4. There are very real limits to the kind of research compatible with display to the public in the UK. The uncertain legal limits are more significant than the training and display schedules, particularly for establishments which are closed to the public in winter.

5. The widely held belief that research on captive animals is not applicable to wild animals has never been tested. There are no thorough comparative studies of wild and captive animals.

6. The study of wild or captive small cetaceans (which include the species kept for display) has never been a major undertaking within the UK; most interest has centred on the commercially hunted species, particularly in the Southern Ocean and North Atlantic.

7. There was one academic group, of international reputation, in the UK in the past with an interest in some work with captive animals, but this group is now dispersed.

8. Today only a few experienced researchers are interested in any work with small cetaceans and, despite student interest, there are almost no opportunities for research training. The major centre for research on captive animals is within the veterinary profession.

9. Financial support for research on cetaceans in UK waters or in captivity has never been extensive or sustained. Such work has no priority today in the programmes of the major funding bodies.

10. In general the animals in dolphinaria are, and have been, a much underused research resource.

11. The dolphinaria alone could make immediate significant contributions through staff research on their own animals, by cooperation with other establishments and by encouraging and supporting staff work with wild animals.

12. If the situation of small cetacean research in the UK is to improve in general, a new initiative is required, with coordination between research workers, the veterinary profession, the conservation and welfare organisations, the funding bodies, the dolphinaria and other interested parties, to set up a comprehensive research programme on captive and wild cetaceans, to provide training for new research workers and to solve the problem of financial support.

Breeding

1. There has been a marked lack of reliable breeding success in the UK, it common with other countries holding captive cetaceans. However, rather more captive bottlenose dolphins have attempted to breed in the UK than was generally known.

2. There has also been a marked lack of systematic research worldwide, anc in the UK, into the reasons for this failure.

3. However, the information now available does tend to support the idea that the age of the animals and the composition of groups played at least some part in the lack of breeding in the UK.

4. The last three bottlenose dolphins to be born in the UK have all survived, one for almost two years now. UK killer whales have had no chance to breed, having been immature and/or kept alone or in single sex groups. In the USA, a killer whale calf, fathered by the male formerly at Windsor, has survived for over six months now.

5. The breeding problem, despite sane recent successes, is one of the most important facts in the concerns about the keeping of cetaceans and needs urgent attention; not only because reliable captive breeding reduces demand for wild-caught animals but also because (although contended by some) breeding success is widely regarded as a demonstration that husbandry is not unsatisfactory.

6. There is no reason why UK establishments could not contribute to knowledge of cetacean captive breeding through their own careful observations and research on all stages of the breeding process.

ADVICE - Return to contents

The UK history of cetacean keeping is not devoid of accidents, mistakes and errors of judgement which have resulted in stress and mortalities. There is evidence of improvement in recent years, and wide legal powers now exist to ensure high standards in all aspects of acquisition, keeping and presentation. There are also many areas where research could lead to further improvements.
Therefore, although the present knowledge of cetacean keeping has been obtained at significant cost to the health and welfare of individual animals, there do not appear to be any absolute impediments to future keeping which would not apply equally to the keeping of any other wild-caught animals.
There is wide recognition of the potential educational value of live animal exhibits which are related to the biology; habits and role of the species (and their relatives) in the natural ecosystem.

Cetaceans are very special to many people, and almost everyone would agree that if the animals are to be kept at all, they are worth keeping well; with the very best which can possibly be provided in terms of care, accommodation and presentation. Few would deny the same high standards to any other species that kept in captivity.

The best way to encourage high standards is through allowing further animals to be taken judiciously from the wild, if necessary. With the future thus assured, there is then incentive to provide existing animals with the best conditions, to invest in new accommodation and equipment, for research into improvement of captive conditions, for comparative studies of wild and captive animals, and for study of wild populations in catching areas, including consequences of catching for remaining animals.

Therefore, although in the past and to some extent at present, it would be difficult to justify UK dolphinaria on educational, breeding or research grounds, such establishments could meet high professional standards in all three areas and make significant contributions.

It is therefore advised that, provided the suggested standards and other matters are observed, cetacean keeping be permitted to continue in the UK and, if necessary, carefully planned acquisition of further animals through imports or other means, be allowed.

It is further advised that there must be no importation or other addition from the wild, to the captive cetacean population in the UK until the accommodation and other requirements are met, in all respects, by the establishment concerned. In any case, establishments must arrange to meet the suggested standards as soon as possible; within five years at the latest for the minimum provision and, unless substantial future research shows the extra space to be detrimental to the animals, within the five years following initial upgrading for the double provision.

Sympathetic consideration needs to be given to accommodation and deploymej of existing animals in the meantime, since temporary moves may be need( during rebuilding, losses deprive animals of companions, or new homy elsewhere may be required.

It is advised that arrangements be made for the periodical review of ti suggested standards, in the light of new research, information and practice considerations.

It is advised that no revision of the basic decision to allow the keeping of cetaceans be made for at least 10 years, to provide a climate of stability which establishments can confidently plan major investments.

STANDARDS CONCLUSIONS - Return to contents

1. Under the current Zoo Licensing Act 1981 Standards, guidelines for the care of all animals are set out. In this general form they cover almost all aspects of the care of cetaceans in a reasonable manner. They do not, of course, deal with the specific requirements of species.

2. The various national and international standards for the housing and care of cetaceans are more or less agreed on all points except minimum pool dimensions and subsidiary pool provisions.

3. There is no research evidence whatsoever on the question of pool size or other pool requirements. Nor is there any research available on the social distances of the species, on their requirements for surface area and depth, or on the effects of training on exercise space needs.

4. Until such information is available, no true picture of the accommodation required can be obtained.

5. In the absence of specific information, the only guide can be general indications and practical considerations.

6. There is a general feeling (although disputed by some on practical husbandry grounds) that the bigger the pool the better. Whether this has any direct bearing on the health and welfare of the animals is unknown, but it certainly has a significant influence on the perceptions of concerned visitors.

7. The EAAM minimum standard for bottlenose dolphins is perhaps the most relevant since it represents general feelings about current best practice among the cetacean keeping community.

8. The various standards for killer whales are even more diverse in their provisions, especially in ratio to the various bottlenose dolphin provisions. We have therefore calculated an equivalent volume provision to that recommended by EAAM for bottlenose dolphins.

9. Since the resulting provision has turned out to be similar to that at the establishment generally considered to be the current world leader, it is neither impractical or widely different from current best practice.

10. Species characteristics are likely to be an important consideration in pool design. For example, the bottlenose dolphins with fluid social groups may require quite different provision to killer whales with permanent social groups, but this is a matter for future research.

11. Although single animals (killer whales and bottlenose dolphins) are not unknown in the wild, they are known to be in social contact with others of their species. There would therefore seem to be no case for the keeping of single specimens of a species.

12. It is in line with modern zoological practice to keep social groups of animals, with a view to breeding. It is therefore necessary to provide suitable quarters at the outset.

13. The EAAM minimum provision allows up to five bottlenose dolphins to be held, although it was envisaged that this would allow a starting group of three animals to breed. These group sizes are typical of those observed for this species in the wild.

14. A similar minimum provision for killer whales seems sensible, with the minimum pool containing sufficient volume for up to five animals, the smallest typical pod size observed for this species in the wild.

15. The proposed water volumes are envisaged as providing one large and one or two smaller enclosures.

16. For social reasons, as well as for maintenance and emergencies, at least two large enclosures, capable of comfortably accommodating all animals held, if necessary, seem to be indicated as well as an enclosure for breeding animals.

17. Therefore, unless substantial future research indicates that the extra space would be detrimental to the animals, establishments should plan rebuilding carefully so that two or more further large enclosures can be provided on the site immediately, or within the five years following the initial upgrading, to provide double the water space indicated by the number of animals held.

18. Although there is no evidence on depth requirements, wild animals do have access to a variety of depths. A reasonable proportion of each pool should therefore be at least twice adult body length deep.

19. In addition, an isolation pool, which meets the minimum space requirements for the largest species held, and facilities for medical care need to be provided. Treatment pools may be smaller than the minimum and must be arranged to facilitate handling and medication.

20. If other accommodation is required as an integral part of a research proposal, temporary variations might be permitted.

21. The overall aim should be for UK establishments keeping cetaceans to take a positive lead in modern standards, not to follow developments elsewhere

BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF CETACEA - Return to contents

Introduction

The whales, dolphins and porpoises are members of the mammalian Order Cetacea, and are collectively known as cetaceans. Although the term 'porpoise' should refer to members of the Family Phocoenidae, it is often used, particularly in the USA and in UK coastal areas, to refer to any small cetacean. Similarly, the term 'dolphin' should refer to members of the Family Delphinidae, which includes killer whales and pilot whales, although some regard these species as members of a separate Family, the Globicephalidae, but is usually used as a collective term for small cetaceans. The term 'whale', which is a clear enough description when applied to the very large species, is not precise where the medium sized species are concerned, and can also be used to refer to all cetaceans.

There are between 70 and 80 modern species, divided into two Sub-Orders. The baleen whales (Mysticetes) feed mainly on small shrimp-like creatures (krill) and fish, which they sieve from the water with the plates of baleen or whalebone in their mouths. Most species are large, and many travel between summer feeding grounds in polar waters and wintering grounds in the tropics. The baleen whales were the major subject of the whaling industry and several species were severely depleted by overexploitation. The depleted species have been protected from commercial whaling for many years, although some local communities still take such animals for their own use. The major conservation concern is to protect critical habitat and food sources to allow the populations to rebuild. Baleen whales are simply too large to be kept in captivity, although one or two specimens have been held briefly.

The toothed whales (Odontocetes) feed on fish and squid. Some species live in rivers, some in coastal waters and some in the open ocean. Some species, for example, the sperm whale, travel long distances; others may never move more than tens of kilometres. Some species have defined ranges in tropical, temperate or polar waters, others a wider distribution. The social habits are also diverse, with some species living in groups of 50 or more and others in groups of three or less. However, the smaller social groups may join temporarily with others, for example for feeding, while individuals may leave the larger social groups. Species range in size from the large sperm whales, to the medium sized killer whales and pilot whales to the smaller dolphins and porpoises. Except for the sperm whale, the toothed whales have never been subject to major commercial whaling, although various, mainly local, fisheries have taken place and some still exist. In recent years, sane species have suffered heavily from accidental catching in fisheries for other species (see below, under Conservation). Coastal species, and in particular the river dolphins, suffer from habitat destruction. Except for the large sperm whales and some of the elusive beaked whales, attempts have been made to keep representatives of many of the toothed whale species in captivity (IWC, 1984).

Some 23 species of cetacean have been recorded in UK waters. While some, such as the narwhal and white whale, are rare visitors, others regularly travel our seas or, like the bottlenose dolphins and killer whales, are resident (Fraser, 1974).
Captivity

The most widely kept species is the bottlenose dolphin; at least 2,700 have been taken world-wide. Just over 300 Pacific striped dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), around 250 short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), 150 spotted dolphins (Stenella spp.), and 120 killer whales are known to have been kept. About 100 specimens of white whale (Delphinapterus leucas), spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris), common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) and boutu (Inia geoffrensis) have been kept as well as over 80 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), the vast majority of which were accidentally caught in fishing nets, and were almost all used for research. There are at least another 20 species, where some specimens (in a few cases up to 50) are known to have been kept. In total, of the order of 4,500 small toothed whales are known to have been kept in captivity world-wide (IWC, 1984).
In the UK, the main species kept is the bottlenose dolphin, with up to 200-300 specimens imported. A few specimens of other species have been imported: 8 killer whales, at least 10 white whales (five of these in the 1870's), 2 pilot whales and 2 common dolphins. Live stranded or net entangled specimens of various local species have been briefly kept. There have been at least three serious attempts to live capture cetaceans in UK waters, all involving pilot whales, but no animals were obtained (see Strandings section, Animals List and the Existing and Former Dolphinaria sections). Since bottlenose dolphins and killer whales are the only species to have been kept in the UK for any length of time, only their biology will be briefly reviewed here.

Bottlenose dolphins

At the moment, one species of bottlenose dolphin is generally recognised, Tursiops truncates (Montagu, 1821), although a number of other nominal species and sub-species have been described. The current view is that these are simply local geographical variations in one species, widely distributed in temperate (including UK) waters. The references to Atlantic and Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the USA cetacean keeping standards, and elsewhere, are recognitions of differences in body size between different stocks, not references to different species. Bottlenose dolphins appear to have two ecotypes, an offshore more mobile type and an inshore type (Leatherwood and Reeves, 1982). Most captive animals are likely to be of the inshore type, since catching operations take place near shore (IWC, 1984). Coastal bottlenose dolphins have been observed in water 2-39 m deep, apparently preferring depths of 2-6 m (Wursig and Wursig, 1979). The inshore ecotype appears to have discrete population units, with limited, overlapping home ranges. Leatherwood, Odell and Asper (1985) say that marked bottlenose dolphins generally remain within 5 km of the marking site. Lockyer (1978) noted similar base areas in UK waters, but some of the animals described remained within such areas for weeks to years and then moved, perhaps some hundreds of miles, to a new base area. These major movements showed no seasonality. Leatherwood, Odell and Asper (1985) note seasonal fluctuations in numbers of animals in their study area, but no general migrations. The ecology of offshore animals is less well known, but they may have larger ranges.

There is a degree of segregation within nearshore herds, based on age and sex. Adult males rarely associate with subadult males, the latter usually remaining in bachelor groups or with one or two adult females. Females with calves associate with each other and occasionally with other age and sex classes. There is a high degree of mixing; animals do not remain with one group over long periods (Wursig and Wursig, 1977; Leatherwood, Odell and Asper, 1985). Leatherwood and Reeves (1982) give a table of observed group size in bottlenose dolphins, compiled from various sources. Mean group size is between 2 and 18, depending on area. McBrearty, Message and King (1986) report the most common group size for bottlenose dolphins in UK waters is 2-5 individuals, but the second most common sighting is of solitary animals. Large groups are seen, but infrequently.

The maximum recorded ages for wild bottlenose dolphins are 25 years for males and about 30 years for females. The average age of sexually mature animals is 19 years for males and about 26 years for females. Average age of sexual maturity is about 11 years in males and 12 years in females. Gestation is about 11 months, with calves about 1 m long at birth. Lactation continues for about 19 months, although the first solid food may be taken before the end of the first year. The maximum lengths are 3.81 m for males and 3.67 m for females (Perrin and Reilly, 1984).

Bottlenose dolphins use echo location to explore objects in their environment and have individual signature whistles. Various other sounds may have a communication function. Captive animals may spontaneously, or through training, produce sounds above water; in the wild, sound emission is almost all underwater. Body movements, chemical signals and tactile contact are other means of social communication (Herman, 1980).

Killer whales

The killer whale, Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758), has a world wide distribution, but appears to be most abundant within coastal and continental shelf waters, including those of the UK. The basic social group is the pod, a permanent association between a female and her accumulated offspring. Pods may associate with each other at various levels of intimacy and utilise ranges which overlap to a corresponding degree. There appears to be a major difference in habit between so-called resident and transient pods. Resident pods are vocal, have more defined local ranges, of about 300 km, and do not feed on marine mammals; transient pods are very much less vocal, have ranges which overlap those of resident pods and may be larger, up to 630 km; and include marine mammals in their diet. Movements within the range may be seasonal, related to the movements of prey species. A typical pod may contain between 5 and 20 animals (range 1 to 50 or so) and can be identified by its particular pulsed call. Pod members retain their call patterns in captivity, apparently throughout life. It is not known whether mating usually takes place within or between pods, although pods containing young calves but no adult males have been observed, leading to a presumption that mating is between pods. No instances of individuals permanently leaving or joining pods have been observed (Bigg, 1982; Hoyt, 1984).

Females are sexually mature at about 5 m, males at about 7 m, representing ages of about 8 and 16 years respectively. Gestation is about 15 months, with calves around 2.4 m long at birth. Lactation continues for a least a year. The maximum lengths are at least 9.4 m for males and 8.2 m for females. Mature males have a characteristically tall dorsal fin. The oldest animals aged from tooth growth layer groups are a 25 year old female and a 35 year old male (Perrin and Reilly, 1984). Observations off Vancouver indicate that maximum age may be very much greater, although this data is based on very low observed natural mortality (Bigg, 1982).

Conservation

Unlike the large whales, where management by species and stock is a matter for international agreement, there is no workable international framework at present for similar management of small species. For many small cetaceans little is known of their status and distribution. Studies associated with or provoked by live capture operations have made major contributions to our knowledge of killer whales (Bigg, 1982; Sigurjonsson, 1984; Leatherwood, Balcomb, Matkin and Ellis, 1984); Commerson's dolphin (Leatherwood, Hammond and Kastelein, 1984; Leatherwood, Kastelein and Miller, 1984; Cornell, Antrim, Asper and Pincheira, 1984) and bottlenose dolphins (Odell and Asper, 1982; Solangi and Dukes, 1983).

Fishing activities account for a large number of small cetacean mortalities every year. Many are also taken for human consumption or because of perceived competition for fish stocks. Each year the small cetaceans sub-committee of the International Whaling Commission collate information on these removals. For example, a minimum of 75,000 animals were known to have been taken in 1982, with a minimum of 60,000 in 1983 (IWC, 1984; 1985). The majority of these were Dall's porpoise (Phocoena dalli), spotted and striped dolphins (Stenella spp.), long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melaena) and Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens). The eastern tropical Pacific tuna fishery was estimated to take 200,000 dolphins (mainly Stenella spp.) annually (Mitchell, 1975). The USA, through technical modifications and sane reduction in the fleet, have lowered their share of this take from 104,000 in 1976 and to about 8,000 in 1983 (IWC, 1978; IWC, 1984).

Conservation and live capture of cetaceans

The Greenpeace policy statement says that sustained capture operations in specific geographic regions have resulted in considerable reductions of wild cetacean populations in those regions. The example of Commerson's dolphin in South America is given and fears are expressed for the welfare of other wild populations, for example killer whales in Iceland and Alaska and bottlenose dolphins in Florida.

Live capture of small cetaceans has been kept under review by the small cetaceans sub-committee of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission in recent years. A special discussion of the subject was held in 1983 (IWC, 1984). For bottlenose dolphins, the sub-committee noted that although there is at present no basis for concern that live capture fisheries have had a detrimental effect on the species overall, there is concern that in the long term, sustained takes from localized populations may have had a significant impact. However these operations (in the USA) were subject to a management programme, with population estimates, and no more than 2 % of the minimum estimated population per year may be taken. The sub-committee felt this guideline to be prudent and believed that it could be safely followed pending results of other assessments. For killer whales, the sub-committee noted that permits were required for live captures in the USA, Canada and Iceland. Japan is the only other country where killer whales are known to have been captured for display. They considered that because of the relatively low levels at which killer whales have been exploited world wide, the species cannot be considered endangered. However, to the extent that stocks are localized and isolated, any exploitation of them can be expected to have long-term impacts on population size and structure. As a guideline, pending stock assessment, the sub-committee felt that removals should probably be lower than the rate of 2 % recommended for bottlenose dolphins.

It was generally recommended that assessment of the size and composition of affected populations be undertaken and that management procedures be initiated for on-going and planned live capture operations.

A census of killer whales off Iceland in October 1982 resulted in 2,931 reported sightings. The highest number of animals sighted in one day, 284, is considered a conservative estimate of the number of killer whales on the Icelandic herring grounds in October 1982. Between 1975 and 1982, 39 killer whales were removed, with 37 exported and 2 dying in holding pools (Sigurjonsson, 1984). The removal of five animals for display in 1982 represents 1.76 % of 284. The killer whale populations of southern Alaska have been recently surveyed. A total of 256 animals were photo-identified and catalogued by pod. The minimum documented population is 286. No live captures have so far been made in this area (Leatherwood, Balcomb, Matkin and Ellis, 1984; Ellis, 1984).

Any future killer whale captures in Alaska would be subject to USA permit regulations. Iceland has a permit system for live captures and, on the basis of a rough census, does not appear to be allowing excessive takes. However, the pod structure and habits of this population are unknown and require study before the effects of live captures can be known in detail.

In 1984 the sub-committee reviewed the genus Cephalorhynchus, of which Canmerson's dolphin is a member. At least 28 animals were known to have been taken for display from Argentinian waters. The populations here are unknown, but the species is not considered to be rare (Brownell and Praderi, 1984). Collectors from the GFR and USA took 18 animals from Chilean waters (Cornell, Antrim, Asper and Pincheira, 1984). The population from which the animals were taken was estimated at 3,160 ± 1,800 from an aerial survey (Leatherwood, Hammond and Kastelein, 1984).

The animals taken to the USA (5 males, 7 females) suffered some initial losses (4 females and 3 males). The remaining animals thrived and produced young in 1985 (Cornell, Antrim, Asper and Pincheira, 1984; Stafford, 1985). Unfortunately, similar losses in the group taken to the GFR resulted in a single sex group, so no reproduction can be expected here.

Removal of 18 Commerson's dolphins from a stock even half the estimated 3,160 can hardly be thought to have had a major effect on the Chilean population. Even though there has been no census of the Argentinian populations, removal of a total of 28 animals over several years is unlikely to have had a major effect, particularly as the species is not considered rare here.

Greenpeace, and others, note that cetaceans are social animals, living in tightly knit groups. They believe that the impact of removing individuals is detrimental to the animals and to the family groups.

From Bigg's work (1982) the taking of killer whales for display does not seem to have had a devastating effect on their pods. Only higher calf productivity and longer bull survival were observed in pods from which animals had been removed. The consequences of other live capture operations on social groups have not been studied in such detail, but since killer whales have the most stable group structure so far observed in cetaceans, it might be expected that the worst effects of removal of individuals would be observed in this species.

Remarks

In comparison with the numbers of small cetaceans taken in other ways in recent years, the numbers taken by live capture are very small. These operations do not appear to have had a significant impact on any species, and the one population of bottlenose dolphins which might, in the long term, have been overexploited, is now under a strict management programme. Removal of animals does not appear to have a detrimental effect on the remaining animals.

Suggestions

(1) Animals should only be taken by live capture from populations of known size and composition which are also subject to careful management procedures and to continuing assessment.

(2) No animals should be acquired, even those already established in captivity, unless the original capture was from a properly assessed and managed population.

EXISTING UK DOLPHINARIA - Return to contents

Introduction

Information from submissions and other sources, not contained in other sections (eg. Education, Breeding and Research), is summarised. Further information on animals is given in the Animals List.

BRIGHTON

Brighton Aquarium and Dolphinarium, Marine Parade/Madiera Drive, Brighton BN2 1TB, Sussex.

Owner: Aquarium Entertainments Ltd.

Directors: Mr E. E. Sander (Chairman); Mr V. M. Cohen, BSc (Econ), Mr E. H. Cohen, Mr G. F. Cox, BA. Consultant: Mr R. Taylor.

Curator: Mr A. Eastcott, BSc, MSc.

Joint Head Trainers: Mr M. Lester and Mr R. Newton.

Trainers: Ms A. Karas, Mr Z. Scott, Ms N. Dancey, Ms M. Leach.

Education Officer: Ms J. Randall. School Party Organiser: Ms R. Powell.

Veterinary care: Mr P. B. Clarke, BVSc, MRCVS.

Consultants: Mr A. G. Greenwood, MA, VetMB, MRCVS; Mr D. C. Taylor, BVMS, FRCVS; Mr V. J. A. Manton, MRCVS, FIBiol; Mr D. M. Jones, BSc, BVetMed, MRCVS, FIBiol. Mr Nutkins and Mr Tiebor were also approached for advice in connection with the recent birth.

Pools:

Polygonal main pool (elongated octagon);
22.0 m max. length, 9.2 m max. width, 3.0 m deep, surface area roughly 175 m2 .
Trapezium shaped holding pool adjoining; 3 m deep, surface area 55 m2 , which can be filtered, but not emptied, separately.
Total surface area roughly 230 m2
Indoor, natural sea water.

Animals:

2 female bottlenose dolphins, 1 male, 1 calf. Owned by Aquarium Entertainments Ltd.

History

The construction of Brighton Aquarium began in 1869 and it was officially opened by HRH Prince Arthur on 12 August 1872, during the British Association meeting there. The first General Manager and Secretary was John Keast Lord, who was in poor health. Mr Frank Buckland, Mr Henry Lee and Mr A. D. Bartlett were called in to assist in running the aquarium. Mr Lee took over as Naturalist Manager after Mr Lord's death. The aquarium was redesigned in 1927. All the historical records were lost in a great storm in 1935 (Burgess 1967).

Brighton also has a long history of attempts to keep cetaceans. Mr Buckland was doubtless involved in early attempts to maintain net-entangled harbour porpoises (Buckland 1876), and James (1914) describes the birth of a calf at Brighton, to one such animal. This appears to be the first birth to a captive animal recorded in the world. Blunt (1976) mentions that Brighton had some success with keeping a beluga (white whale), but there are no details. Since Lee's (1878) extensive survey of white whale keeping to that date does not include Brighton, the animal must have arrived later.

Aquarium Entertainments Ltd, under the Directorship of the late Mr F.C. Glover and of Mr E.E. Sander, have leased the Aquarium from Brighton Corporation since 1955. In 1968 a pool was constructed to house two female bottlenose dolphins from Miami (and is now used for sea lions). A larger pool was built in 1969 (substantially the present pool) and the two dolphins, re-named Prinny and Belle through a national competition, moved into this pool in April, according to local press reports. Four more dolphins were expected from Miami for the opening of the new pool but were delayed by an airline strike. Mr D. Muir and Mr G. Panitzke were trainers. Only four dolphins were later advertised as performing (Argus 2.4.69), because the new group included a mother (Missus) and her one year old calf (Baby, now Missie). This pair were rescued stranded animals and were initially kept in the old dolphin pool.

The history of the other animals is given in the Animals List. Brighton have twice entered into arrangements with other establishments to import groups of dolphins. In 1977, in association with Scarborough, six Mexican dolphins were to be imported for Scarborough. In the event, only five could be brought and these were chilled on the journey. The sick animals were brought to Brighton for nursing, but four died. The fifth recovered and went to Scarborough. This incident is discussed further in the Welfare section.

In 1979, in association with Mr. R. Bloom, six animals were brought from Ocean Park, Hong Kong, where they had already spent some months in captivity. The animals were collected in Taiwan. There is a winter drive fishery here, for meat for human consumption and for 'predation control' as the fishermen believe that the dolphins interfere with their business. In these fisheries, all animals not selected for display are slaughtered (Hammond and Leatherwood, 1984). No appropriate expeditions are listed for Ocean Park by Hammond and Leatherwood (1984). The animals were to have gone to Clacton initially, but the pier was damaged in a storm and accommodation was found at short notice in Worthing swimming pool. Two animals (Connie and Bertie) came to Brighton and the rest were exported.

Present

After the death of Mr Glover in 1983, the Board of Directors of Aquarium Entertainments was reconstructed under the Chairmanship of Mr Sander. Mr R. Taylor, who has been involved with Brighton in various capacities since dolphins were first kept, was retained as Consultant.

Brighton have not kept systematic records of their animals and the veterinary records before 1983 have disappeared following the death of Mr P. French, the original veterinary consultant. The list of animals was complied from various sources, including the memory of Mr R. Taylor.

Silver, the current male, who arrived in 1978 from Taiwan via Ocean Park, Hong Kong, was probably collected from a winter drive fishery at Makung. The early history of Baby (now Missie, because of confusion between 'Baby' and 'the baby') is given above. Poppy arrived in 1972 and gave birth to a calf, which lived for three weeks, in 1981. Soukie is the calf of Silver and Baby (Missie), born in September 1985.

In 1983, 305,500 people visited Brighton, with 278,200 in 1984 and 298,750 in 1985. Many foreign visitors are received, particularly from France, and there are French speaking staff to help them. The current guidebook contains greetings in French and German. There are sea lion displays and various aquatic specimens (including fish etc. from the area donated by local people) are exhibited. The current seals are rescued stranded animals. Brighton is open throughout the year and the public are freely admitted to all areas during opening times.

During extensive renovations to the dolphin pool in 1982-83, the animals were temporarily moved to a salinated swimming pool in Brighton. The entrance to the holding pool has since been modified with the animals in situ. The main pool at Brighton has 20 x 1 m2 underwater viewing windows. It is lined with fibre-glass coating and has some 'weed' paintings. Uniquely for the UK, brushes are installed on the pool bottom for the animals to rub themselves. The holding pool is kept open for the animals' use. Seawater is pumped directly from the sea at high tide, via a settling tank. It is filtered and electrolytically chlorinated. Detailed analyses, particularly for salt content, are made regularly but organochlorine and other potential polluants are not monitored. The animals were not separated for the recent birth.

Relevant staff

Mr Cox, who joined the Board in 1984, graduated in Chemistry and Biology. He worked at Brighton as Curator in 1966-67, and developed the original water-treatment systems and animal husbandry procedures for the first dolphins. Mr Cox's business interests are in aquaria and he has published extensively in this field.

Mr Eastcott, the Curator, has qualifications in Experimental Psychology and Applied Fish Biology. Before he came to Brighton in 1983, he worked at Imperial College and the Royal Veterinary College. He has also worked in aquatic consultancy and fish farming and has acted as an inspector of aquaria for the Zoo Licensing Act. He is a member of EAAM.

Mr Lester and Mr Newton are joint Head Trainers. Mr Newton recently returned to Brighton from Flamingo. There are four other experienced trainers Brighton have a policy of training their own staff and employees are encouraged to study for the ZSL Animal Management Course and to sit the examination. The fees for the course are paid by the Company. Staff are also encouraged to visit other establishments.

Future plans

Plans are being developed for the expansion of the dolphin pool complex to include a large breeding and rearing area, with quarantine and isolation facilities. This will double the existing water area.

FLAMINGO

The Dolphinarium at Flamingo Land Ltd, Kirby Misperton, Nr Malton, North Yorkshire.

Flamingo Land Ltd is a private corporation owned and directed by Mr A. Gibb.

General Manager: Mr T. Pullen.

Dolphinarium Manager and Head Trainer: Mr P. Bloom, BSc.

Trainer: Mr C. Wright, BSc.

Veterinary care: Dr J. Sweeney, VMD, (USA); Mr A. G. Greenwood, MA, VetMB, MRCVS; Mr D. C. Taylor, BVMS, FRCVS.

Pool: 'Figure of eight' shaped main pool; 24.38 m max. length, 2 x 12.19 m diameter, 3/4 pool 4.27 m deep, rest 2.74 m, surface area approx. 233 m2 .
Rectangular holding pool adjoining; 6.40 x 7.62 x 3.05 m deep, surface area 48.77 m2 , which can be operated separately. Total surface area approx. 282 m2
Partly indoor, salt mix water.

Animals: 3 female bottlenose dolphins.
Owned by Dolphin Services (Bloom UK), supplied under contract.

History

The zoological gardens at Kirby Misperton were founded by Mr Pentland Hick about 1959. Mr D. Robinson and others were in association. Until the present owners took over in 1978 the establishment was known as Flamingo Park. (We refer to the establishment as 'Flamingo', for simplicity.)

Flamingo was the first establishment in the UK to exhibit bottlenose dolphins. (The pair brought to the UK in 1962, from Italy, were intended for filming - see Plymouth, Former Dolphinaria section.) The first dolphins (Flipper and her one year old female calf, Cookie) arrived on 20.6.63, flown in from Florida, accompanied by Dr John C. Lilly. The animals are said to have cost £ 2,500 and their pool (with filtration, temperature control and artificial sea water) £ 2,000 (Adams, 1972). Two more dolphins arrived in 1964. Mr Hick formed Associated Pleasure Parks, which opened a second zoo at Cleethorpes, with a dolphin exhibit. These dolphins probably first came to Flamingo for training, establishing a pattern for the future. Until about 1974, animals for UK and European dolphinaria arrived at Flamingo for training before moving to other establishments. Some animals returned to Flamingo for the winter, and some of these took part in winter tours. Unfortunately, all records stored at Flamingo were taken by the Receiver when the penultimate owners, Scotia Pleasure Parks Ltd, ceased business.

Mr Hick was very adventurous, not only in transport methods, but also in his search for new species to exhibit. The first dolphins travelled by air, but one of the consignments in 1966 travelled by sea in open tanks on the deck of a boat. Mr Hick sent his people far and wide. Mr Rendell (see Windsor) went to Canada to obtain white whales. A very young animal 'Titchl was flown in from Vancouver in 1964. It was 6 feet long, weighed 135 lbs and had been found stranded by fishermen. The animal was only about seven months old and had to be bottle fed. It did not survive for long. In 1965, four white whales were sent by sea from Quebec, travelling in tanks on the deck of the liner Arcadia. Two were lost overboard in a storm when the tank failed, one died and the other was injured. The survivor and the dead animal were landed. The survivor was taken to Cleethorpes, but died of its injuries about September 1965.

This was not the first attempt to keep white whales in the UK. In 1877 a female, taken in May by seine-net in Labrador, was sent by ship to Montreal and by rail to New York, where she was kept in an aquarium at Coney Island. The animal was sent by sea to the UK, travelling in a box of wet seaweed and having water poured over her at frequent intervals day and night. The 2.74 m animal swam about the 12.19 x 6.10 x 1.83 m deep 45,000 gallon fresh water tank at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster and ate live eels soon after arrival in the September, but died of pneumonia on the fourth day. Mr Farini, the entrepreneur, then sent Mr Zach. Coup, the catcher who had taken and accompanied the white whale, to Lerwick in the Shetland islands in search of a pilot whale as a replacement. This expedition was frustrated by bad weather. However, on 18.5.1878 four more white whales left the USA by ship and arrived on 27.5.1878. One animal had died during a storm, but the other three were sent to Pomona Gardens, Manchester, to Blackpool and to the Royal Aquarium, Westminster. These animals had been caught in the same place as the first, by Mr Coup. No information has been found on the further history of these animals, although the Westminster specimen is described as 'soon making itself at home in its new quarters' (Lee, 1878).

Mr D. C. Taylor (at that time veterinarian-curator) was sent to Greenland in search of narwhal and even on an unlikely expedition to Pakistan to follow up an offer of pygmy sperm whales (the ordinary sperm whales were considered to be too large, even by Mr Hick). Taylor (1976) describes the Pakistan affair -a new-born pygmy sperm whale was seen eventually, in a pool at Karachi, but it had been killed by a 'banger' firework in the anus. There was no sign of the mother, or of any other members of the species. A pair of Adriatic common dolphins were imported from Riccione, Italy, in 1964/5, but they were very stressed by the journey and only lasted a few days.

A number of attempts to obtain pilot whales were made. Staff travelled to a live stranding in Scotland (not recorded in the British Museum (Natural History) records) but were unable to obtain animals because of opposition from local landlords. They may also have been involved in the attempt by Mr John Sadler, on behalf of Billy Smart, to catch pilot whales which strayed into the Thames in 1965 - see Windsor. Mr R. Bloom and Mr Rendell did bring a baby pilot whale back from the Faroes hunt in 1966. The animal was very young and died after a few days. Either Cleethorpes or Flamingo had another pilot whale, source unknown, in October 1964.

In 1966 a new pool, designed by Mr R. Bloom, was opened. It was extended to form the '8' shape it has today in 1968, for the reception of Cuddles, an 11 112 ft young male killer whale. The animal, which was thought at the time to be female, arrived from Seattle by air, accompanied by Mr D. C. Taylor. (Cuddles was moved to Dudley in 1971 and died there in 1974, just before he was due to move to his new home in Nice.) Taylor (1976) describes an unsuccessful artificial insemination attempt between Cuddles and the older female Calypso of Cleethorpes.

Besides the failure to obtain a wide range of cetacean species, Flamingo had some problems with the bottlenose dolphins. At least five pregnant animals arrived from the USA in September 1965. None of the young survived and one of the females was also lost. There was a stillbirth in 1966 (or possibly at Cleethorpes), and another birth in 1967. These would most likely all have been wild conceptions. (Movement of pregnant animals is today not approved by IATA and CITES regulations, except in emergency where the risks of not moving the animal outweigh the risk of travel - see Standards section.) In 1969 there was great excitement over the birth of a captive conceived calf to Moby and Dolly. According to press cuttings the calf lived for two weeks. This seems to be the first captive conceived birth in the UK.

However, financial problems arose and Mr Hick sold Flamingo to Scotia Pleasure Parks Ltd in 1969. From then until 1973, Flamingo and Cleethorpes were run together with Scarborough. Another dolphinarium was opened for the summer in about 1970, at Gwrych Castle in North Wales, but there were problems with the portable pool and Gwrych seems to have only been open for one or two seasons. In 1971 Scotia took over Dudley and moved dolphins and the killer whale, Cuddles, there. Flamingo sent two dolphins to Southsea by rail, for the 1973 summer season. This pair were then sold to Windsor, where one, Lulu, is still alive and gave birth to a surviving calf in 1984. Mr Robinson left Flamingo in December 1973. In March 1974 five dolphins were lost in 48 hours from hepatitis when structural failure allowed contaminated water into the main dolphin pool and water quality in the side pool, to which the animals had to be confined, became uncontrollable (see Welfare section). From about 1975-77 Mr Nolan supplied the Flamingo dolphins. The last three of these animals died from systemic candidiasis in 1976-77 when the water treatment system became contaminated with fungi (see Welfare section). The system was completely cleaned and partly renewed before three animals, provided by Margate, arrived for the 1978 summer season. No dolphins were exhibited between 1979 and 1984

Present

In about 1981, as a result of requests from visitors, preparations were made to house dolphins again. Renovations included a new filtration system, food storage and preparation areas, water testing laboratory, heating system, staff facilities and repairs to the building and seating. Animals were to be obtained, trained and managed by Mr R. Bloom on a sub-contract basis.

The pool was not quite ready in December 1983, and, as Mr Bloom's import permit was about to expire, the new animals were temporarily brought in to Knowsley. One of the three Flamingo animals died at Knowsley as did Knowsley's elderly male animal (see Welfare section). When the Flamingo pool was ready in February 1984, the two remaining Flamingo animals and the Knowsley female were moved together to Flamingo (see Knowsley for details).

The zoo and dolphinarium are closed in winter. In the colder months, the dolphins are kept mainly in the indoor area of the pool, which can be enclosed by sliding doors. The trainers reside in a caravan, adjacent to the dolphin pool, throughout the year and the animals are never left unattended. The animals are trained to retrieve foreign objects from the pool and present them to the trainer. Trainers regularly swim with the dolphins and recreational swimming with the animals is allowed, under the supervision of the trainers and at the participants' own risk. A class of 27 children recently swam with the animals for the television programme Jim'll Fix It.

The dolphins are the only animals in the Park managed by a sub-contract. This arrangement was made because of the specialised knowledge required. The Park provides the facilities and Dolphin Services (Bloom UK) provide the animals. On all matters to do with the welfare of the animals, the Head Trainer has authority. This includes the number of shows per day, although the Park management may make requests.

Relevant staff

Mr P. Bloom has a BSc in fishery science and eight years experience with dolphinaria. He has worked at Clacton, Windsor, Hong Kong, two dolphinaria in Spain and in Manila, the Philippines, (where he designed the pool, oversaw the construction, collected the dolphins from Taiwan and trained the animals and staff). Mr P. Bloom has a certificate of registration, Performing Animals Regulation 1975, from Essex County Council.

Mr C. Wright has four years experience with dolphins, at Clacton and Flamingo. At Flamingo he also has day-to-day responsibility for the aquarium in the underwater viewing area, which exhibits a small selection of North Sea fauna and flora, collected by staff and friends. He has a BSc in biological sciences, specializing in marine biology and environmental sciences.

Mr R. Bloom, with over 20 years experience in all aspects of dolphin husbandry and training, is available for consultation.

Dr Sweeney has instructed the staff in general health care and in his methods of training animals to present for medical examination.

Future Plans

There are no plans for expansion of the facilities at the moment. When the dolphins are of a suitable age, the owners would like to obtain a proven male, possibly on temporary loan, for breeding.

KNOWSLEY

Knowsley Safari Park, Prescot, Nr. Liverpool, Merseyside.

Owner: The Right Honourable, the Earl of Derby, MC. (private company).

Manager: Mr L. D. Tennant, MBE, MRCVS.

Head Trainer: Ms M. Moore. Trainee: Ms A. Langley.

Veterinary care: Mr A. G. Greenwood, MA, VetMB, MRCVS; Mr D. C. Taylor, BVMS, FRCVS.

Pool: Rectangular main pool; 15.24 x 7.62 x 3.96 m deep. 2 holding pools, 3.05 x 3.05 x 3.05 m deep, which can be isolated and emptied separately. Indoor, salt mix water.

Animals: 1 male and 1 female bottlenose dolphins.

History

In the early 19th century, the 13th Earl of Derby established a menagerie at Knowsley. He collected and bred rare and exotic species. The collection had 318 bird species and 94 species of other animals, as well as a museum. Edward Lear stayed at Knowsley and produced a series of bird and animal drawings, which are still in the library. Lear also entertained the Earl's grandchildren with the material later published as the 'Book of Nonsense' and other works.

Knowsley was opened to the public as a safari park in July 1971, after a partnership was formed between the 18th Earl and Mr Jimmy Chipperfield. The dolphin pool and building were completed and opened in June 1972 by Trust Houses Forte Leisure Ltd (at that time known as Entam). The operation was owned and controlled by Trust Houses Forte on a contract basis. This company also owned Rhyl and animals moved between Knowsley and Rhyl, wintering together at Knowsley. In later years animals wintered at Trust Houses Forte's Woburn establishment.

By 1975, the ex-Rhyl Flipper (Eccles) and Blodwyn were providing the summer show. After Blodwyn died at Woburn in January 1980, new animals were required. Mr Nutkins (see Windsor), at that time General Manager of Trust Houses Forte dolphinaria, decided to seek animals from the Far Eastern drive fisheries which would otherwise be slaughtered for human consumption, rather than American animals, which would otherwise not be disturbed. The Far Eastern fisheries are described by Hammond and Leatherwood (1984). Mr Nutkins and Mr D. C. Taylor accompanied Ocean Park (Hong Kong) personnel to Taiji, Japan in April 1980. The expedition was filmed for the BBC TV Animal Magic programme. Four animals were obtained, two remained at Ocean Park and two were brought to the UK. (No Taiji expedition at the right date is listed by Leatherwood and Hammond (1984), or by Kasuya, Tobayama and Matsui (1984).)

The two Japanese females (Sooty and Sabrina) performed with Flipper (Eccles) at Knowsley in summer 1980. However, Flipper (Eccles) fought with them and he was sold to Germany (Tiebor) at the end of the season. ('Fighting' is sometimes a euphemism for sexual activity disruptive to shows and embarrassing for presenters. Flipper (Eccles) was likely to have been mature by this time; having been captive for at least eight years he must have been ten or more years old.) Sabrina, who had never been very well, died at Woburn in October 1980. No dolphins performed at Knowsley in 1982, Sooty having gone to Blair Drummond with Clyde because his usual partner, Bonnie, had died in June 1982. Sooty and Clyde performed at Blair Drummond as 'Flipper' and 'Scottie'.

Trust Houses Forte gave up their contract with Knowsley at the beginning of 1983, because of the difficulty and expense of obtaining replacement dolphins. A new arrangement was made with Mr R. Bloom, who obtained a permit to import two dolphins from the USA. The first animal, Lindy (Lyndenburg), was a male who had been in Marineland, Palos Verdes, California for about 12 years and had become a social outcast within the group in one of their holding pools. He was captured off Florida in 1972. He arrived in March 1983, became ill with phlebitis about Christmas 1983 and died in February 1984 of liver failure (see Welfare section). A young female, Lottie (Charlotte), caught in March 1983 by Dr Sweeney off the Florida west coast, north of Charlotte Harbour, arrived in July 1983.

Mr Bloom had also obtained a permit to import dolphins to Flamingo at this time. Three young females, caught by Dr Sweeney off Charlotte Harbour, Florida, at the end of October 1983, were imported in December 1983 and brought to Knowsley because the pool at Flamingo was not quite ready and Mr Bloom's import permit ran out at the end of 1983. One of the three, Sybil, who had not been well since arrival, died of drowning and peritonitis in February 1984 (see Welfare section). Lottie was moved to Flamingo with the two remaining females in February 1984, rather than leave her alone at Knowsley. There was no dolphin display at Knowsley in the summer of 1984.

Present

In October 1984, Sooty and Clyde were brought to Knowsley from Blair Drummond. Mr Nutkins had purchased them from Trust Houses Forte when the company gave up their dolphin interests in 1983/4, to prevent the animals being sold abroad. Their trainer, Ms Moore, arrived with them. Clyde was caught in Florida in the late 1960's and moved to Beirut after a stay at Fort Lauderdale, USA. Mr R. Bloom brought him from Beirut to Oxford Street probably early in 1971. From about 1973 he went to Trust Houses Forte, performing at Rhyl and Blair Drummond. He wintered at Woburn and, possibly in the early years, at Knowsley. He must now be in his late 20's and approaching the maximum life span known for wild bottlenose dolphins. Sooty's history is given above. These animals provided the display in the summer of 1985. In September 1985 Knowsley were granted permission by the Department of the Environment to buy the animals from Mr Nutkins and to display them until 30.6.86.
The park and dolphinarium are closed in winter. There is no underwater viewing. The filtration system has been completely renewed recently and water turnover is about two and a half hours. There is a separate charge for entry to the dolphinarium. Recreational swimming with the dolphins is not allowed, but the trainers regularly swim with the animals in summer. No births have taken place in the pool.

Relevant staff

Ms Moore has seven years experience in dolphinaria and has worked at Brighton, Blair Drummond and in Switzerland.
Ms Langley is a trainee, who started in March 1985. She presents the shows.
Ms Moore and Ms Langley look after the dolphins between them, arriving at 12.00 and leaving after the late feed. They take turns to have free days and cover for each other during holidays. Mr Tennant is prepared to act as reserve presenter if required.

Future plans

Knowsley would like to continue keeping dolphins. They found that the public complained when none were kept; in particular, school party projects were frustrated. They wish to keep the animals as owners, not on a contract basis, since they prefer to have full responsibility. There is plenty of land available adjacent to the existing dolphinarium for expansion of facilities.

MORECAMBE

Morecambe Marineland, Stone Jetty, Morecambe, Lancashire.

Owner and operator: Ocean World (Marine) Ltd.

Managing Director: Mr R. Houlton.

Manager and Head Trainer: Mr J. Braithwaite.

Trainer and Schools Liason Officer: Mrs B. Braithwaite.

Veterinary care: Mr A. G. Greenwood, MA, VetMB, MRCVS; Mr D. C. Taylor, BUMS, FRCVS

Pools: A: 11.75 x 10.50 x 5.50 m; surface area 123 m2 B: 10.80 x 9.25 x 2.50 m; surface area 100 m2 Total surface area 223 m2 .
Outdoor, natural sea water.

Animal: 1 male bottlenose dolphin.
Owned by Ocean World (Marine) Ltd.

History

The late Mr Robert Jackson conceived the idea of building a marineland at Morecambe. He was the first Managing Director of Marineland (Morecambe) Ltd, which built and ran the marineland in the first year. Mr George Lansdale was also involved. A block of research laboratories and underwater viewing were mentioned in the early specifications but were not included in the final plans, for financial reasons, although the first guidebook mentions hopes for research laboratories as well as educational programmes for schools and other groups. Six bottlenose dolphins imported from Miami Seaquarium, Florida were present for the opening on 9.6.64. This private company went into liquidation after the first year and Morecambe and Heysham Corporation (as guarantors) took over. Mr Jackson continued as consultant until his death in May 1969. The Corporation sold the Marineland to Trident Television in April 1977. The present owners took over in late 1983.

Although Mr Nick Jackson has kindly provided information about the early days, the records of Morecambe and Heysham Corporation appear to have been lost during the local government reorganisation. At some point one of the aquaria may have been adapted as an underwater viewing tank, containing two dolphins. The small watertight door used to admit animals can still be seen at the back of this tank. However, it is possible that the tank was used for seals, not dolphins. The trainers at one stage were Mr S. Gallagher and Mrs S. Gallagher. Mr Gallagher spent some time there in 1965, returning after working in Europe and at Flamingo.

Since 1972, when Mr Coomber the aquarist arrived, a total of seven bottlenose dolphins have lived at Morecambe. The original group were Rocky, Sadie and Hattie. Two females, Cleo and Cindy, arrived in 1975, having spent some years previously in the 'petting pool' at Japanese Village, Los Angeles. Cindy died soon after and Cleo was moved to Windsor in 1977 and sold to Gasser, Switzerland. The newly caught Blue and Amber spent the winter at Windsor and performed with Rocky from 1981. Under Trident, animals wintered at Windsor while Morecambe was closed. Rocky last wintered at Windsor in 1983-84. Morecambe currently closes for the winter, but before 1977 was open all year, although the dolphins only performed in summer.

Present

Amber and Rocky were sold to the new owners, but Amber died at Windsor and Rocky returned alone to Morecambe in 1984.
In addition to the dolphin, Morecambe exhibits other aquatic animals: currently sea lions, alligators, marine turtles, tropical marine and freshwater fish, cold freshwater fish and local marine fauna. The sea lions mainly use pool B and the dolphin, pool A, although the animals are allowed the run of both pools at times.

The pools contain natural sea water, drawn from the Bay via a 100,000 gallon settling tank, filtered and chlorinated. The Bay water is closely monitored by the Central Electricity Generating Board because of local power stations. They would give warning of any major changes, for example in pollutant levels.

The dolphin is trained to bring foreign objects back for food reward. He sometimes stores suitable material eg. feathers, to obtain rewards when required. The staff believe that Rocky's performance is aided by the deep pool (much the deepest in the country), enabling him to gain more height for leaps. Recreational swimming with the dolphin* is not allowed. Staff believe that this is not in keeping with the dignity and character of the animal and is part of the anthropomorphic attitudes to dolphins which they deplore.

Dolphins visit Morecambe bay from time to time. In 1980 a stranded common dolphin was nursed in a back-tank for nine weeks, but was too ill to help permanently. Stranded seals are also nursed here and released when fit.

Relevant staff

Mr Braithwaite has 12 years experience in dolphinaria and has been at Morecambe since 1977. He has worked at Blair Drummond, Scarborough, Gibraltar, Knowsley and in South Africa. He is an electrical engineer and also maintains the plant. Mr Braithwaite has contacts at Nice, Majorca and South Africa. He welcomes the current custom of trainers visiting each other at the end of the season to exchange ideas, in contrast to the old days when training was a closely guarded secret.

Mrs Braithwaite has 14 years experience as a dolphin trainer and has been at Morecambe since 1977. She has worked at Blair Drummond, Scarborough, Gibraltar, Knowsley and South Africa.

Other staff are taken on in summer. A local student currently assists with the dolphin in vacations and there is a trainee dolphin keeper. Mr H. Coomber, who was appointed in 1972, is responsible for the aquaria.

Future

Morecambe have plans to extend their pools and would like to obtain two female dolphins from the USA to forma social group with a view to breeding.

WHIPSNADE

The Water Mammals Exhibit, The Zoological Society of London, Whipsnade Park, Dunstable, Beds. LU6 2LF.

Owner: The Zoological Society of London (Registered scientific and educational charity, with zoological gardens at Regent's Park, London and at Whipsnade).

President: Sir William Henderson, FRS.

Secretary: Dr R. M. Laws, CBE, FRS.

Treasurer: The Rt. Hon. Lord Peyton of Yeovil.,

Whipsnade:

Curator: Mr V. J. A. Manton, MRCVS, FIBiol.

Park Manager: Mr 0. Chamberlain.

Senior Overseer: Mr J. Stanbridge. Overseer: Mr J. Datlen.

Present dolphinarium staff: Mr L. Radford, Senior Keeper; Ms M. Sudder, Ms J. Crabtree, Ms C. A. Bird.

Education Officer: Mr Ricketts.

Veterinary Care: Mr Manton, Mr R. Kock, MA, VetMB, MRCVS.

Pools: A: roughly boomerang-shaped outdoor pool;
max. length 19.0 m, max. width 5.0 m, 3.4 m deep.
B: trapezium-shaped indoor pool;
max. length 13.0 m, max. width 5.0 m, 3.4 m deep.
C: rectangular indoor isolation pool with stranding shelf;
6.0 x 4.8 m; shelf 4.8 m x 2.0 m x 1.0 m deep, rest 2.5 m deep.
Surface areas approx. 95, 65, 20 m2 ; total 180 m2 All pools can be operated and drained separately. Partly indoor, salt mix water.

Animals: 1 male and 1 female bottlenose dolphins. Owned by the Zoological Society of London.

History

The Zoological Society of London (ZLS) was founded in 1826, with the intention of establishing a collection of animals in London for the advancement of zoology and animal physiology and the introduction of new and curious subjects of the animal kingdom. The zoological gardens at Regent's Park were opened in 1828. In the 1860's, Mr A. D. Bartlett, the Superintendent, and Mr Frank Buckland made several efforts to keep net-caught harbour porpoises at Regent's Park. (14 arrived, 3 died before collection; none lived very long.) There was also, apparently, a whale pool constructed at Regent's Park to receive a white whale from north America which had been promised (Blunt, 1976: Buckland, 1866). It is unlikely that any white whale arrived at this time since Lee (1878) makes no mention of it in his review.

The ZLS acquired Whipsnade Park in 1927 and it was opened to the public in 1931. It was conceived as the first 'open' zoo, where the animals could roam in large open-air enclosures.

Present

The Society has always exhibited a wide range of species and in the early 1970's it was decided that a representative of the Order Cetacea would enhance the educational value of their collection. A small unit was opened in May 1972, after extensive consultations with other establishments to determine the requirements for 'best practice' of the day. It was intended to be the beginning of a complex showing members of the Order (Manton, 1974), but no further development of the exhibit had been carried out by the end of 1985.

One of the first three dolphins died within a few days of arrival. Two more arrived in the autumn of 1972. In 1984 a calf was born to Nina, who had arrived in 1978, which lived for just under a month. The present male, Samson, came from the Texas coast in 1978. The female, Lady, was taken in the same area in 1980. She was previously at Windsor, performing at Scarborough in summer, and was bought by the ZLS in July 1985.

Whipsnade, uniquely for the UK, have complete records of their animals for the time they lived in the park and a complete set of keepers' logbooks, which have provided data for several research projects (see Research section). Recreational swimming with the dolphins is not allowed and staff usually only enter the pool for maintenance reasons. The park is open throughout the year, with dolphin displays in summer. Training sessions take place in winter, without commentary, which are advertised in the park in the same way as summer show times. Visitors may enter the underwater viewing and outdoor pool areas at any time. The indoor pool area is closed for an hour at lunch time, but otherwise freely open to the public.

The indoor pool at Whipsnade has three large underwater viewing windows under cover. The filtration plant can also be seen on the other side of the viewing corridor.

Extensive repairs to the roof of the indoor pools were in progress in the autumn of 1985.

Relevant staff

Mr Manton has been involved with the dolphinarium from the beginning. His interest has resulted in papers on the principles of water treatment and on nutrition (Manton, 1974; 1975). Mr Manton has been an editor of Aquatic Mammals since 1972 and sole editor since 1985. He is a member of the board of the EAAM at present but has served in several capacities in the past, including Secretary. With Mr Kock, he provides the veterinary care for the dolphins and conducts post mortem examinations.

Mr Datlen, the Overseer, set up the dolphinarium when he was a Head Keeper.

Mr Radford, a Senior Keeper, is in charge of the dolphinarium at present. His research project for the Advanced Course in Animal Management was on the food intake of the dolphins.

Ms Sudder (Qualified Keeper), Ms Crabtree (Unqualified Keeper) and Ms Bird (Menagerie Helper) also care for the dolphins, train and present shows.

Two staff are on duty at the dolphinarium each day. Mr Datlen and Ms Sharpe (formerly at the dolphinarium, now at the Childress' Zoo) are also available to provide cover if required.

Staff appointment and training

The ZLS have a policy of taking on staff for the institution in general. After appointment they may be assigned to any section and may be moved at any time. The dolphinarium staff have the same status and conditions as any other staff. Appointments may be made in the first instance at the age of 16 to Menagerie Helper, with a six month probation. Promotion to Unqualified Keeper may take place at 21, but carries no pay increase, being a recognition of competence only. By this time, the first part of the ZLS Animal Management Course will have been passed. The course is run in conjunction with Paddington Technical College. Senior zoo staff act as tutors for specific subject areas. Staff over 21 on appointment become Unqualified Keepers but are barred from further promotion until the ZSL course is passed.

There are two steps for promotion to Qualified Keeper. Staff must have served 5 years under 21 or 2 years over 21, or a combination of either. They must also pass the Ordinary level of the ZSL Animal Management Course. This includes practical assessments, written and oral examinations. The practical assessment extends over two years with senior staff reporting on the candidates' timekeeping, reliability, initiative, conduct, practical skills with the animals and public relations abilities. After four years as Qualified Keeper there is a pay increment. After another three years staff may be appointed to Senior Keeper. This requires the Advanced Course to be passed, which includes a research project. The different stages in the staff training programme represent personal promotions and do not necessarily entail extra responsibility. The senior staff (Head Keepers and above) are promoted from among the Senior Keepers.

The ZSL Animal Management Courses (and the similar National Extension College postal Animal Management Course for City and Guilds examinations) are intended to train students in all aspects of animal management and modern zoo practice, although there is provision for some specialization in the later stages. The Society is unable, for financia~reasons, to support travel for keeping staff to other establishments or to professional meetings.

Future

Whipsnade would like to build a large breeding complex, stocked with animals of appropriate age from the same wild social group, near the existing dolphinarium, retaining the old pool for performances.

WINDSOR

Windsor Safari Park Ltd, Winkfield Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 4AY.

Owner: Windsor Safari Park Ltd, a subsidiary of Southbrook and City Holdings Ltd.

Managing Director: Mr A. Haworth-Booth.

General Manager: Mr T. Nutkins.

Curator: Mr R. F. Rendell.

Senior Warden in Charge of Dolphinarium: Mr D. Lindsay.

Trainers: Ms A. Redknap, BSc, Mr W.R. Prickett, Mr P. Lanehart, Mr P. C. Witts, Mr D. Beasley.

Education Officer: Ms S. Goldswain.

Assistant Education Officer: Ms J. Covering, L1B, BEd.

Submission prepared by Mr S. G. Brown, BSc, MSc.

Veterinary Care: Mr A. G. Greenwood, MA, VetMB, MRCVS; Mr D. C. Taylor, BVMS, FRCVS.

Pools: A: rectangular display pool 26.0 x 14.0 x 3.5 m deep with four timber holding pens 2.6 x 3.5 x 1.5 m deep included. Two underwater viewing panels, under cover.
B: pear shaped back pool, partly above ground,
with seven underwater viewing panels
(not under cover) and a
bridge at one end for public viewing.
Connected to the main complex by a channel.
Maximum length 26.0 m, maximum width 12.5 m, 3.5 m deep.
C: rectangular whale holding pool, adjacent to main pool and connected to it. Screened from the public but open air. 7.6 x 7.6 x 3.0 m deep.
Approximate surface areas: A: 315 m2 (ex. holding pools); B: 218 m2 ; C: 58 m2 ;
Total: 640 m2 (inc. holding pools).
Outdoor, salt mix water.

Animals: 2 male, 3 female (one pregnant at end 1985) adult bottlenose dolphins, 2 male bottlenose dolphin calves, 2 killer whales (male and female).
The dolphins and female killer whale are owned by Windsor Safari Park Ltd; the male killer whale is owned by International Animal Exchange, and housed at Windsor at the request of the Department of the Environment.

History

The Windsor Safari Park was founded and developed by the Billy Smart Organisation in 1969 and was officially opened in 1970, by HRH Princess Margaret. The Park was sold to Trident Television in June 1977 and bought by Southbrook and City Holdings Ltd in December 1983, who continue to be the holding company.

In 1965, when 30 pilot whales were spotted in the Thames, Billy Smart and others (probably including Flamingo staff) organised a catching expedition. Mr John Sadler, who later became the first dolphin trainer at Windsor, spent five days and £ 1,000 trying to catch animals for display until notified by the police that whale catching in the Thames was illegal (Adams, 1972). The whale sighting is not noted in the British Museum (Natural History) records, but the story has been confirmed from several independent sources, including Mr G. Smart.

Taylor (1982) describes how he and Mr G. Smart went to Malta to rescue two baby pilot whales which had spent three days on a fishmongers slab. The animals were treated and kept in a swimming pool, with the intention of taking them back to Windsor. Smart and Taylor went to make arrangements but on return found the animals very ill from sunburn. The local people caring for the animals had been told to keep them out of the sun, but had decided that since the animals seemed to prefer sun to shade, a covering of sun tan oil would provide sufficient protection and let them out. The animals were covered in infected blisters and died shortly after.

The first four bottlenose dolphins, including Smartie who is still alive at Windsor, arrived in July 1969. Mr R. Bloom, who designed the original pool (areas A and C), assisted with the catching in Florida. Two more dolphins arrived in March 1970, including Honey who is still alive. One of the original group died in November 1970, after ingesting a plastic bag. The first killer whale, Ramu III arrived in September 1970. No other species, except bottlenose dolphins and killer whales, have been kept at Windsor, although a pilot whale, Hummer, was to have been part of the exchange when Ramu went to Sea World, California in 1976. The plan was not completed because Hummer was not well enough to travel at the time. A feasibility study was made by Mr Sadler and others, of the Faroes pilot whale fishery in 1976, but there was no possibility of obtaining animals for display from this source.

Present

In the changes of ownership, animal records at Windsor appear to have gone astray. The list was compiled from several sources, including the personal records of Mr G. Smart. The history of Smartie and Honey is described above. Lulu is one of two females brought to Flamingo in December 1971. This pair performed at Southsea in the summer of 1972 and came to Windsor in the autumn. Angie was previously in captivity at Sea World, San Diego and arrived in 1977 with two other dolphins in exchange for Ramu. Prince came from the Texas coast in 1980. He previously performed in summer at Scarborough. Juno was born to Lulu and Smartie in 1984. Neptune was born to Honey and Smartie in 1985. Angie is currently pregnant by Smartie. Winnie, the female killer whale, was caught off Iceland in 1977. She arrived in March 1978, having spent the winter at Harderwijk, the Netherlands. Nemo, the male killer whale, was caught off Iceland in 1981 and initially kept at Clacton. He was brought to Windsor in June 1985. Recreational swimming with the dolphins is in general not allowed although exceptions may be made in special circumstances. Arrangements have been made for handicapped, disabled and other special groups to meet the dolphins.

Visitor attendance in 1983-84 was 525,000, in 1984-85 550,000 and about 700,000 are expected in 1985-86, for the whole park. The Safari Park and dolphinarium are open throughout the year. Besides the dolphin and killer whale displays, there are sea lion displays (in the dolphin pool), parrot displays, birds of prey displays and previously in summer, high diving and clown acts (in the dolphin pool).

The back pool (pool B), with its own water treatment equipment, was built in 1978. This pool can also be operated together with the rest of the complex. All three pools can be separately drained. Windsor have recently installed new chlorination equipment and are currently reconditioning the filtration equipment for the main pool. A new splash barrier is to be erected at the main pool and the back pool wall was raised 12 months ago.

Relevant staff

Mr Haworth-Booth was Chief Executive of African Lion Safari Group in Australia for 10 years; the park at Warragamba has a dolphinarium which is described in the Australian Senate Select Committee Report (Australia, 1985).

Mr Nutkins was appointed Assistant General Manageof a Pleasurama dolphinarium in 1968 and was later involved wth their Oxford Street establishment. From 1970 to 1983 he was General Manager of the four Trust Houses Forte dolphinaria. He joined Windsor in 1985.

Mr Rendell began his career with captive cetaceans as a trainee at Flamingo in 1965 and was Curator when he left in 1970 to take over the Coventry dolphinarium. He also worked with Mr Nolan at South Shields. Mr Rendell came to Windsor as Curator in 1974 and is responsible for the entire animal collection. Mr Lindsay, the Senior Warden in charge of the dolphinarium, came to Windsor in 1979 and has worked with the cetaceans since 1980. He spent the 1982 season at Morecambe on secondment. He has passed the first two parts of the ZSL Animal Management Course and part of the City and Guilds course. He is a member of the Association of British Wild Animal Keepers, and of the International Marine Animals Trainers Association.

Ms Redknap worked at Windsor on a voluntary basis from 1982-83 and was then taken on to the permanent staff of the dolphinarium. Her degree is in Life Sciences and her previous experience is as a veterinary nurse.

Mr Witts, the show co-ordinator, joined the staff in 1985. His previous experience was in business and his other interests are theatrical.

Mr Lanehart joined the staff in 1983. He also presents the parrot show.

Mr Prickett and Mr Beasley joined in August 1985. Both are trainees on probation. Casual staff, including students and work experience people, assist during the summer. In 1985 six people worked at the dolphinarium at different times, under the supervision of the staff.

It is general policy to train the Park's own dolphinarium staff. Keepers may transfer from other animal sections and this is encouraged to provide a broader background in animal husbandry. Staff are encouraged to take additional training, for example the ZSL courses, as well as to belong to professional associations. Besides training in all aspects of marine mammal husbandry and general animal welfare, staff are trained in show presentation and public relations. They are encouraged to visit other establishments and to attend professional meetings.

Future

A large new pool for killer whales is planned, with maximum length 50 m and maximum width 22 m. The two holding pools will be 15 m in diameter. Unfortunately, the 'scale' drawings in the submission were not to scale and gave no information on proposed depths. Greenpeace workers report that the outline plans for the pool give one area 7 x 17 x 10 m deep with the rest of the main pool 3 m deep. The holding pools are planned to be 4 m deep. It is hoped to establish a breeding group of killer whales and to acquire a second female to form a more balanced group.

FORMER UK DOLPHINARIA - Return to contents

This list includes all the places formerly keeping cetaceans, even for very short periods, which have been identified. Very little first hand information on these operations was obtained and even that was based mainly on memories, not written sources. The list is therefore unlikely to be completely accurate. Opening and closing dates, where given accurately, refer to public or advertised dates. Animals may have been present somewhat earlier or later, as can be seen from the Animals List.
Most pool dimensions have been converted to metres from estimates given in feet. This is why 'approximate' measurements may be given to two decimal places. Calculated surface areas are given to the nearest m2 .

ASSOCIATED PLEASURE PARKS, TOURING

Based at Flamingo.

About 1966, animals were exhibited for about three weeks in winter in Leeds (old tram sheds - Queens Hall) and later in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. In Leeds a circular plastic tank, about 1.52 m deep and 3.66 m in diameter was used. One or two dolphins trained by Mr S. Gallagher assisted by Mr P. Vodden were exhibited. One animal was a male, which died around this time. In 1968 a female, Simba, housed in a 10,000 gallon plastic tank made a similar tour. A summer show exhibited a dolphin, Mickey, about 13.7.70. Bournemouth and, about 4.9.70, Weymouth, were visited.

BATTERSEA

Battersea Dolphinarium, The Fun Fair, Battersea Park, London SW11.

Owner: Aquatic Mammals Battersea - Mr Raber.

Opened: 1.4.71. Closed: 1972/3.

A 9.72 m diameter, 3.66 m deep circular steel tank, with tiled bottom within an artificially lit converted building in the centre of the Fun Fair. There were two or three resident animals and others may have passed through on their way from the USA to Europe. The dolphinarium was severely damaged by fire in 1972/3. The dolphins survived and were removed to Porthcawl.

BATTERSEA, TOURING

A touring dolphin exhibit visited Battersea in a tent or inflatable dome, with two animals, in December 1972.

BELLE VUE, MANCHESTER

Belle Vue Zoo Park, Hyde Road, Manchester.

Owners: Mr John Jerison: 1836 - 1925; owner ?: 1925-197?; Trust Houses Forte (Entam): 197? - 1977/8.

Opened: 1836. Closed: 1977/8.

Dolphins: December 1972.
Gasser (Switzerland) provided a temporary show in December 1972, with two dolphins. A portable pool was used.

BLACKPOOL

On the Golden Mile.

Owner (dolphins): Mr Fletcher (South Africa).

Open: 1969 only.

Three bottlenose dolphins were brought from South Africa for a summer show in 1969, for one season. One animal died and the other two were exported to Malta. These animals visited other dolphinaria and were seen again in South Africa in the 1970's. One may have been the animal Maria (Speedy) which later visited Clacton and Sandown.

BLAIR DRUMMOND

Blair Drummond Safari Park, by Stirling, Scotland.

Owners: Mr J. Chipperfield, Sir John Muir, Keir and Cawdor Estates.

Opened: 1970.

Dolphinarium: Easter 1971 - October 1984 (Summers only).

Dolphin owners: Mr Chipperfield, Trident Television (Scarborough), Trust Houses Forte, Mr Nutkins.

The dolphinarium was near the restaurant and childrens' zoo, with a plastic-lined sunken pool, 15.24 x 6.10 x 3.05, m deep, in a free-span building. Trident Television (Scarborough), supplied dolphins from about 1974 to 1978; Trust Houses Forte 1978-83; Mr Nutkins 1984. There is no information about Mr Chipperfield's animals. Dolphins performed under the names 'Flipper' and 'Scottie'. Mr Braithwaite, the trainer at the time, gave the life histories of Flipper (Chemo) and Scottie (Jenkie). Flipper and Scottie wintered in Malta and Gibraltar; later in Scarborough. They may have been the male Flipper and female Jenkie which performed in Mauritius in winter 1976/7. That Jenkie was said, in a press report, to have been pregnant in March 1977, with birth expected in 3 weeks. However, 'pregnancy' sometimes covered other reasons for failure to perform, for example: required elsewhere, incompatibility, illness or death (see Animal List). One of this pair is said to have died at this time, possibly on the return journey. If Flipper died and Scottie gave birth and survived, this fits with Scarborough information. Ms Moore trained the last pair of dolphins to perform here, Sooty and Clyde. She moved with the animals to Knowsley.

BRADFORD

Swimming pool.

Owner (dolphins): Franklin/Holloway of Margate.

Short, seasonal show; dates unknown.

BREAN DOWN

Mid-Somerset Leisure Centre, Bream, Somerset.

Owner: Mr E. Cowell, West Anstey Canmon, Brumblecombe Farm, Nr. Dulverton, Devon.

Dolphins: leased from owners/trainers Mr C. Riggs and Miss L. Hradek, Margate.
Open: summer 1974.

Two dolphins from Margate arrived on 11.7.74 and returned 21.9.74. It is alleged that the animals were removed by the owners/trainers after a dispute over the standard of care and facilities.

BRISTOL
Swimming pool.

Dolphins: Trust Houses Forte (Mr Nutkins).

A Christmas show in 1974, by two animals from Woburn. Some sources believe that dolphins were exhibited at other times, particularly in summer, but there is no supporting evidence.

CHIPPERFIELDS

Dolphins: Mr W. Chipperfield (Coventry).

The Coventry dolphins moved on at least one occasion to perform in Weymouth and possibly in other places.

CLACTON

North Sea World Training Dolphins School, The Pier, Clacton- on Sea, Essex.
Owner: Mr R. Bloom.

Opened: 1971. Closed: summer 1985 (Possibly also closed between 1979 and 1981).
Outdoor, former swimming pool, 32.20 x 19.30 m; depth at centre 3.20 m sloping to 2.40 m at either side, with a holding pool 10.67 m2 included. Guided tours and lectures are mentioned by Williamson and Schoenberg (1976) and there was a natural history exhibit. This was a training establishment, with a number of animals passing through. The main residents were the bottlenose dolphins, Bubbles and Squeak, and most recently the three young killer whales. The last animal, Nemo, was moved to Windsor in the summer of 1985. Mr Bloom also obtained and transported animals for other owners. There was a strandings rescue service. Donaldson (1976) carried out studies on the use of the tongue and the sense of taste, with Bubbles and Squeak. A dolphin, Echo, was loaned to F. Hussain of King's College, University of London in 1972. The animal was to have been taken to King's for research on intelligence and communication, but the transfer was not completed.

CLEETHORPES

Cleethorpes Marineland and Zoo, Humberston, Lincolnshire.

Owner: the same as Flamingo, probably throughout. 1974 Scotia Pleasure Parks Ltd.

Opened: 1965. Closed: 1976 ? (summers only).

The dolphin pool was outdoor, polygonal, fibre-glass lined, about 12.19 m across and 2.44 m deep. There is no information on any additional accommodation for the other species kept. Animals wintered at Flamingo, and may also have participated in winter shows elsewhere. There was much movement between the establishments in the group and it is very difficult to establish which were 'Cleethorpes' animals - if there were such. It is possible that available animals performed as required. Cleethorpes may also have been used for holding animals outside the summer season. Taylor (1976) mentions an artificial insemination attempt between the killer whales Calypso of Cleethorpes and Cuddles of Flamingo. A white whale was kept here briefly, and possible also a pilot whale. Trainers: Mr J. Dudley and Mr F. Rendell.

COVENTRY

Coventry Zoo Park, Whitley Common, (or London Road), Coventry, Warwickshire.

Owner: Mr W. Chipperfield.

Opened: 1966.

Dolphinarium: Easter 1971 - May 1975.

The 12.19 m diameter, 4.27 m deep sunken pool was housed in a circular plastic dome structure. The fish preparation facilities are said to have been inadequate. Mr W. Chipperfield, related to, but not associated with Chipperfield Organisation or Chipperfield's Circus, operated the Coventry Zoo. The two dolphins were exported to Hagenbeck's, Germany in 1975. Trainers: Mr F. Rendell, Ms Robin; 1974 Mrs Chipperfield.

DUDLEY

Dudley Zoo, Castle Hill, Dudley, Warwickshire.

Owners: Dudley Zoological Society Ltd (The Earl of Dudley and Mr E. E. Marsh); Scotia Investments Ltd 1971-1978; Dudley and West Midlands Zoological Society (charitable trust, jointly administered by Bristol Zoo and Dudley local authority).

Opened: 1937.

Dolphinarium: May 1971 to April 1974 or 1975.

The outdoor whale and dolphin pools were adapted from sea-lion pools in the castle moat. The roughly pear-shaped whale pool was about 15.24 x 6.1-10.67 x 3.66 m deep and the adjoining dolphin pool larger, but shallower, only one part being 3.05 m deep. The dolphins wintered at Flamingo; the killer whale may have remained. Dolphins may have been present in 1975. The female bottlenose dolphin, Winkie, from Scarborough was to have performed at the opening, but she died earlier at Scarborough.

GWRYCH CASTLE

North Wales - near St Asaph.

Owner: Scotia (Flamingo).

Open: about 1970 for one or possibly two summers.

Dolphins: from Flamingo.

The free-standing, plastic lined, portable tank was said to leak, leaving the animals stranded. There were also said to be major filtration problems. Trainers: Mr B. Lyle and Ms D. Lyle.

LEEDS

Associated Pleasure Parks, Flamingo.

See Associated Pleasure Parks, touring.

LIVERPOOL

Swimming pool.

Owner (dolphins): Franklin/Holloway (Margate).

A winter season show in Council swimming baths at unknown date(s).

MARGATE

Cliftonville Dolphinarium, The Queens Hotel, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent.

Owners: Mr K. R. Franklin, Mr L. D. Holloway.

Opened: first dolphins arrived in April 1969, advertised as open in 1970. Closed: sometime between 1977 and 1980.

This was an indoor, permanent pool, adapted from an existing swimming pool, 21.34 x 10.67 x 2.74 - 3.66 m deep, with underwater viewing from the hotel bar. Margate was a major centre for seasonal shows, animals going out to Skegness and Southend in summer and wintering at Margate or doing winter shows elsewhere. Animals were provided for one or two summers to West Midland Safari Park and for one summer to Flamingo. Liverpool, Bradford and other Council swimming pools were used for short, seasonal shows. The Queen's Entertainment Centre leased dolphins from Aquatic Mammals Enterprises. In October 1974, the six animals present were owned by the then main company, with others leased. Mr Holloway and Mr Franklin are listed as trainers in 1974. Mr Garcia also trained here.

Queen's International Dolphins of Thanet operated until 1980 as suppliers, collectors and trainers of dolphins. The last pair were said to be Bonnie and Clyde, sold to Gasser. Ixia Trading Company was another Margate based company supplying dolphins. Mr C. Riggs and Miss L. Hradek, described as the owners/trainers of the Bream dolphins were based at Margate. They leased another dolphin to Mr Cowell in September 1973, which died.

NEWCASTLE

Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

See Associated Pleasure Parks, touring.

OXFORD STREET

The London Dolphinarium, 65 Oxford Street, London W1.

Owned: Pleasurama Ltd (Chairman: Sir Harmar Nicholls, MP)

Opened: April 1971. Closed: 1972 or 1973.

The indoor pool was 14.63 x 5.18-6.40 x 3.05 m deep, with a holding pool 4.27 x 5.18 x 2.13 m deep. Taylor (1980) says that the males had to be treated with anti-androgens to prevent them making vigorous amorous advances to the 'aquamaids' who took part in the show. He says that the establishment was never a great financial success. Burton (1972) mentions an experimental lecture and demonstration service for schools. Trainers: Mr B. Whitehead and Mr G. Marshal.

PLYMOUTH

Swimming pool.

Dolphins: BBC ?

Adams (1972) says that this was the first modern attempt, since some strandings rescues in the 1930's, to keep cetaceans in the UK. In about 1962, two female bottlenose dolphins, from 'captive Italian stock', were transported by road and air to an outdoor swimming pool in Plymouth. They were brought by Mr T. Soper and Mr. K. M. Backhouse, contributors to the BBC TV programme Animal Magic (Backhouse, 1966). There is a photograph of one animal on the foam rubber travelling mattress in Backhouse (1966). The animals were said to have been imported by the BBC for a wildlife programme (BBC TV Watchdog programme, 1984). They were said to have travelled well and started eating squid and herrings, but both died on the eighth day, apparently from malnutrition (Adams, 1972). A television programme (BBC - Ride a Dolphin) on 12.12.62 included film of the transport and arrival. Similar film was included in the Animal Magic programme of 10.6.64.

PORTHCAWL

Porthcawl Dolphinarium, Coney Beach, Porthcawl, S. Glamorgan.

Owner: Sir Leslie Joseph, Entam (later Trust Houses Forte Leisure).

Dolphins: Mr Raber (Battersea); 1973 Jervale Ltd, Flamingo Park (Mr Nolan).

Opened: summer 1971. Closed: summer 1974.

The pool, in a precast concrete building, was 13.72 x 6.71 x 2.74 m deep. In October 1974 it was said that the dolphins wintered at Flamingo. It is not clear when the change from Battersea to Flamingo animals took place, possibly for the 1973 season. Trainer: Ms D. Steele.

RAMSGATE

Owner: Pleasurama.

Opened: 1971 ? Closed: 1972.

This pool was never open to the public, but used for resting and training dolphins for Oxford Street and for export to Majorca.

RHYL

Rhyl Dolphinarium, Promenade, Rhyl, Clwyd.

Owner: Entam (later Trust Houses Forte Leisure).

Opened: 28.6.72 (Whitsun). Closed: 1975 ?

The permanent indoor pool was 15.24 x 7.62 x 3.05 m deep and had also a small holding pool. The Trust Houses Forte animals wintered at Knowsley and later at Woburn. Animals performed under the names 'Flipper' and 'Blodwyn'.

ROYALTY THEATRE, LONDON

Owner: Paul Raymond.

Dolphins: Mr Raber (Battersea).

Opened: scheduled 25.3.74, but possibly later. Closed: about two weeks later.

The dolphin act was part of a Paul Raymond nude review and is said to have had a short run due to adverse criticism. The famous 'dolphin strip tease' appears to have been accomplished by training the ;animals to press quick-release fasteners and the swimmers to position themselves appropriately; not by soaking the bikinis in fish meal or by hiding pieces of fish in the costumes. Trainers: Mr D. Garcia and Mr J. Dineley.

ST ASAPH

Around 1967.

A female bottlenose dolphin and a suckling were flown in from Key Largo, Florida. There were feeding difficulties, and although attempts were made to express milk from the female for the baby, it died after two days. Some sources believe that this may be a confusion with Twrch Castle, but the date is too early. The report came at second hand from a former trainer here.

SANDOWN

Isle of Wight Dolphinarium, Blue Lagoon, Esplanade, Sandown, Isle of Wight.

Owner: Performing Dolphins Ltd (Mr Cowell).

Opened: June 1971 or 1972. Closed: after 1973 summer season.

An adapted outdoor swimming pool, 24.38 x 6.10 x 2.44 - 3.05 m deep. The creditors of Performing Dolphins Ltd met in London in April 1974.

SCARBOROUGH

Scarborough Marineland, Scarborough Zoo, North stead Road, Scarborough, Yorkshire.

Owners: Mr D. Robinson, Scotia, Trident Television, Knick Leisure Group plc.

Dolphins: Mr D. Robinson; Scotia; 1973-December 1983 Trident Television; 1984 Windsor Safari Park.

Opened: 1968.

Dolphinarium: 1968-1984.

The dolphin pool was 13.72 x 6.89 x 3.05 m deep, surface area 95 m2 ; open in summer but covered with a temporary timber structure in winter. The second, glass-sided tank, 12.19 x 4.88 x 2.74 m deep, surface area 60 m2 , was used at times as a dolphin holding or isolation pool and had a temporary wooden roof in winter. Three portable holding tanks of about 5,000 gallons each were noted in October 1974. The dolphins usually wintered elsewhere: Malta (1974 at least), South Africa (1975-1976), Gibraltar (1977?), Windsor (1978-1985), Christmas 1983/4 Belfast. Some animals travelled between Scarborough/Flamingo and Mr Robinson's establishment at Hemingford, Quebec in Canada about 1970 - 1974. Natural sea water was used in the early years, but artificial salt water later for improved water quality control. The dolphin pool was cooled in summer. Scarborough was run with Flamingo from 1969-1973, but there were earlier connections as Mr Robinson was one of the Flamingo founders. At that time Flamingo also supplied Dudley and Cleethorpes. Fran 1974-1978 Scarborough supplied the Blair Drummond dolphins. The Scarborough dolphins performed under the names of 'Flipper' and 'Jenkie'.

An expedition went to the Faros, possibly in the mid-1970's, in search of pilot whales for display. A wounded animal was obtained and kept in a pool for a short time, but was too ill to travel and was returned to the local people. A party of 20 Faroese schoolchildren were subsequently brought to Scarborough to see the dolphins and other exhibits. This was intended to influence the children against the pilot whale hunt.

Trainers: Mr G. Panofsky, Mr K. Ready, Mr D. Cartridge, Mr B. Samples, Mr B. Lyle, Mr S. Walton, Mr G. Mayer (from Majorca), Mr J. Braithwaite, Mrs B. Braithwaite.

SEABURN

Sea burn Ocean World, Sea burn Ocean Park, Rocker, Sunderland.

Owner: Sea burn Ocean Park Ltd, Roker, Sunderland. (Mr Nolan).

Open: 1974 only.

The main pool was 12.80 x 7.32 x 3.05 m deep and the isolation pool 9.14 x 6.10 x 1.22 m deep. Ms Robin and Mr F. Rendell trained here.

SKEGNESS

Skegness Dolphinarium, Tower Parade, Skegness, Lincolnshire.

Owned: Mr Franklin (Margate).

Opened: Whitsun 1972 (another source says 1968). Closed: 1977 or 1978.

A temporary outdoor exhibit with a partly sunken 9.14 m diameter 2.13 - 2.44 m deep plastic lined pool. The show was said to have had a full commentary, which could be pitched to requirements, with biological facts as well as general material (Williamson and Schomberg, 1976).

SOUTH ELMSALL

Animal Training School and Dolphinarium, South Elmsall, near Wakefield.

Owner: Mr Nolan.

This swimming pool was used to hold eight dolphins brought from the USA in early 1973. The public were occasionally admitted. The animals were moved to Seaburn in 1974 and four went on to Flamingo.

SOUTHEND

Southend-on-Sea Dolphinarium, adjoining the Pier, Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

Owner: Mr L. D. Holloway, Cliftonville, Margate.

Dolphins: Mr Franklin (Margate).

Opened: 1971. Closed: 1975?.

An outdoor exhibit, with a 10.70 m diameter, 2.13-2.44 m deep plastic lined sunken pool. Open for about 10 weeks in summer, with dolphins wintering at Margate, at winter shows in the UK and abroad or exported. Williamson and Schomberg (1976) report that an educational lecture was available on request. Mr Holloway and Mr Franklin are noted as trainers in 1974.

SOUTHSEA

Owner: Pleasurama.

Dolphins: Flamingo.

Open: 1972 and 1973 only ?

Trainer: Mr K. Reany.

An outdoor exhibit on the sea front with a 9.14 m diameter, 3.05 m deep plastic lined steel tank above ground level. The 1973 dolphins were brought from Flamingo to Southampton by train and then travelled by road to Southsea. These animals then went to Windsor.

WEST MIDLAND

West Midland Safari Park, Spring Grove, Bewdley, Worcester.

Owner: Mr Jimmy Chipperfield; leased by American Ccmpany about 1976.

Opened: 1973.

Dolphinarium: probably only summers 1976 and 1977.

Dolphins: Franklin/Holloway (Margate).

WOBURN

Woburn Wild Animal Kingdom Ltd, Woburn, Bedfordshire.

Owners: The Marquis of Tavistock and the Chipperfield Organisation.

Opened: 1970.

Dolphinarium: 1971 - end 1983. Trust Houses Forte, on contract.

The rectangular indoor pool was 13.70 x 7.62 x 3.96 m deep, with a holding pool 3.05 x 3.05 x 2.13 m deep.
The Chipperfield Organisation also run Longleat (which never had a dolphinarium) and Blair Drummond. The Blair Drummond dolphins were supplied by Mr. Chipperfield, Mr D. Robinson, Scarborough, and later by Trust Houses Forte. Woburn was the main wintering pool for the Trust Houses Forte dolphins in later years.
Woburn would like to return to keeping dolphins as there is great public demand and visitor numbers decline if none are displayed. A sub-contract or purchase would be considered, but the main aim would be to keep the animals properly. The pool would be rebuilt if necessary and experienced staff taken on. Mr Cattle, the current sea lion trainer, is also experienced with dolphins, having worked at Hagenbeck's in Germany.

When dolphins were displayed, the show and script were the responsibility of the trainers. The park guide used to contain dolphin information. Educational materials are provided for visiting schools, relating to existing animals. Currently about 350,000 people visit Woburn each year. About two thirds of the coach parties are schools, giving about 1,000 parties a year from about a 60 mile radius. The park (and dolphinarium in its day) is open between mid-March and the end of October.

The animals at Woburn are available for research. No projects were done on the dolphins, but the monkeys and lions have been the subject of student theses. Some staff have completed projects as part of the City and Guilds Animal Management Courses. Facilities and sponsorship are offered to staff. Reserve staff from Kenya and Uganda have been trained at Woburn in the handling of wild animals in the open. Advice has also been given on the building of a wildlife sanctuary in Zambia. Woburn regards itself as a centre of expertise in the handling of large wild animals.

On 17.3.79 a whitebeaked dolphin, stranded at Spurn Head, was rescued. It died on 18.3.79. Dobbs (1981) mentions his involvement with this animal, which he describes as a whitesided dolphin, although the photographs show it to be a whitebeaked dolphin.

WORTHING

Swimming pool.

Dolphins: Seamark (Mr R. Bloom and Brighton).

Open: late 1979 - mid 1980 ?

Worthing was only used to house one shipment of dolphins. There were no shows, but a charge was made to view the animals. This batch of dolphins, from Hong Kong, where they had been held for some months, were to have gone to Clacton, before moving to permanent homes. However, the pier was damaged by a storm and the accommodation at Worthing found at short notice.

ANIMALS LIST - Return to contents

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS IN THE UK

The main operational method was a group system. A company would have a base pool from which bottlenose dolphins were sent out to seasonal shows. Animals would be brought back from summer shows to the base pool for the winter. In some cases they also participated in winter shows in the UK and elsewhere. The same animals did not always return to the same summer pools, making it difficult to follow the careers of individuals. A further complication is the custom of 'performing names'. For publicity material, guidebooks etc., it was convenient for dolphinaria to use the same names for the animals from year to year although the same individuals might not be present. For example, the Blair Drummond animals were exhibited as 'Flipper' and 'Scottie'. Performing names, where known, are listed with the animals.

Existing dolphinaria are listed first, in alphabetical order; former dolphinaria follow. Where possible, the main entry for each animal is under an existing establishment. The main entry for other animals is under the headquarters of establishment groups, where appropriate. Note that the listings do NOT represent the true numbers of animals present at any time, since it has not been possible to establish, in many cases, whether reports at different dates and places refer to the same individuals. New 'animals' are listed whenever continuity could not be established. This list, therefore, overestimates the true number of animals present. Anyone attempting to make further consolidations of this data is particularly warned that the same, or similar, names do not necessarily indicate the same animal.

USA MMIR refers to various versions of the USA Marine Mammal Inventory Report. Although each print-out from the data base is dated, it is not always clear when information within entries was last updated and different versions may not give consistent information.

BRIGHTON

Prinny F caught Miami, arrived April 1968; died 1972.

Belle F origin Miami, arrived April 1968; died 1976.

Moby ? origin Miami, arrived April 1969; died August/September 1971.

Lucky M origin Miami, arrived April 1969; died August/September 1971 or 1972.

Missus F origin Biloxi, stranding, arrived April 1969; died 17.12.79.

Baby F origin Biloxi, stranding, arrived April 1969,
(Missie) as one year old calf of Missus;
gave birth 12.9.85 to Souki (F); name changed to Missie; alive as of end 1985.

Poppy F origin Mexico, Campeche; arrived April 1972; alive as of end 1985;
mother of a calf which lived for 3 weeks in 1981.

Lucky II M origin ? arrived 1972 or 1973; died August 1978.

Prinny II M origin ? arrived 1973; died 25.11.76.

Animal M origin Mexico, arrived 6.5.77, for nursing; died 11.5.77, Scarborough animal.

Animal M origin Mexico, arrived 6.5-77, for nursing; died 12.5.77, Scarborough animal.

Animal M origin Mexico, arrived 6.5.77, for nursing; died 15.5.77, Scarborough animal.

Animal F origin Mexico, arrived 6.5.77, for nursing; died 16.5.77, Scarborough animal.

Animal ? origin Mexico, arrived 6.5.77, for nursing; sent to Scarborough 'later' = 1977?
Silver M origin Taiwan, arrived April 1978;
alive as of end 1985; father of 2 calves.

Connie F origin Taiwan via Hong Kong,
to Worthing December 1979;
arrived Brighton February 1980; died 14.5.80.

Bertie M origin Taiwan via Hong Kong,
to Worthing December 1979;
arrived Brighton February 1980; died 20.7.81.

FLAMINGO

Flipper F arrived 20.6.63, from USA; died 29.6.65.

Cookie F arrived 20.6.63, from USA; one year old calf of Flipper; died about January 1964.

Animal ? arrived 1964, from USA ? at Cleethorpes 1965 season ?

Animal ? arrived 1964, from USA ? at Cleethorpes 1965 season ?

Animal ? arrived 1964, from USA ?

Animal ? arrived 1964, from USA ?

Animal ? from Morecambe, 1965; blind in one eye;
(Cyclops ?) possibly Cyclops, see below.

Animal F arrived September 1965, via Tiebor; pregnant, died 24.9.65.

Animal F arrived September 1965, via Tiebor; pregnant, fate ?

Animal F arrived September 1965, via Tiebor; pregnant, fate ?

Animal F arrived September 1965, via Tiebor; pregnant, fate ?

Animal F arrived September 1965, via Tiebor; pregnant, fate ?

Pixie ? arrived f ran USA 1966; by sea, fate ?

Dixie M arrived from USA 1966; by sea; present 19-10-71 ; died 20.3.72.

Dolly F arrived from USA 1966; by sea; gave birth 1969; fate ?

Animal M arrived ? touring Leeds, Newcastle winter 1966 or so.

Animal ? arrived ? touring Leeds, Newcastle winter 1966 or so.

Animal M arrived ? died 18.6.66.

Animal M arrived ? died 30.5.66.

Animal ? arrived from USA by air, late 1966 or early 1967; fate ?

Simba F arrived ? touring Leeds, Newcastle winter 1967-68.

Animal F arrived ? died 2.5.68.

Animal ? arrived ? for Scarborough opening.

Animal ? arrived ? for Scarborough opening.

Animal ? arrived ? for Scarborough opening.

Animal ? arrived ? for Scarborough opening.

Animal F arrived 23.8.68 from Bahamas, dead on arrival, pneumonia.

Moby M arrived ? present 1969, father of Dolly's baby; possibly the Moby at Cleethorpes in 1966.

Animal F arrived April 1970, newly caught from Florida; died Scarborough 13.5.70, septicaemia ?

Shiela F arrived 20.7.70 (or 71 ), from St Augustine, Florida, via Kolmardens, damaged eye, fate ?

Lucky ? caught 1968/9 Florida, Mitchell; sold Nice 20.4.70; died 1981/2 (Riddell) or 29.1.78 (USA MMIR).

Splash ? caught 1968/9 Florida, Mitchell; sold Nice 20.4.70; died 1981/2 (Riddell).

Big Lil ? caught 1968/9 Florida, Mitchell; sold Nice 20.4.70; fate ?

Snoopy ? caught 1968/9 Florida, Mitchell; sold Nice 20.4.70; died 1975/6 (Riddell).

Captain ? present at some point early 1970's, performed Cleethorpes, 1966 at least.

Careena ? present at some point early 1970's; performed Cleethorpes.

Animal ? arrived 1970 from Florida; fate ?

Animal ? arrived 1970 from Florida; fate ?

Animal ? arrived 1970 from Florida; fate ?

Animal ? arrived 1970 from Florida; fate ?

Animal ? arrived 1970 from Florida; fate ?

Luke M arrived 1970 from Florida; died 1970.

Mickey ? arrived ? touring 13.7.70, Bournemouth;

Weymouth September ?

Animal M arrived ? died 22.6.71.

Animal ? arrived ? died 1971.

Freckles F arrived ? present 19-10-71.

Tiny F arrived ? present 19.10.71.

Cyclops M arrived ? present 19.10.71 ;
possibly the one eyed animal from Morecambe in 1965.

Jackie F arrived ? present 19.10.71, boarding for Dudley.

Winkie M arrived ? present 19.10.71, boarding for Dudley.

Patsy F see Windsor.

Lulu F see Windsor.

Animal F arrived ? died 28.3.72.

Animal M arrived ? died 17.3.72.

Animal ? arrived ? one of 2 present sometime in 1972.

Animal ? arrived ? one of 2 present sometime in 1972.

Animal ? arrived ? one of 4 moved Scarborough sometime in 1972.

Animal ? arrived ? one of 4 moved Scarborough sometime in 1972.

Animal ? arrived ? one of 4 moved Scarborough sometime in 1972.

Animal ? arrived ? one of 4 moved Scarborough sometime in 1972.

Freckles M arrived ? present 1972; died March 1974, hepatitis ?

Jeta F arrived ? present 1972; died March 1974, hepatitis ?

Nootka F arrived ? present 1972;
died March 1974, hepatitis ?

Winkie M arrived ? present 1972;
died March 1974, hepatitis ?
possibly boarding for Cleethorpes.

Chimp M? arrived ? present 1972;
died March 1974, hepatitis ?
possibly boarding for Cleethorpes.

Hydra ? possibly present 1972,
or may be another name for one of above.

Dilly ? possibly present 1972,
or may be another name for one of above.

Willie ? possibly present 1972,
or may be another name for one of above.

Animal M arrived ? died 17.3.73.

Animal M arrived about November 1972, Florida;
died November 1973.

Animal ? present Southsea 29.6.73, from Flamingo.

Animal ? present Southsea 29.6.73, from Flamingo.

Animal ? performed Porthcawl, summer 1973.

Animal ? performed Porthcawl, summer 1973.

Animal ? performed Porthcawl, summer 1974.

Poppa M arrived early 1973 from Florida to South Elmsall, to Flamingo April 1974; died 1974 or 1975.

Momma F arrived early 1973 from Florida to South Elmsall, to Flamingo April 1974; died 30.8.76, candidiasis.

Hans M arrived early 1973 from Florida to South Elmsall,

(Stanley ?) to Flamingo April 1974; exported date ? possibly became Stanley at Nice; died Nice 1979; father of calf 'Evelyn'.

Bubbles ? arrived early 1973 from Florida to South Elmsall, to Flamingo April 1974; exported date ? fate ?

Animal ? arrived ? August 1974, present October 1974.

Animal ? arrived 1969 ? present October 1974.

Animal M arrived from Mexico 1976/7; died 15.1.77, candidiasis.

Animal ? arrived from Mexico 1976/7;
died September/October 1976 or 1977, candidiasis.

Animal ? arrived from Mexico 1976/7; died soon after arrival.

Baby ? from Margate, arrived about 1976/7 from Mexico, present Flamingo May 1978, not present October 1978; probably exported to Gasser, Switzerland, 1978.

Speedy ? arrived 1976/7 from Mexico to Margate, present Flamingo May and October 1978; exported to Gasser, Switzerland, late 1978.

Windy ? arri ved Margate 1976 /7 from Mexico, present Flamingo October 1978;
exported to Gasser, Switzerland, late 1978.

Charlotte F caught Sweeney, north of Charlotte harbour, Florida,
(Lottie) 19.3.83; to Knowsley July 1983;
to Flamingo February 1984; alive as of end 1985.

Sharky F caught Sweeney, Charlotte Harbour, Florida, 20.10.83;
to Knowsley December 1983; to Flamingo February 1984;
alive at Flamingo as of end 1985.

Betty F caught Sweeney, Charlotte Harbour, Florida 20.10.83;
to Knowsley, December 1983; to Flamingo, February 1984; alive at Flamingo as of end 1985.

KNOWSLEY

Flipper M present 1972, origin USA ?
performed Rhyl and Knowsley, wintered Knowsley;
died Knowsley 14 July 1974, foreign body - razor blade ?

Duchess F present 1972, origin USA?
(Blodwyn) performed Rhyl and Knowsley, at Rhyl as Blodwyn; died 6.8.74 or 28.11.74, Knowsley.

Scouse M present 1972, origin USA? only one eye; died 1973 or 23.12.74 at Woburn.

Baby (Di) M see Rhyl.

Flipper M caught Florida by Fortes,

(Eccles) present Rhyl summer 1972, Knowsley at least 1975-80;

(Echo) exported to Tiebor, Germany, autumn 1980; in Tel Aviv 1981, arrived via Austria; died February 1982, Tel Aviv.

Blodwyn F origin USA ? date ? present Rhyl 13.8.72, Knowsley at least 1975-79;
died Woburn 3.1.80,
after giving birth, puerpural sepsis.

Sooty F origin 1980, Taiji, Japan; drive fishery;
(Scottie) performed Knowsley summer 1980-81,
Blair Drummond summer 82-84,
as Scottie; wintered Woburn; to Knowsley October 1984; alive at Knowsley as of end 1985.

Sabrina F origin 1980, Taiji, Japan; drive fishery; performed Knowsley 1980; died Woburn October 1980.

Lyndenburg M origin Florida, 1972;
(Lindy) at Marineland, Palos Verdes, California;
to Knowsley March 1983;
died Knowsley February 1984, liver failure.

Charlotte F (Lottie) see Flamingo.

Sybil F caught Sweeney, Charlotte Harbour, Florida, 20.10.83; to Knowsley December 1983; died Knowsley 11.2.84, peritonitis and drowning.

Sharky F see Flamingo.

Betty F see Flamingo.

Clyde M caught Florida late 1960's ?
(Flipper) kept Fort Lauderdale, USA to ?
sold Beirut date ?
bought by Bloom for Oxford Street early 1971 ? performed Oxford Street 1971 -73 ?
Trust Houses Forte 1973-83;
performed summers Rhyl 1974 - 1978 ?
performed summers Blair Drummond 1979-84, as Flipper; wintered Woburn (possibly Knowsley early years); bought by Nutkins 1983-84; to Knowsley October 1984; bought by Knowsley September 1985;
alive at Knowsley as of end 1985.

MORECAMBE

Animal ? origin Miami Seaquarium, Florida;
(Cyclops ?) present at Morecambe opening 1964;
blind in one eye; moved to Flamingo 1965; possibly Cyclops, see Flamingo.

Animal ? origin Miami Seaquarium, Florida;
present at Morecambe opening 1964, fate ?

Animal ? origin Miami Seaquarium, Florida;
present at Morecambe opening 1964, fate ?

Animal ? origin Miami Seaquarium, Florida;
f present at Morecambe opening 1964, fate ?

Animal ? origin Miami Seaquarium, Florida;
present at Morecambe opening 1964, fate ?

Animal ? origin Miami Seaquarium, Florida;
present at Morecambe opening, 1964, fate ?

No further information on Morecambe animals is presently available between the opening and 1972.

Rocky M taken 23.4.71 Florida Panhandle, by Stewart; Trident owned 1977-84;
performed Morecambe summers, wintered Windsor; sold Morecambe January 1984;
alive Morecambe as of end 1985.
Sadie F taken about 1971 ? Trident owned 1977-78; performed Morecambe summers, wintered Windsor; died 15.2.78 at Morecambe, heart failure.

Hattie F taken about 1971 ? present Morecambe 1972;
Trident owned 1977-78;
performed summers Morecambe, wintered Windsor; died 10.10.78 at Morecambe,
anaemia and long-standing lung abcess.

Cindy F arrived Morecambe 1975 (taken pre-1973, USA), previously held at Japanese Village,
Los Angeles, petting pool; died June 1975.

Cleo F arrived Morecambe 1975 (taken pre-1973, USA), previously held at Japanese Village,
Los Angeles, petting pool; sold to Windsor; arrived Windsor 17.6.77;
departed 30.6.77 to Gasser, Germany;
died Far East, date ?

Blue M taken 21.7.80, Rockport, Texas, by Dinnes;
arrived Windsor 26.10.80;
performed Morecambe summers 1981 and 1982,
wintered Windsor; died Windsor 11.2.83, animal attack.

Amber F taken 22.7.80, Rockport Texas, by Dinnes; arrived Windsor 26.10.80;
performed Morecambe summers 1982 and 1983, wintered Windsor; sold Morecambe 1984; died Windsor, 25.5.84, lung abcess.

WHIPSNADE

Solomon M purchased from Marine Animal Productions Inc., via Marine Life Oceanarium, Gulfport, Miss. USA; arrived Whipsnade 3.5.72;
died 16.2.74, enteritis and pancreatitis.

Sheba F purchased from Marine Animal Productions Inc., via Marine Life Oceanarium, Gulfport, Miss. USA; arrived Whipsnade 3.5.72; died 30.1.79, nephritis.

Animal F purchased from Marine Animal Productions Inc., via Marine Life Oceanarium, Gulfport, Miss. USA; arrived Whipsnade 3.5.72; died 11.5.72, stress, external injuries and starvation.

Esther F purchased from Marine Animal Productions Inc., via Marine Life Oceanarium, Gulfport, Miss. USA;
6 feet 9 ins on arrival, approx. 5-6 years old; arrived Whipsnade 19.10.72; died 15.7.84, pregnant, handling stress with myopathy leading to myoglobin urea nephrotoxicity, liver cirrhosis, probably longstanding, haemosiderosis.

Vashti F purchased from Marine Animal Productions Inc., via Marine Life Oceanarium, Gulfport, Miss. USA; arrived Whipsnade 19.10.72; died 22.2.74, enteritis and pancreatitis.

Bubbles M see Clacton.

Squeak F see Clacton.

Samson M taken 18.7.78, slightly north of Corpus Christie, behind the long reef, Rockport, Texas, USA;
purchased from Dinnes Memorial Veterinary Hospital, Los Angeles, California; arrived Whipsnade 22.9.78; alive at Whipsnade as of end 1985.

Nina F taken 2.10.78 off Rockport, Texas;
purchased from Dinnes Memorial Veterinary Hospital, Los Angeles, California;
7 feet 6 1/2 ins, weight 150 kg on arrival;
arrived Whipsnade 10.12.78; died 27.6.84,
shortly after birth of first calf.

Lady F taken 22.7.80 off Rockport, Texas, by Dinnes;
(TT307)) arrived Windsor 26.10.80 as TT307 Rose;
(Rose) performed Windsor summer 1981,
(Jenkie) Scarborough summer 1982-84;
wintered Windsor, performed Belfast Christmas 1983/4; sold Whipsnade, arrived 31.7.85; alive Whipsnade as of end 1985.

WINDSOR

Flipper M arrived 12.7.69,
caught Mitchell and Bloom, Florida Keys;
sold Gasser late 1972 ? died Surabaya 1973, as Lady II ?

Snappy M arrived 12.7.69,
caught Mitchell and Bloom, Florida Keys; died 20.12.78, animal attack.

Cookie M arrived 12.7.69,
caught Mitchell and Bloom, Florida Keys; died 27.4.79 or September 1979.

Smartie M arrived 12.7.69,
caught Mitchell and Bloom, Florida Keys; alive as of end 1985.

Speedie I M arrived 12.7.69,
caught Mitchell and Bloom, Florida Keys; died 12.11.70, ingested plastic bag.
(Sleepy press misprint 18.7.69 for Speedie I)

Honey F arrived 12.3.70, * caught Gulf of Mexico; alive as of end 1985.

Sugar I F arrived 12.3.70, caught Gulf of Mexico;
died 7.4.71; Grimes and Taylor pm., head to Cambridge.
(Swampy press misprint 29.7.70 for Snappy)

Speedie II M arrived 21.7.71; died 18.8.71; Taylor pm.

Sugar II F arrived 21.7-71 ;
sold France 6.1.72; delivered by Cartlidge.

Patsy F arrived Flamingo December 1971 ; * at Southsea April 1972 - October 1972; owned Pleasurama, to Windsor 11.10.72, accompanied by Cartlidge;
died Windsor 3.6.74; Taylor pm.

Lulu F arrived Flamingo December 1971; * at Southsea April 1972 - October 1972, owned Pleasurama; to Windsor 11.10.72, accompanied by Cartlidge;
alive at Windsor as of end 1985.

Cleo F see Morecambe.

Spring M previously at Sea World San Diego;
arrived Windsor 25.3.77;
died 18 (or 19).9.78 or September 1977, gastric ulcers.

Dolly F previously at Sea World San Diego; arrived Windsor 25.3.77; died 9.7.77.

Angie F previously at Sea World San Diego;
arrived Windsor 25.3.77; alive as of end 1985.

Blue M see Morecambe.

Prince (TT306) (Blue) (Flipper) M taken 21.7.80, Rockport Texas, by Dinnes;
arrived Windsor as TT306 Blue, 26.10.80;
performed Scarborough summers 1982-84, wintered Windsor, performed Belfast Christmas 1983-84, probably as Flipper; permanently at Windsor from 1.2.84;
alive as of end 1985.

Lady F (Rose, Jenkie, TT307) see Whipsnade.

Amber F see Morecambe.

Rocky M see Morecambe.

Hattie F see Morecambe.

Sadie F see Morecambe.

Jenkie M (Flipper) see Scarborough.

Scottie F (Jenkie) see Scarborough.

ASSOCIATED PLEASURE PARKS, TOURING

Animal M see Flamingo 1966.

Animal ? see Flamingo 1966.

Simba F see Flamingo.

Mickey ? see Flamingo.

BATTERSEA

Flipper M present Battersea 1.4.71.

Buddy ? present Battersea 1.4.71.

Skipper ? present Battersea 1.4.71.

Animal ? at Porthcawl, summer 1971.

Animal ? at Porthcawl, summer 1971.

Flipper M present Battersea 28.4.72, 'recently trained for 6 months'.

Baby Bubbles F? present Battersea 28.4.72,
'recently trained for 6 months';
is this Bubbles (Frisco) ? see below.

Sinbad M caught Mitchell, Key Largo, date ?
large male, covered in scars; Battersea date ?
sold to Margate because of fighting, 1972/3 sold Gasser; returned within a month as unsuitable, fate ?

Popcorn M Battersea date ? very small animal, black beak, constantly ramming stage,
probably the same animal as Woburn's Popcorn; see Woburn.

Penny F (Bubbles) see Woburn.

Cher F sold by Aquatic Mammals, Battersea 22.10.71
(Mary) to Hagenbeck's, Hamburg; died as Mary, 21.2.81.

Flip M sold by Aquatic Mammals, Battersea 22.10.71 to Hagenbeck's, Hamburg; died 20.5.72.

Bubbles M sold by Aquatic Mammals, Battersea 13.10.72
(Frisco) to Hagenbeck's, Hamburg; died as Frisco, 24.4.85.

Mimi F sold by Aquatic Mammals, Battersea 13.10.72
(Mary II) to Hagenbeck's, Hamburg; died as Mary II, 19.6.75.

Pixie M Raber animal, at Royalty Theatre, 1974;
4 year old, from Mexico; Battersea dates ?

BATTERSEA, VISITING

Flipper ? Battersea visiting show 6.12.72, origin ? fate ?

Battersea visiting show 6.12.72, origin ? fate ?

BLACKPOOL

Animal ? from South Africa to Blackpool, summer 1969; died summer 1969.

Animal ? from South Africa to Blackpool, summer 1969;
to Malta autumn 1969, visited other dolphinaria, perhaps in UK again (Maria of Sandown ? see Clacton), returned South Africa, seen there in 1970's, fate ?

Animal ? ? from South Africa to Blackpool, summer 1969;
to Malta autumn 1969, visited other dolphinaria,
perhaps in UK again, returned South Africa,
seen there in 1970's, fate ?

BLAIR DRUMMOND

Animal ? Blair Drummond, Easter 1971.

Animal ? Blair Drummond, Easter 1971.

Animal ? Blair Drummond, Easter 1971.

Animal ? Blair Drummond, Easter 1971.

Scottie F (Jenkie) see Scarborough.

Flipper M (Chemo) see Scarborough.

Clyde M (Flipper) see Knowsley.

Bonnie F (Scottie) see Woburn.

Sooty F (Scottie) see Knowsley.

BREAN DOWN

Animal ? see Margate.

Animal ? see Margate.

BRISTOL

Animal ? from Woburn.

Animal ? from Woburn.

CLACTON

Maria F owned Mr and Mrs Fletcher, Malta;
(Speedy) (known as Speedy in Malta);
to Clacton for training early 1971-August 1971; returned Malta; hired Sandown summer 1972;
returned Malta; possibly the South Africa - Blackpool animal; see Blackpool.

Yogi M from Moser, Switzerland, to Clacton for training, either 1971 and 1972 summers or 1972 and 1973; returned; died Switzerland about 1975,
pulmonary fibrosis, associated with inhalation of fibreglass fragments.

Echo F present Clacton 1972; loaned to Farooq Hussain;
(Flipper ?) held for transfer to King's College, University of London
for research on intelligence and communication;
transfer not completed, name may have changed later;
possibly the Flipper present Skegness 11.8.72.

Bubbles M caught about April/May 1972; arrived Clacton 3 weeks later;
spent the winter 1.11.77-24.4.78 at Whipsnade, during pool repairs; died Clacton early August 1978, intestinal torsion.

Squeak F caught about April/May 1972;
arrived Clacton 3 weeks later,
spent winter 1.11.77-24.4.78 at Whipsnade,
during pool repairs; transferred to Spain early 1979, alive in Spain as of end 1985.

Dolly F caught about April/May 1972;
(Molly ?) arrived Clacton 3 weeks later,
with a slightly damaged flipper which did not respond to treatment; died Clacton 14.7.75, suffered from osteomyelitis;
possibly the Molly present Skegness 11.8.72.

Mitzi F from Oxford Street, present Clacton
(Lucky ?) early 1970's for a short time; exported to Nice; possibly known in London as Lucky; if this animal: present Oxford Street 18.3.71, 26.2.72, 28.4.72; died Nice January 1978.

Bonnie F purchased by Bloom in Beirut, see Woburn.

Clyde M purchased by Bloom in Beirut, see Woburn.

Sparky? M purchased by Bloom in Beirut, early 1971?

(Brandy) present Oxford Street 18.3.71, Clacton ?
(Arco/Argo) exported Marineland, Majorca in 1972,
as Brandy; sold Barcelona 18.12.80;
died Barcelona as Arco/Argo 8.6.82, enterotoxaemia.

CLEETHORPES

Animal ? see Flamingo.

Animal ? see Flamingo.

Animal ? died Cleethorpes 8.3.66.

Animal ? died Cleethorpes 8.3.66.

Moby M see Flamingo.

Captain ? see Flamingo.

Animal M died Cleethorpes 11.2.68.

Winkie M see Flamingo.

Cheema F? or Chimo, see Flamingo.

Animal ? performed Cleethorpes summer 1974; said to have been in country 2 years.

Animal ? performed Cleethorpes summer 1974; said to have been in country 2 years.

Animal ? see Margate.

COVENTRY

(Big) Nero M from Hamilton Bros, Fort Myens Beach, Florida,
(Lotus) about May 1970; present Coventry 30.6.71 and 18.7.72; visited Weymouth, possibly other places;
exported to Germany 6.5.75,
arrived Hagenbeck's, Hamburg 23.7.75;
alive as Lotus, as of end 1985.

Chipper F from Hamilton Bros, Fort Myens Beach, Florida,
(Lonny) about May 1970; present Coventry 30.6.71 and 18.7-71 exported to Germany 6.5.75; arrived Hagenbeck's, Hamburg 23.7.75; died as Lonny 20.8.75.

DUDLEY

Flipper M see Scarborough.

Freckles M see Scarborough.

Jackie F see Flamingo.

Winkie M see Flamingo.

MARGATE

Turk M from Florida to Margate, early April 1969.

Britt F from Florida to Margate, early April 1969.

Mimi ? present Southend 12.9.71, from Margate.

Flipper ? present Southend 12.9.71, from Margate.

Ugly M? present Margate 18.8.72.

Flipper F? present Margate 18.8.72.

Flipper M present Margate 1972.

Flipper ? present Southend 19.8.72, imported Margate 1.8.72; possibly one of the Flippers above.

Tiny ? present Margate 1972,
from Margate to Gasser, date ? died March 1979, liver necrosis.

Lolita F present Margate 1972; died 1973.

Bam Bam ? imported Margate about 1.8.72; present Southend 19.8.72.

Pebbles ? imported Margate about 1.8.72;
present Southend 19.8.72;
later sold Gasser; died Switzerland 1977.

Animal ? from Margate for Whitsun 1972 Skegness opening; 'went' soon after.

Dozy ? from Margate to Skegness 1972; short visit.

Sleepy ? from Margate to Skegness 1972; short visit.

Sinbad M see Battersea.

Sinbad M see Woburn.

Sonny Boy M see Oxford Street.

Penny F (Bubbles) see Woburn.

Animal ? from Florida 25.4.74 to Margate,
Brean 11.7.74, returned Margate 21.9.74.

Animal ? from Florida 25.4.74 to Margate,
Brean 11.7.74, returned Margate 21.9.74.

Animal ? from Florida 25.4.74 to Margate,
Skegness summer 1974, returned Margate autumn 1974; exported to Mexico date ?

Animal ? from Florida 25.4.74 to Margate,
Skegness summer 1974, returned Margate autumn 1974; exported to Mexico date ?

Animal ? from Florida 25.4.74 to Margate,
Cleethorpes summer 1974, returned Margate autumn 1974.

Animal ? present Margate October 1974.

Animal ? present Margate October 1974.

Animal ? Skegness 1975, from Margate.

Animal ? Skegness 1975, from Margate.

Animal ? Skegness 1976, from Margate.

Animal ? possibly at Skegness 1977, from Margate.

Poco II ? caught Adriatic; from Riccione to Margate July 1977; died August 1977.

Other bottlenose dolphins possibly at Margate or from Margate based companies.

Bobby II F USA/GB, purchased Tiebor 10.1.76,
(Robin) from Ixia Trading Centre, MaPgate;
died Europa Park Germany, September 1976.

Bert II F USA/GB, purchased Tiebor 10.1.76,
(Jeannie) from Ixia Trading Centre, Margate;
(Sally) alive as Sally, Europa Park Germany.

Debbie F from Margate; died South Africa, date ? formerly Seven Seas, Dallas.

Sandy F caught Mexico 1976; supplied 15.4.76 to Gasser by Franklin (Margate); alive date ? (post 1982) USA MMIR.

Speedy M caught Mexico 1976; supplied 15.6.76 to Gasser by Franklin (Margate); alive, on loan to
Italy, date ? (post 1982) USA MMIR.

Bonnie ? Franklin (Margate) sold Gasser late 1970's.

Clyde ? Franklin (Margate) sold Gasser late 1970's.

Windy ? see Flamingo.

Speedy ? see Flamingo.

Baby ? see Flamingo.

OXFORD STREET

Sparky M see Clacton.

Bonnie F see Woburn.

Clyde M see Knowsley.

Animal ? present Oxford Street 18.3.71 ; possibly Lucky/Mitzi, see Clacton.

Sonny Boy M present Oxford Street 26.2.72 and 28.4.72; possibly sold Franklin/Holloway, Margate and exported to Gasser; died 1977.

Lucky F present Oxford Street 26.2.72 and 28.4.72; possibly the female Mitzi, see Clacton.

PLYMOUTH

Animal F from Italy to Plymouth about 1962; died after 8 days.

Animal F from Italy to Plymouth about 1962; died after 8 days.

PORTHCAWL

Animal ? Porthcawl 1971 season, from Battersea.

Animal ? Porthcawl 1971 season, from Battersea.

Tara F newly caught ? very small animal, never settled in, rammed by Penny at Porthcawl,
died 10 mins later, summer 1972; filmed by Harlech TV as the trainer supported her.

Penny F (Bubbles) see Woburn.

Popcorn F see Woburn.

Animal ? performed Porthcawl summer 1973, from Flamingo.

Animal ? performed Porthcawl summer 1973, from Flamingo.

Animal ? performed Porthcawl summer 1974 (said to be 1 animal), said to be wintering at Flamingo October 1974.

RHYL

Flipper M see Knowsley.

Flipper M (Eccles) see Knowsley.

Blodwyn F see Knowsley.

Duchess F (Blodwyn) see Knowsley.

Baby Di M present Rhyl 15.8.72, Knowsley 1972, said to be 2 years old; died Rhyl 21.9.73.

Bonnie F see Woburn.

Clyde M see Knowsley. *

ROYALTY THEATRE, LONDON

Pixie M see Battersea.

Penny F (Bubbles) see Woburn.

ST ASAPH

Animal F from Key Largo to St Asaph 1967, with suckling.

Animal ? from Key Largo to St Asaph 1967, suckling, died after 2 days.

SANDOWN

Maria F see Clacton.

Animal ? bought Sandown for 1973 summer season, died within 48 hours of arrival.

Animal ? replacement for dead animal Sandown 1973, died after season closed;
possibly the animal leased from Riggs, Margate.

Animal ? bought by Sandown for 1973 summer season, said to be too ill to perform,
(creditors' meeting April 1974).

Penny F see Woburn.

Popcorn F see Woburn.

SCARBOROUGH

Animal ? see Flamingo.

Animal ? see Flamingo.

Animal ? see Flamingo.

Animal ? see Flamingo.

Animal F died 13.5.70, see Flamingo.

Animal ? returned UK 1971
from Hemingford, Quebec to Scarborough; brown mucus from blowhole on arrival, nasitrema infection, died later.

Animal ? returned UK 1971 from Hemingford, Quebec to Scarborough.

Flipper M Scarborough to Dudley May 1971 ; said to be 4 years old; wintered Flamingo ?

Freckles M Scarborough to Dudley May 1971, spots on lower jaw, performed as Winkie or Jenkie;
returned after 2 weeks, fighting with Flipper; said to be 4 years old; the press were told that (male) Jenkie or Winkie was pregnant

Winkie F? died Scarborough early 1971, was to have gone to Dudley.

Jenkie F present Scarborough 19.10.71.

Flipper M present Scarborough 19.10.71.

Calypso M present Scarborough 19.10.71.

Moby Dick M present Scarborough 19.10.71.

Animal ? one of 4 moved Flamingo to Scarborough sometime 1972.

Animal ? one of 4 moved Flamingo to Scarborough sometime 1972.

Animal ? one of 4 moved Flamingo to Scarborough sometime 1972.

Animal ? one of 4 moved Flamingo to Scarborough sometime 1972.

Flipper ? present Scarborough 1972.

Jenkie ? present Scarborough 1972.

Animal Fdied Scarborough September 1973.

Animal F sold from Scarborough via Tiebor, 9.7.74,
to Lienhardt, Paris; died 2 weeks later;
Bahamas origin, caught Mitchell May 1974 ?
possibly aborted on arrival in Scarborough.

Animal M sold from Scarborough via Tiebor, 9.7.74, to Lienhardt, Paris; died 1 year later; Bahamas origin, caught Mitchell May 1974 ?

Animal ? present Scarborough October 1974, in country 8 years; to winter in Malta; Blair Drummond animal ?

Animal ? present Scarborough October 1974, in country 6 years; to winter in Malta; Blair Drummond animal ?

Animal ? present Scarborough October 1974, + in country under 1 year;
to winter in Malta; from Bahamas, May 1974 ?

Flipper F Scarborough, wintered South Africa 1975-76; died about 1978 ? burst ulcer or abcess ? possibly from Bahamas, caught Mitchell May 1974; possibly aborted on arrival in Scarborough.

Jenkie M taken about 1972, Key Largo, Florida, by Mitchell;
(Flipper) wintered South Africa 1975-76;
known as Flipper from 1978;
Trident owned 1973-82,
summer Scarborough, winter Windsor;
died 4.5.82 Scarborough.

Animal ? Bahamas to Scarborough 1974;
(Dandy) exported Majorca; died Majorca as Dandy, February 1977o

Animal ? Bahamas to Scarborough 1974; exported Majorca, date ?

Animal ? see Brighton.

Animal ? died March 1977, Hemingford, Quebec, Canada; UK location unknown, Scarborough ?

Flipper M caught off Florida date ?
(Chemo) taken 3 times, rejected twice;
scarred animal; Blair Drummond summers 1974-77; winters Malta, Mauritius 1977; died September
or October 1978 Blair Drummond, pneumonia and heart failure; 16 + growth layer groups in teeth,
looked very much older, 35 ?

Scottie F caught Key Largo, Florida (Mitchell), arrived 1.6.72;
(Jenkie) present Blair Drummond 1972 and summers 1974-77;
wintered Malta, 1977 Mauritius;
permanent transfer Scarborough 1978,
became Jenkie, wintered Windsor;
died 9.5.81 Scarborough; gave birth to Artie (F) and to 2 other calves at Scarborough.

Prince M (Blue, TT307, Flipper) see Windsor.

Lady F (Rose, Jenkie, TT307) see Whipsnade.

SEABURN

Animal ? Seaburn, in the country for 3 years in October 1974.

Animal ? see South Elmsall.

Animal ? see South Elmsall.

SKEGNESS

Animal ? see Margate.

Dozy ? see Margate.

Sleepy ? see Margate

Molly ? see Clacton.

Flipper ? see Clacton.

Animal ? see Margate.

Animal ? see Margate.

Anima ? see Margate.

Animal ? see Margate.

Animal ? see Margate.

Animal ? see Margate.

SOUTH ELMSALL

Animal ? fran Florida to South Elmsall early 1973; died soon after.

Animal ? from Florida to South Elmsall early 1973; died soon after.

Animal ? from Florida to South Elmsall early 1973; to Seaburn 1974, later exported.

Animal ? from Florida to South Elmsall early 1973; to Seaburn 1974, later exported.

Poppa M see Flamingo.

Momma F see Flamingo.

Hans ? see Flamingo.

Bubbles ? see Flamingo.

SOUTHEND

Mimi ? see Margate.

Flipper ? see Margate.

Flipper ? see Margate.

Pebbles ? see Margate.

Bam Bam ? see Margate.

SOUTHSEA

Patsy F see Windsor.

Lulu F see Windsor.

Animal ? see Flamingo.

Animal ? see Flamingo.

WOBURN

Trust Houses Forte/Woburn bottlenose dolphins

Bonnie F purchased by Bloom (Clacton) in Beirut, early 1971 ?
(Scottie) for Oxford Street; Trust Houses Forte 1973 ? performed Rhyl summers 1975-77?
performed Blair Drummond summers 1978-81 ?
died Woburn 12.6.82.

Clyde M see Knowsley.

Popcorn ? ? ex Battersea ?
present Porthcawl, summers 1972 died Woburn 20.6.74;
leased (from Riggs, Margate) by Possibly ex Sandown.

Annie ? arrived Woburn 1.4.74 approx ? present 20.4.74.

Mark ? arrived Woburn 1.4.74 approx ? present 20.4.74.

Animal F died Woburn 24.7.74.

Sinbad M died Woburn approx. 30.10.74; 2p coin in blowhole; previously 'a long time' at Margate;
apparently not the ex Battersea Sinbad.

Penny F origin ? probably initially Battersea;
(Bubbles) at Porthcawl summers 1972 and possibly 1973; wintered Battersea 1972/3; removed to Porthcawl after 1972/3 fire at Battersea; Royalty Theatre 1974; sold after 1974 to Margate; leased to Cowell by Riggs; summer 1974 may have performed Sandown; boarding Woburn winter 1974-75; died Woburn December 1974/ January 1975, drowned in net.

Animal F from Japan to Woburn;
(Blackie ?) died Woburn approx. February 1979.

Scraggy F from Japan to Woburn, died March 1982.

Flipper M see Knowsley.

Duchess F (Blodwyn) see Knowsley.

Scouse M see Knowsley.

Baby (Di) M see Knowsley.

Flipper M (Eccles, Echo) see Knowsley.

Blodwyn F see Knowsley.

Sooty F see Knowsley.

Sabrina F see Knowsley.

WORTHING

Gipsy F arrived Worthing December 1979,
from Taiwan via Hong Kong;
sold Tiebor, Germany 12.4.79 by R. Bloom, Seamark; delived from Worthing end 1979/early 1980, died April 1980.

Dancer F arrived Worthing December 1979,
from Taiwan via Hong Kong;
sold Tiebor, Germany 12.4.79 by R. Bloom, Seamark; delivered from Worthing end 1979/early 1980, bred in Germany, died June 1984.

Conni e F see Brighton.

Bertie M see Brighton

Animal ? arrived Worthing December 1979, from Taiwan via Hong Kong;
to Spain early 1980 ? died July 1980.

Animal ? arrived Worthing December 1979, from Taiwan via Hong Kong;
to Spain early 1980 ? died July 1980.

FORMER UK BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS - ORIGINAL LOCATION UNKNOWN

Animal ? purchased Gasser on UK visit end 1972/early 1973 dead by 26.2.73; UK location unknown.

Animal ? purchased Gasser on UK visit end 1972/early 1973; dead by 26.2.73; UK location unknown.

Pee Wee II F purchased Tiebor through Taylor 22.01.75;
(Clyde) UK location unknown;
May 1975 - April 1978 Majorca;
April 1978 - March 1979 Switzerland;
April 1979 - March 1981 Safari Park, Austria as Clyde; March 1981 -.5.83 Tel Aviv;
May 1983 - October 1983 Walibi, Belgium; October 1983 - April 1984 Stein, Holland;
April 1984 - December 1984 Safari Park, Austria; December 1984 sold Hagenbeck's, Hamburg; alive as of end 1985.

Mamma II ? purchased Tiebor through Taylor 22.01.75;

 

KILLER WHALES IN THE UK

CLACTON

Cleo F (Susie Wong, Hoi Wai) see Windsor.

Animal M taken Iceland, October 1981; 350 cm, pod ? first at Saedyrasafnid, Iceland;
to Clacton December 1981 ;
died Clacton December 1981, traumatic shock,
following severe injury to abdominal wall and kidneys, believed inflicted by another whale in pool.

Neptune M taken Iceland, October 1981 ; 350 cm, pod ? first at Saedyrasafnid, Iceland;
to Clacton December" 1981 ;
died Clacton June 1983, peritonitis.

Nemo M see Windsor.

CLEETHORPES

Calypso F taken Pender Harbour, BC, December 1969; 518 cm, 2,000 kg, A5 pod;
arrived Cleethorpes December 1969;
to Nice date ? died Nice December 1970.

DUDLEY

Cuddles M see Flamingo.

FLAMINGO

Cuddles M taken Yukon Harbour, Wash., October 1968; 351 kg, pod J2 or L3;
to Flamingo November 1968, to Dudley 1971
died Dudley April 1974, just before export to Nice.

WINDSOR

Ramu III M taken Penn Cove, Wash., August 1970; 406 cm,
(Shamu) pod L2 or J or K;
(Winston) arrived Windsor 1.9.70;
departed to Sea World, San Diego 1.9.76; father of 2 calves; alive as of end 1985.

Cleo F taken Iceland, October 1977; 270 cm, 350 kg, pod ?
(Susie Wong) first at Harderwijk, Netherlands; travelled with Winnie,
(Hoi Wai) arrived Windsor 18.3.78;
to Clacton ? 1978 to 31.12.78 for training; returned Windsor when Clacton storm damaged; departed to Ocean Park, Hong Kong January 1979; alive as of end 1985.

Winne F taken Iceland, October 1977 275 kg, pod ?
first at Harderwijk, Netherlands; travelled with Cleo, arrived Windsor 18.3.78; alive as of end 1985.

Nemo M taken Iceland, October 1981 ; 350 kg, pod ? first at Saedyrasafnid, Iceland;
to Clacton December 1981 ; to Windsor 22.6.85 alive as of end 1985.

OTHER SPECIES RECENTLY KEPT IN THE UK

CLEETHORPES

White whale (Delphinapterus leucas)

Animal ? sent from Quebec 1965 by sea;
arrived Cleethorpes about July 1965; died about September 1965, of injuries received on ,journey.

FLAMINGO

White whales (Delphinapterus leucas)

Titch ? arrived 1964 from Vancouver; about 7 months old, 6 feet, 135 lbs, bottle fed; short survival.

Animal ? sent from Quebec 1965 by sea; lost overboard en route.

Animal ? sent from Quebec 1965 by sea; lost overboard en route.

Animal ? sent from Quebec 1965 by sea; died en route.

Animal ? see Cleethorpes.

Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis)

Animal ? arrived 1964/5; fran Adriatic via Riccione, Italy; survived a few days.

Animal ? arrived 1964/5; Adriatic via Riccione, Italy; survived a few days.

Pilot whales (Globicephala spp.)

Animal ? origin ? died 1964; Flamingo or Cleethorpes.

Animal ? arrived 1966; Fran Faroes drive fishery; very young, survived a few days.

MORTALITY RATES - Return to contents

Introduction

There is wide concern about reported mortality rates in captive cetaceans, but, apart from Hoyt's (1984) list of captive killer whales, no published raw data exist on the careers of captive animals from which mortality rates can be calculated. Simply quoting numbers of deaths, without reference to the time animals have spent in captivity or the mortality rates of the wild populations, is not useful: nor are comparisons of maximum observed longevity in the wild with average survival times in captivity.

From the information available on UK animals, we have made some calculations of mortality rates. It would be more satisfactory if age related mortality rates could be used, but the data are not availablQ. However, the purpose of the calculations is to test whether overall captive mortality rates roughly resemble natural mortality rates or are grossly different, and as far as possible, whether there are any major differences between pools, between managements or over the years. These calculations could have been made in several ways since it is difficult to decide where to place responsibility for animals managed by a company with interests in several pools where animals moved from one to another, where animals were temporary visitors and where animals spent long periods at different pools. Attempts have been made to compare the different managements at the same pools, although where short periods and small numbers of animals are involved the results can be quite unrealistic. Nevertheless, since there is such concern about the longevity of captive animals and about their husbandry and environment, it was necessary to attempt such calculations, despite the problems with the data.

Methods

Since there is almost no reliable information on ages of animals, or often on the dates of capture, no sophisticated calculation methods could be used. Bigg's (1982) method, using the 'animal year' unit, was adopted. This is a maximum likelyhood estimator.

Where samples were large enough, mortalities are expressed as calculated mortality rate ± 95 % confidence limits ( 2 x standard error). Two methods were explored. One method was developed for us by SMRU, (P. Hammond, and P. Rothery of BAS). Confidence limits are calculated from variance estimates using expected values of nd, E [nd]. To find this value, the probability of the i th animal dying is:

where mi is the number of years the i th animal is observed, is required. Expected number of animals dying, E [nd], in a sample is calculated fro

The sample variance can be calculated as:

from which the standard error, the square root of the variance, is obtained.

This method was was unfortunately not useful with the small numbers available, producing wide confidence limits passing through zero. Also, the observed mortality pattern, with more deaths in early years, was quite different from the steady rate with time expected by the model. A few calculations are, however, included in the Tables.

Standard errors obtained using nd instead of E [nd] in the variance calculation gave narrower confidence limits, although again too wide to be useful when small numbers are involved. A few calculations are included in the Tables.

Mortality rates - bottlenose dolphins

Dolphin Services (Bloom UK) were responsible for the five animals brought into Knowsley in 1983. Calculations are made with and without the animals intended for Flamingo. The Flamingo calculations are made including and excluding the animal Sybil, who was destined for Flamingo, but died at Knowsley. Morecambe, Windsor and Scarborough were operated together, by Trident Television, for a number of years, with animals based at Windsor. The 1977-83 figures for Windsor represent the overall rate for Trident, with that of Morecambe reflecting only that of the animals which went there. It was difficult to decide where to count Amber, since she died just after she had been sold to Morecambe, but before she could be moved from Windsor, therefore two calculations were made. The different effects one death may have on mortality rates are well illustrated here: for 1984-85, one death out of two animals gives Morecambe a 33 % rate, while one death out of 8 animals only gives Windsor a 7 % rate. Knowsley, Woburn, Rhyl and Blair Drummond were operated together at various times by Trust Houses Forte. In the early years,Rhyl and Knowsley animals wintered at Knowsley, later all animals wintered at Woburn. The overall mortality rates for the Trust Houses Forte group have been calculated for comparison with those of Knowsley alone. Although the Trust Houses Forte data are not complete, it does seem as if the Knowsley rates are very similar to those of the whole group. Until 1984, Brighton was under the same management throughout. The period 1968-85 was divided into two, in order to test for changes over the years. However, both periods have similar mortality rates. Calculations were done including and excluding the Mexican animals, because they were intended for Scarborough and only brought to Brighton for humanitarian reasons. At Whipsnade, with the same management throughout, the period has also been divided into two, to test for changes, but again, there is not much difference.

The first management at Windsor, and the first period calculated at Morecambe, show very low mortality rates in comparison with the Trident era, and with results at the other estabishments almost throughout. It is interesting that both are outdoor pools and that both were of a similar capacity at that time (Windsor's second pool was built by Trident). It is also interesting that different managements obtained very different results at these pools. The early period at Flamingo has extremely poor results and, as this is one of the largest UK pools, seems to confirm the idea that management, not pool size is of primary importance. Knowsleys results are mainly a reflection of the overall Trust Houses Forte figures as well those of Dolphin Services (Bloom UK). It is too early to obtain a fair picture of current management results. Brighton and Whipsnade results are interesting in that (excluding the Mexican animals) the figures are very similar throughout, perhaps reflecting the stable management. On these results, there seems no advantage in using natural sea water or, surprisingly, in larger pools. The completely outdoor pools (Morecambe and Windsor) do have the best results under some managements; however, the importance of management is demonstrated by the different results achieved in these pools.

It has only been possible to explore overall mortality rates from 1973 onwards, since there are too many animals with unknown history in the earlier years. The annual mortality rates fluctuate considerably, but tend to be higher in earlier years. This is shown more clearly in the block calculations, where mortality appears to be reduced when the periods 1973-85 (16 %) and 1981-85 (11 %) are compared.

The National Zoological Society dolphinarium survey in 1972, with amendments in the light of new information, provided a valuable opportunity to follow the careers of animals over a long period. While the list may still not be complete, it certainly represents the vast majority of animals present in 1972. Some animals could not be traced further, but the majority of the careers are known with reasonable certainty. The careers of a number of the exported animals are also known, but have not been included in these calculations, which refer only to events in the UK. (Careers of exported animals are included in the Figure below.)

There is evidence in the literature (Dudok van Heel, 1972) and in submissions (Amundin, corresp.; Bloom, corresp; Greenwood, corresp.) that in the early 1970's, the demand for dolphins led to a marked drop in the quality of animals sent from the USA to Europe. Dudok van Heel (1972) notes that animals he received in this period required about a year of careful nursing and rest before showing the same health and fitness as animals imported earlier.

The number of. deaths in this group varies from year to year, but there is a concentration in the early period. This may be a reflection of the quality of the imports at that time, but in comparison with the overall rates for 1976-85 (18 %), this cohort, with overall 12 % mortality, has not done so badly. The percentage mortality, of course, appears higher in later years, where one death in a small group has major effects.

The Figure shows the survival times for bottlenose dolphins of known history from their arrival or first report in the UK. The fate of exported animals is also shown. In general, information about animals arriving after about 1975 is much more complete and this section of the Figure is likely to be a reasonable picture of the true situation. The problem of initial mortalities, for newly caught and for established animals, is clearly illustrated. The National Zoological Society 1972 survey is responsible for the large number of animals reported in 1972. It is unlikely that all animals reported arrived in this year and therefore the survival times of these animals will be underestimated. The data for the earlier years are very incomplete and are unlikely to be a reasonable picture of the true situation. In particular, except for the majority of the existing establishments, where a fairly complete animal list has been compiled, it is probable that sources remember animals which survived for some time, better than animals which did not.

Initial mortalities are therefore probably considerably underestimated. However, in view of the concern about the survival of animals in captivity, it is interesting that at least some pre-1972 animals are still alive and must now be approaching the maximum ages reported for wild animals.

Mortality rates - killer whales

There have been eight killer whales in the UK, in total. A ninth animal, Fiesta, mentioned by Arden Clarke (1984), never entered the UK, being merely a stand-by for Dudley in case the transfer of Cuddles was not completed. The name 'Fiesta' does not appear in Hoyt's (1984) list and we have not been able to establish whether this is another name for an animal in that list or a new animal. The history of the UK animals is given in the Animal List.

The annual mortality rate for the time spent by animals in the UK is 11 %. The total time in captivity (including subsequent careers of exported animals) ranges from 0 to 15 years and 33 % of the animals are still alive as of the end of 1985.

Hoyt (1984) describes the world history of killer whale keeping and lists all animals known to have been live captured in North America, Iceland and Japan. From Hoyt's list, we have calculated the overall annual mortality rate for captive killer whales to be 15 %, with 21 % in the early years and 12 % in recent years.

In relation to these international results, the UK record for killer whale keeping, which spans both periods, is not bad, although there is roan for improvement.

Natural mortality rates and captive mortality rates

The annual natural mortality rates for wild cetacean populations are rarely completely known. The only observed rate for bottlenose dolphins is an overall 6.9 % (Leatherwood, Odell and Asper, 1985) for a Florida population also subject to an average 2.14 % removal of animals by live capture, giving a total annual removal rate of 9.04 %. Ohsumi (1979) calculated natural mortality rates for bottlenose dolphins at 13.2 - 12.6 % (north Pacific) and 13.6 to 13.0 % (north Atlantic). Thus one might expect something of the order of 7 to 14 % as the overall natural mortality rate in wild populations.

From the Tables it can be seen that, although in some cases annual mortality rates for captive bottlenose dolphins are of the order of double those in the wild, overall they are not very different, particularly for the 1972 cohort where individuals can be followed for many years. However, the overall rate of 12 % is within the possible natural mortality rates of 7 to 14 %, although the 95 % confidence limits are wide. On the other hand, there are no confidence limits for the estimates of mortality in the wild.

There are at least three estimates of killer whale natural mortality, Ohsumi (1979) calculated an annual rate of between 9.05 and 9.06 %; Spong (1985) estimates 9.3 % over a ten year observation period while Bigg (1982), using observations from the same area as Spong, gives an overall adult mortality rate of 1.51 %. Bigg does say that his 1982 estimate is surprisingly low, so it may be that somewhere around 9 % is a more realistic mortality rate for wild killer whales.

The annual mortality rate for captive UK killer whales is around 11 % and thus not very different from the wild annual mortality rates given by Ohsumi and Spong, although very much higher than Bigg's estimate.

Discussion of mortality rates

With small numbers of animals involved and incomplete records, these calculations can only be taken as indications. However, it does appear that management may be a far more important variable than pool facilities. Some managements have achieved annual mortality rates comparable with the lowest wild annual mortality rates for the species concerned, others have very much worse results. There is some indication that outdoor pools may be better than indoor pools, but not that natural sea water pools are better than artificial salt water pools, or that the larger and deeper pools are better, but it is not possible to separate these variables completely from management variables. There is some support for the idea that conditions have improved over the years, but it is fairly clear that the initial period in captivity is still critical. Once animals are established they can continue for very much longer periods than is generally believed, with life spans approaching the maximum recorded in the wild. All the UK establishments, except Whipsnade, have come under new management in recent years. The records of these managements are, with one exception, good, although with such small numbers of animals kept, loss of a single animal has a major effect on mortality figures, particularly when only a year or two are considered.

The concerns about mortality rates are well founded for some managements at some periods, but other managements have obtained very much better results, even in the same pools. It is clearly not impossible to keep captive cetaceans. If sufficient records existed, the optimal keeping conditions could be better defined. Unfortunately, detailed records were not kept.

Suggestions

(1) Establishments must keep detailed records of all animals, including place, date and circumstances of catching, original measurements and weight, date of arrival, measurements and weight on arrival, any unique marking, scars etc; all moves, regular length and weight measurements, medical history; date and circumstances of disposal or date and postmortem report on death.

(2) Copies of these full records should accompany animals to new homes. Copies of these full records must be deposited safely, where they will not be affected by changes in management. The Department of the Environment, as the licensing authority, could take charge of deposits, and publish analyses from time to time.

(3) Annual reports on animals held should be published, preferably in the International Zoo Yearbook.

WATER TREATMENT - Return to contents

Introduction

There are many methods in use throughout the world to produce hygenic water conditions in dolphinaria. The water filtration and purification system must effectively remove animal wastes, prevent the growth of harmful micro-organisms, provide an environment that is relatively free of toxic chemicals and maintain a reasonable level of clarity. This may be achieved through an 'open' system, where water is continuously discarded and replaced or where tidal action replaces water in open sea pens. Open systems are only practical for coastal establishments with access to reliably clean local water. Semi-open and closed systems are in more general use. These provide for continuous partial replacement or for occasional replacement of water lost through evaporation or waste. Filters may be used even in open systems, but are necessary in other systems. There are various designs: gravity-fed sand and gravel filters, and high rate sand filters, both of which remove wastes physically and to some extent by biological degradation; diatomaceous earth filters physically remove wastes and help improve water clarity. Almost all filters require periodical backwashing to maintain efficiency. Maximum water turnover in closed system pools should be 4 hours according to the EAAM standard, but others (eg. Geraci, 1984) consider two hours or less to be desirable. In practice, filtration systems may operate more slowly than the maximum rate indicated by the equipment. It is usual to provide sufficient extra water processing equipment to allow for maintenance and partial breakdowns. Debris from skimmers, grids and filters can provide information on animal health and any unusual material found requires further investigation. Various treatments, used in combination with filters, are designed to eliminate micro-organisms and algae as well as to prepare wastes for filtration, among these are: chlorine (as sodium hypochlorite or, more usually in the past, as chlorine gas), ozone, ultraviolet radiation, and (mainly in the past) copper salts. All, except the fresh water cetaceans, require natural or artificial salt water, with salinity between 1.5-3.5 % (EAAM), although sane prefer a higher minimum salt content, nearer that of coastal sea water, advising 2.5-3.5 % ( eg. Geraci, 1984).

A bottlenose dolphin may produce 12 litres of urine and 1.4 kg of faeces a day (Ridgway, 1972), as well as debris from feeding, sloughed skin etc. The quantity of waste is thus far greater, and more diverse, than that encountered in public swimming pools, where most research on this type of water treatment has been done (White, 1972). Also, swimming pools are commonly fresh water and the salt water of dolphin pools can influence the testing apparatus and chemicals developed for use with fresh water as well as complicate the treatment reactions in ways which are still not completely understood (Manton, 1974). Large particles may be removed by skimmers and grids, smaller particles by filtration and very small particles may be aggregated by the addition of other chemicals. All the pools in use in the UK today are closed systems, with various types of sand and high rate sand filters. Brighton have considered diatomaceous earth filters, but this material is difficult and expensive to obtain in the UK. Chlorination is used for disinfection and removal of organic material. It is provided by electrolyis or addition ofsodium hypochlorite (liquid chlorine), not now by addition of chlorine gas.

All sources are agreed that water treatment, particularly in closed systems, was not well understood in the early days. The 1972 EAAM symposium appears to be the first attempt to explore the subject in detail. Although much progress has been made, the entire process is not yet completely understood and it is still occasionally necessary for closed systems to resort to replacement of a proportion of pool water if stable organic compounds build up.

The chlorination process

White (1972) comprehensively describes the principles and practice of chlorination. On first addition of chlorine to water containing organic material, chloramine compounds (combined chlorine) are formed, as shown in the Figure. Monochloramine (NH, C1), the product at low chlorine doses, is only about one hundredth as effective a disinfecting agent as hypochlorous acid (HOC1), usually called free residual chlorine. Monochloramine is stable, apparently unaffected by sunlight, and does not have an offensive odour or irritate the eye and mucous membranes. Dichloramine (NHC12) is formed when additional hypochlorous acid reacts with monochloramine. This product gives much better disinfection than monochloramine, but is more unstable, irritates eyes and mucous membranes and gives off a disagreeable odour. On further addition of chlorine, hypochlorous acid or free residual chlorine can be detected. After this point, nitrogen trichloride (NC13) may form, which has a nauseous odour and severely irritates the eyes, mucous membranes and skin.

Hypochlorous acid or free residual chlorine is the most important of the chlorine residual fractions:

(1) Hypochlorous acid has the greatest germicidal efficiency of all the chlorine compounds.

(2) It is a non-toxic, taste- and odour-free compound in the quantities used for water treatment.

(3) It is not known to be an eye irritant.

(4) Because of its oxidizing powers, it has the capability of destroying organic matter, resulting in superclarity, giving the pool water a polished look.

(5) Hypochlorous acid is destroyed by sunlight; losses of up to 2 ppm in four hours of bright sunlight have been observed.

The 'chlorine smell' sometimes noticed around pools (and in tap water) is, in fact, caused by di- and, particularly, by trichloramines. White (1972) says that if 'chlorine' can be smelled, it indicates that too little chlorine has been added to the water. Chloramines can act as an organic substrate, promoting algal growth.

The dip in the chlorine reaction curve is known as the 'breakpoint'. After this point, the more chlorine added, the lower the proportion of irritant and offensive chloramines and the higher the proportion of free chlorine, or hypochlorous acid. In the Figure, only the reaction with ammonia nitrogen is illustrated; in the additional presence of organic nitrogen, as in dolphin pools, the dip in the curve is less pronounced (and therefore more difficult to determine, Andersen, 1973), and a somewhat larger proportion of dichloramine persists after the breakpoint. The reaction times are also greatly extended in the presence of organic nitrogen, with reactions proceeding for days rather than minutes. Reactions with some organic nitrogen compounds may never go to completion. This is why stable nitrogen compounds may build up in dolphin pools, necessitating partial renewal of water. Even if the particular organic nitrogen responsible was identified, water renewal might still be the most practical form of control.

The reaction conditions were: 0.5 ppm ammonia nitrogen, PH 7, 50° F with 2 hour contact time.
Adapted from White (1972).

Figure 2: Relationship of ammonia nitrogen and chlorine.

The reaction producing trichloramine only goes to completion at pH less than five, although some trichloramine is formed at higher pH. Hypochlorous acid dissociates to form hypochlorite ions and hydrogen ions from about pH 6. Hypochlorite ions are poor disinfectants because they cannot penetrate the cell walls of micro-organisms. From about pH 8 the disinfecting power of the measured free chlorine decreases significantly because of this dissociation. The addition of chlorine to pool water changes the pH; chlorine added as gas lowers the pH, chlorine added as sodium hypochlorite raises pH. A pH of between 7.5 and 8 is considered ideal for the eye comfort of humans in swimming pools. This is known from investigations using pure water, without chlorine present. Thus, although a slightly lower pH would be better for minimising production of hypochlorite ions, swimming pools and dolphin pools aim to maintain pH in the region of maximum eye comfort.
The temperature of the water influences the speed of the chlorination reactions, the warmer the water the faster the reaction. The volume of water available per animal is an important variable in the water treatment process in closed systems. The volume gives the chlorine reaction space and time to complete in relation to the organic load. The EAAM estimate that a minimum of 100 m3 of water is required per bottlenose dolphin for efficient water treatment.

Pools need to be designed so that all areas have adequate water circulation. If inlets and outlets are not properly positioned, 'dead' areas with far slower turnover than indicated by the general water turnover time are created. These areas are neither filtered nor chlorinated to the same standard as the rest of the pool. While the usual result is excess algal growth in such areas, they are potential reservoirs of pathogens (White, 1972). A simple method of investigating pools for 'dead' areas (besides observing algal growth patterns) would be to divide the pool into imaginary one metre cubes, take a sample from the middle of each cube and determine free and combined chlorine levels ('dead' areas have lower free chlorine levels).

Treatment of water in dolphin pools

There are two methods of employing chlorination to disinfect dolphin pools in use in the UK today. Windsor prefers marginal chlorination, which involves either adding the minimum quantity of chlorine necessary to achieve disinfection, thus using the reactions before the breakpoint and aiming to exploit the disinfecting powers of monochloramine with minimum irritant dichloramine production, or seeking to maintain the lowest level of free chlorine compatible with adequate disinfection without particular reference to combined chlorine levels. The other UK dolphinaria prefer to operate just above the breakpoint. They are thus taking advantage of the greater disinfecting properties of free residual chlorine, as well as of the ability to produce superclean water, but, as far as possible, avoiding the production of the highly irritant trichloramines. The total quantity of chloramines present is minimised, reducing 'chlorine' smells and potential eye and skindiscomfort as well as the substrate for algal growth.

In all establishments, the free, combined and total chlorine content of dolphin pool water are monitored at regular intervals throughout the day and the chlorine input regulated accordingly.

Other additions are made to the water as required, for example flocculants to increase particle size and enable the filters to remove the material, chemicals to adjust pH, and salt in the non-sea water systems. Except for salt, which is usually added to the pool itself, other materials including chlorine, are added at particular places in the water treatment circuit so that they are well mixed before entering the pool. In case of emergency, sodium hypochlorite can be added by hand at some point close to the pool outlet (often into the non-return skimmer pots) so that it is well mixed and diluted before it enters the pool via the filter system.

As well as low levels of bacteria and other pathogens, low levels of nitrogenous compounds should be found in well maintained pool water. Under the breakpoint system, there should be a low combined chlorine level (Morecambe report that over 0.8 ppm combined chlorine the skin of their dolphin tends to peel, although there is no eye discomfort) and about 100 % excess of free chlorine over combined chlorine. Since exact levels may fluctuate through the day, depending on feeding, exercise etc., a single water sample will not give a good indication of overall water quality. This can only be assessed from regular sampling over several days.

Reports of skin and other damage from excess 'chlorine' (eg. BBC Watchdog programme, 1984) in pools appear to refer to damage by chloramines, since hypochlorous acid (free chlorine) is not irritant or toxic. Dudok van Heel (1983) personally tested the effects of 30 ppm free chlorine, in the absence of combined chlorine, by remaining in such water for six hours, together with his two sons. The test was also carried out later on two dolphins. No irritation, eye discomfort or (dolphin) skin sloughing was observed. If a build-up of organic material occurs in the pool, perhaps through filter or other breakdown, addition of sufficient chlorine will cause a temporary increase in chloramines until the organic material is destroyed. Addition of insufficient chlorine, however, will merely produce chloramines, since there will be no free chlorine to destroy the organic material. Another possible source of 'chlorine' damage is inadequate pH control in systems using chlorine gas. Chlorine gas lowers pH and, if this is not controlled by addition of other chemicals, pH can drop into the region below five, where the formation of the highly irritant trichloramines is favoured. Chlorine gas can be responsible for true 'chlorine accidents'. Such a 'chlorine accident' occurs when chlorine gas bubbles through the water because of inadequate injection systems or escapes into the air, through inadequate handling of containers. Chlorine gas in air is highly toxic, inhalation of even low concentrations causes extensive damage to the respiratory system. There can be a third type of chlorine accident. When pH is below about three and at chlorine concentrations above 1,000 ppm, molecular chlorine will be present in the water. Such solutions are fuming and corrosive. Inadequate chlorine gas injection systems may occasionally permit temporary discharge of this type of solution and, although rapidly diluted within the pool, animals near the inlet at the time may be at risk. Sodium hypochlorite is a much safer source of chlorine; mistakes with pH control only result in formation of hypochlorite ion, since this source raises pH, and, within limits, excess addition to water merely raises free chlorine levels. If the injection site is near the pool outlet, considerable dilution is achieved through the filter area before water returns to the pool, giving protection against very highly concentrated chlorine solutions reaching the pool even in the case of malfunction of injection equipment.

The term 'chlorine explosion' can refer simply to the increased levels of free chlorine observed after the breakpoint has been passed. It can also refer to the liberation of molecular chlorine, described above. True chlorine explosions can only happen with gaseous chlorine (Andersen, 1973).
Comparisons of water quality, pool capacity and occupancy
Information on water quality in UK pools was obtained from submissions and from inspection of records on our visits. The chlorine and other information is summarised in the first Table. The results of bacteriological analyses showed only the odd one or two organisms per 100 ml (the EAAM Standard, for comparison, requires that the coliform bacteria content of the pool must not exceed 500 organisms per 100 ml). Theoretical filtration turnover rates are within the maximum of four hours recommended by EAAM, but some are a little slower than the two hours or less recommended by Geraci (1984).

Taking the EAAM estimate of 100 m3 per bottlenose dolphin as the requirement for efficient water processing, the relative provisions of the UK pools were calculated. Baby dolphins were counted as requiring half the adult volume. The volumes required for killer whales were estimated to be 584 m3 per animal, as discussed in detail in the Standards section. The results of these calculations are given in the second Table.

Remarks

All the UK pools are maintaining adequate control of bacteria and establishments using breakpoint chlorination seem to have their systems under control. Windsor, from the single sample submitted, appear to be taking the course of maintaining the lowest free chlorine levels compatible with disinfection, rather than aiming to add minimum chlorine and relying on monochloramines for disinfection. Windsor have very much higher combined chlorine levels, mostly dichloramines, than any other establishment in the UK. As the analysis does not mention trichloramines, the combined chlorine levels might have been higher. This type of marginal chlorination does entail the acceptance of higher levels of combined chlorines than breakpoint chlorination, as well as the presence of dichloramines which would not be formed if an absolute minimum quantity of chlorine was added. It therefore looks very much like the worst of the three operating options, since animals are exposed to higher combined chlorine levels than with breakpoint chlorination and to more dichloramines than with absolute minimum chlorine addition, although hygiene is being maintained. Salinity in UK pools is maintained within EAAM standards, but Flamingo's is well below recommendations and Whipsnade's is also lower. The sea water Bay at times seems to be lower in salt content than Geracils r Some pH measurements are slightly below EAAM's recommended 7.6 - 8.2, but within Geraci's (1984) 7.5 - 8.2 limits.

It can be seen, from the second Table, that the UK pools are all operating well within the calculated water processing requirements for current occupancy. However, when there were five dolphins at Knowsley in the winter of 1983/84, the pool was operating with a 30 % water processing deficit (500 m3 required: 386.41 available).

It was apparent, from submissions and from conversations with staff that, while everyone was able to monitor water and operate equipment, not everyone could explain why the various tests were being made, the properties of the various combined chlorines or the overall operating theory of water treatment at the establishment. The various training courses available do not appear to cover water treatment in this kind of detail and, as with many other aspects of cetacean husbandry, experienced staff pass information to new staff. If water treatment problems arise, advice is often sought from colleagues at other establishments and from the specialist veterinary profession.

Suggestions

(1) All relevant staff at all dolphinaria should have a competent knowledge of the theory as well as of the practice of water treatment.

(2) The training courses should provide more detailed instruction in water treatment.

(3) If inspectors do not already do so, they should examine water treatment records over a period, not over a few days or a single analysis, to obtain a general impression of the level of control. They should also test staff knowledge of water treatment.

(4) Establishments must have low levels of bacteria and other pathogens as well as low levels of nitrogenous compounds in pool water. Combined chlorine levels must be kept low, 0.5 ppm or below on average, pH within the 7.6 - 8.2 recommended by EAAM and salt within the 1.5 - 3.5 % EAAM recommendation (but preferably near the average normally encountered by the wild population).

(5) Maximum observed total filtration rate for each pool should be well within the EAAM's four hour recommendation (but preferably within Geraci's two hour recommendation).

(6) Maximum designed total filtration rate for each pool should be two hours and preferably less.

(7) Sufficient extra water processing equipment needs to be provided to allow for maintenance and partial breakdown.

(8) Establishments must determine the normal operating water treatment parameters and investigate promptly if these are not being achieved.

(9) Establishments must have a clear policy on pool water renewal if specific bacterial and pathogen content, nitrogenous compound content, combined chlorine content and other treatment limits are exceeded and cannot be brought back to normal within a specified period.

(10) Establishments should determine these limits and periods in the light o their experience with their system, but the limits should not be fa outside the normal operating range and the periods hours or, at most, day or so.

(11) New pools should be specifically designed to ensure full Ovate circulation to all areas. They should also be thoroughly investigate during initial use to check that full water circulation to all areas ha; been achieved.

(12) Existing pools should be throughly investigated to identify areas of poor water circulation. Steps must be taken to remedy such areas an( further tests carried out to show whether the measures have beer effective.

(10) The contents of grids, meshep and skimmers should be carefully moni torec as well as filter debris after backwashing, and any unusual material promptly investigated.

(11) Any new pools, and upgradings of existing pools, must include provision for each pool to be operated and emptied in isolation. In particular, hospital and quarantine areas must operate separately when required.

(12) It must be possible to empty all pools rapidly and without polluting or overwhelming local drainage arrangements.

(13) Operating parameters, copies of water treatment records for recent months and full analysis reports should be submitted as part of the supporting material for applications to import, acquire or continue keeping cetaceans.

(14) Regular and frequent (preferably weekly) full pool water analyses, including the various chlorine and nitrogen fractions, would facilitate closer control of water treatment, provide background information in case problems arise and constitute a data base from which to establish more exactly the parameters of water treatment.

(15) Bacteriological analyses of pool water should be carried out at least monthly, as suggested in the EAAM standard, but preferably weekly.

(16) Analyses of pool water for fungi and other potential pathogens should be made at least at monthly intervals, but perferably weekly.

(17) Establishments should have a protocol on timing and place of water sampling, so that samples taken at different dates are comparable. Each pool should be sampled for each test, even when not operating separately, to check for any water circulation problems.

(18) Filters should be tested for the presence of bacteria, fungi and other potential pathogens at least at monthly intervals.

(19) Establishments should have a clear policy that if filters are found to contain other than minimal levels of potential pathogens which cannot be removed rapidly by other means, the filter material will be renewed.

LEGISLATION - Return to contents

Introduction

National and international legislation relating to cetacean species which are, or might be, kept in captivity was reviewed. A much more detailed discussion was circulated privately and the summaries and remarks below reflect the revisions suggested by several sources.

National legislation - wild animals

Prerogative Regis (about 1324), usually referred to as the 'Royal Fish Law', gives the Crown the right to 'whales', species unspecified, taken in the sea or elsewhere in the realm, in England, Wales --and Northern Ireland (Halisbury, 1971a; 1972). In some areas the Crown has granted this right to Lords of the Manor, where stranded animals (technically wrecks) are concerned. In Scotland, under the Leges Forestarum, all great whales and those which may not be drawn with a wain and six oxen belong to the Crown (Taylor, 1928). In modern practice this means that pilot whales, bottlenose whales and animals less than 8 m in length do not belong to the Crown (Fraser, 1977).

These ancient laws are usually invoked today in relation to the recording of stranded animals, but they appear to cover all cetaceans in UK waters (except Scotland) and not just strandings.

The Whaling Industry (Regulation) Act 1934, as modified by the Fishery Limits Act 1976 and the Fisheries Act 1981, prohibits the taking or treating of any cetacean (the restriction to baleen whales and sperm whales only seems to apply to ships registered in colonies or associated states) within 200 miles of the British coast, as well as the driving ashore of bottlenose whales and pilot whales in Scotland. The Act to Regulate Whale Fisheries in Ireland 1908, allowing the hunting of whales (species unspecified) only under licence, appears to be still in force for Northern Ireland (Fairley, 1981). Section 7 of the 1934 Act provides for specific permits for taking, killing or,treating whales (species unspecified) for scientific research or for other exceptional purposes. Schedule 2 Part I (5) of the Whaling Industry (Ship) Regulations 1955 defines 'taken' as killed and either flagged or made fast to a vessel. Under the Merchant Shipping Act 1894, a 'ship' or 'vessel' includes every type of vessel not propelled by oars (Halisbury, 1971 b).

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (WCA) 1981, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins and harbour porpoises are given strict protection. Killing, injuring or taking is prohibited as is possession or control of any live or dead animal, except under licence, within territorial waters. Mechanically propelled vehicles may not be used in immediate pursuit for driving, killing or taking protected animals. The Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) may grant licences allowing such activities for, among other things, educational or scientific purposes, marking or examining marks and photography. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland (DAFS) are also licensing authorities and in particular can licence the killing of protected cetaceans to prevent serious damage to fisheries.

Remarks

For live-capture or semi-capture of bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins or harbour porpoise, a licence would be required from the NCC. For any other species, including killer whales, only the Royal Fish laws may apply. Bottlenose and pilot whales could in any case be taken in Scotland, as could any animal less than 8 m in length - which includes suitably sized young specimens of species with adult length above 8 m. However, MAFF believe that section 2 of the 1934 Act does prohibit live-capture, via the restriction on 'taking'. This is on the basis that the definition of 'taking' in Schedule 2 of the 1955 Regulations has no bearing on the interpretation of 'taking' in the 1934 Act, which would have an ordinary meaning. Others believe that the definition in the 1955 Regulations does apply to the interpretation of the 1934 Act.

'Take' in the sense of the WCA is not yet defined in case law. Some believe that the term means simply capture and/or removal, others that it may cover a wider range of situations, inluding 'harassment'. Unless 'take' under the WCA covers something similar to 'harassment', protection of wild cetaceans from over-eager whale watchers hardly exists, since it is only otherwise forbidden to disturb an animal while occupying a place of shelter or protection (not really applicable to cetaceans), or to pursue an animal with a mechanically propelled vehicle. Even this only applies to the protected species: for the other 20 or so cetacean species known to visit, or to reside in UK territorial waters, there is no protection at all in this context.

The initial legal position of animals which strand alive and are taken into captivity for rehabilitation is very unclear. For the three WCA species a NCC permit to 'take' the animals may be required, although such emergency situations are probably exempt. If the removal is 'taking' under the 1934 Act it might be forbidden under MAFF's interpretation of the ordinary meaning of 'taking'. There is no exemption for emergencies under this Act. If the Royal Fish laws apply, and stranded animals are officially wrecks, then the Receiver of Wreck is involved and permission from the Lord of the Manor or the Crown may be required. After the animal is in captivity the EEC regulations apply (see below) and permission to hold the animal is required, in advance, from the Department of the Environment. Well intentioned people seeking to help live stranded animals through rehabilitation attempts thus seem to have ample opportunity to fall foul of the law.

National legislation - captive animals

The Protection of Animals Acts 1911 - 1964 and the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Acts 1912 - 1964, make it an offence to cause or permit any unnecessary suffering to any domestic or captive animal by the commission or omission of any act. The Abandonment of Animals Act 1960, prohibits the abandonment of any animal in circumstances likely to cause unnecessary suffering (relevant to any ill-planned attempts to release captive animals). The Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925, requires the registration ofexhibitors and trainers of performing animals, with details of the performance, with the local authority. The Welfare of Animals (Northern Ireland) Act 1972 is similar to the Protection of Animals Acts, but also provides for the licensing of zoological establishments by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Zoo Licensing Act (ZLA) 1981, which came into force at the end of April 1984, requires all zoos to be licensed by the local authority. Zoos are defined as places where wild animals are kept for exhibition to the public on more than seven days a year, which are not circuses or pet shops. Zoos must be inspected regularly. The Secretary of State (Department of the Environment) has the power to specify standards, and licences may be contingent upon any features of the zoo being brought up to those standards. Comprehensive records are to be kept and produced to inspectors. The current Standards cover all aspects of animal care including welfare, health and hygiene; the competence and conduct of staff; safety and security of animals; safety and welfare of visitors; insurance, disposal of stock, transport and movement of animals etc. In assessing cetacean accommodation, inspectors have taken existing standards such as those of the USA and EAAM into account, as well as their own experience.

The Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 (and the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Bill, which is currently being discussed) require that any experimental procedure which may interfere with the normal well-being of an animal has the authority of the Secretary of State (Home Secretary). Recognised veterinary, agricultural or animal husbandry practices are excluded. Such research animals must be kept in licensed premises and may be required to be destroyed by recognised humane procedures at the termination of an experiment.

Remarks

Although very new, the ZLA has wide powers to ensure that animals are kept properly, through the standards, the licence conditions and the inspections. There are quite sufficient powers under the ZLA to enforce any requirements for the keeping of cetaceans as far as accommodation, welfare, staff competence etc. are concerned, as well as the flexibility to update and improve standards as necessary. However, some see a potential problem in that local authorities, and individual inspectors, might differ in their interpretation and enforcement of standards.

In effect, the legislation on experimental procedures severely restricts the research which can be done with animals on public exhibition. Although it is not expressly stated that animals may not be publicly exhibited while not actually taking part in regulated experiments, the exact position is unclear. It is, therefore, customary for zoo managements to restrict work with exhibited animals to non-regulated research. The requirement for humane destruction after certain experiments also restricts the kinds of investigations which could be made on expensive animals such as dolphins or killer whales. However, the veterinary profession, through normal medical examinations, may accumulate information (for example on blood hormone levels) and there is potential for use of the normal training techniques for investigations, so work need not be entirely confined to passive observation.

International, EEC and related national legislation - wild animals

One of the earliest pieces of international legislation affecting cetaceans in UK waters (depending on current differences in interpretation) is the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (IWC) 1946. The
Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats
1979, provides protection for the bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin
and harbour porpoise (and for some large whales). The Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn) 1979 may have an effect in future, having recently established a small cetaceans working group Myster, 1985).

Remarks

In practice, the IWC does not cover any of the species likely to be kept in captivity because the members disagree about whether the Convention applies to the smaller species. However, the IWC Scientific Committee sub-committee on small cetaceans have kept live-capture operations under review in recent years and held a special discussion in 1983 (IWC, 1984). The Scientific Committee may offer advice to members on small cetacean matters and, although not obliged to do so, members usually respond.
None of these Conventions exclude the live-capture and keeping of cetaceans, at least in specified circumstances for education and research. Under Berne, reports on such activities for listed species must be filed every two years. Only listing on Bonn Appendix I would restrict taking to scientific purposes or to enhance the survival of the species, but bottlenose dolphins and killer whales are unlikely to meet the biological qualifications for Bonn Appendix I since they are not in danger of extinction throughout their range (see Biology and Conservation section).

International, EEC and related national legislation - captive animals

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) 1973, although primarily intended to regulate international movements of specimens to prevent over-exploitation of wild populations, in effect can cover all aspects of the catching, transport and initial keeping of cetaceans. Under CITES, the cetacean species usually kept in captivity are on Appendix II, because, although they are not threatened with extinction, they are similar in appearance to species which are endangered. Appendix II listing also serves to monitor trade.

The EEC Council Regulation No 3626/82 and the EEC Commission Regulation No 3418/83 (and amendments), treat all cetaceans as if they were listed on CITES Appendix I and, in addition, control the use, sale or disposal of specimens after import. Permits for the import of cetaceans taken outside the EEC can only be issued if all the CITES Appendix I conditions are fulfilled. In particular, imports must not be for primarily commercial purposes and may be authorised only in exceptional circumstances.

The general rule for the use of cetaceans within the EEC is that display to the public for commercial purposes, sale, keeping for sale, offering for sale or transporting for sale is prohibited. However, exceptions to this rule may be permitted in five circumstances, only one of which needs to be satisfied:

(a) specimens imported before the Regulation came into force on 31 December 1982;

(b) specimens which are captive bred;

(c) specimens intended for research, teaching, or breeding;

(d) specimens legally removed from the wild in a Member State;

(e) specimens not used for primarily commercial purposes.

Member States need not recognise exemptions made by other Member States. Import permits may only be issued for six months at a time. The UK's current rules for the import and display of live cetaceans are set out in the Notice to Importers and Exporters published by the Department of the Environment in April 1984. Cetaceans are included in the list of endangered species (A1), where commercial import, export and sale is prohibited. In considering applications for import, advice is taken from the Scientific Authority (NCC). Account is taken of the status of the species in the wild, the origins of the specimen, the purpose of import, the accommodation to be provided and the recipient's ability to care for it. These conditions apply to any Al species. For cetaceans, there is a further requirement that the animals be kept at specified premises and the applicant must be able to show that the specimens are intended for research, education or breeding. Details of the proposed education, research or breeding programme must be included in applications. Inspectors visit establishments regularly, and may make special inspections as required.

Remarks

The 'six-month only' rule for issue of import permits does raise a potential problem for animal welfare, since the time scale is scarcely adequate for obtaining the necessary documentation in the exporting country, and catching and acclimatizing the cetaceans. Even if one import licence has been issued there is no guarantee that it will be renewed. Because of the uncertainties, there must be considerable pressure to complete a transaction within the six months, even if this means less care in the selection of animals for catching and/or curtailing the acclimatization period and/or moving animals which may not be quite well. If the decision not to move animals prematurely is taken and no new import permit is forthcoming, animals will have been subjected to the stress of capture and acclimatization for nothing, if there is no alternative destination and they have to be released again (see Welfare section).

Within the UK, animals may only be moved from their designated premises with prior permission. However, circumstances may arise where the only solution is to move animals at short notice (eg. major equipment or pool failure). It may be impossible to obtain permission to do so in advance (eg. at weekends, public holidays or at night) and the alternative to compromising the welfare of the animals is to commit the offence of a move without notice.

Several contributors have wondered why the EEC decided to treat all cetaceans as CITES Appendix I species, when most species are not, in fact, in danger of extinction in the wild. Some contributors have pointed out that giving more protection than necessary to some species can confuse and dilute the concept of an endangered species, thus weakening protection for species which are in real and immediate danger of extinction. Others have remarked that the purpose of CITES is to control international trade in endangered species in order to conserve wild populations, not to control the welfare of animals in the long term after removal from the wild. In any case, CITES provisions only cover the initial accommodation of Appendix I species, although the EEC Regulations also cover designated species after import.

We have enquired about the history of the EEC listing from some of those involved at the time. It appears that the idea originated in response to public pressure to treat all cetaceans as fully protected, because of concern about commercial whaling. In January 1981, the EEC adopted a Regulation (348/81) restricting the commercial import of virtually all whale products. Some felt that there was then an inconsistency between the treatment of cetacean products (ie. as Appendix I), and live cetaceans, most of which were listed on Appendix II of CITES. Others did not feel that the conservation status of most cetacean species, particularly those usually involved in live capture, would justify Appendix I treatment. However the EEC were by then also considering a general Regulation to implement CITES throughout the European Community, with stricter standards for certain species. A policy of treating all cetaceans as CITES Appendix I species was eventually adopted by the EEC in December 1982. This also reflected existing practice in the UK by 1981/2, under which both live cetaceans, and whale products, were being treated as Appendix I species.

It therefore appears that, for captive cetaceans, their treatment as CITES Appendix I species arose perhaps more from welfare concerns than from concerns about the conservation status of the wild populations of these species.

Summary

The CITES and EEC provisions cover the catching (through assessments of status and origin), transport and housing of animals. They also monitor the purposes of imports. The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 gives very wide powers for the control of accommodation and management, and the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925 provides for the registration of trainers and performances. Thus there appears to be ample means to ensure the welfare of animals and to control their acquisition and use at all stages.

The legal protection of wild UK cetaceans is in some confusion, but is almost completely lacking, except for a few species, and even these may not have protection from over-eager, ignorant or malicious visitors. The only protection for most species may be a 14 th century law and even this does not apply to all species in Scotland. The legal status of live stranded cetaceans taken for rehabilitation in captivity is particularly obscure.

Suggestions

(1) If an import permit is granted, particularly where animals are to be caught rather than brought from another establishment, there should be some understanding that the permit will be renewed if the welfare of the animals so requires (provided that there has been no change in any other circumstances in the meantime).

(2) If the term 'designated premises' included previously agreed alternative emergency accommodation, and on condition that any move was notified at the earliest possible opportunity, with details of the circumstances, the 'emergency move' problem would be solved without compromise to the spirit of the Regulations.

(3) If the ZLA standards of modern zoo practice included the education or teaching, breeding and research questions, at present separately inspected under CITES, duplication of effort would be avoided. In any case, ZLA and CITES inspectors should coordinate their requirements, if they do not do so already.

(4) All relevant staff, and details of performances, should be registered under the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925.

(5) Anyone seeking permission to release captive cetaceans must provide evidence that this will not cause unnecessary suffering, whether release in the UK or elsewhere is planned.

(6) Since the whole question of the use of animals for research is under discussion, perhaps some means can be devised whereby minor procedures, such as blood and tissue sampling, particularly for research on health and welfare, can be clearly permitted on animals exhibited to the public at other times.

(7) The legal status of all species of wild cetaceans in UK waters needs clarification, particularly in relation to harassment and live capture.

(8) The legal status of live stranded animals which may be candidates for rehabilitation in captivity needs clarification.

(9) The procedure for obtaining permission to hold such animals needs clarification.

(10) The EEC Regulations, which treat all Cetacea as if they were listed in CITES Appendix I, appear to be based partly on concern for the welfare of captive animals.

(11) This purpose would be served, in a far better and more comprehensive way, by specific EEC Regulations covering all zoo animals, than by promoting species ad hoc to CITES Appendix I status.

Return to contents

STRANDINGS - Return to contents

Introduction

The treatment of live stranded cetaceans was the subject of a recent meeting, convened by the RSPCA (1985). The general feeling was that attempted rehabilitation, of suitably sized animals, was a poor option. Such animals are usually so badly diseased or damaged that there is little hope of recovery. The additional stress of handling, transport and treatment is not justified. Euthanasia was recommended as the most humane course of action for animals which cannot easily be refloated.
Some participants disagreed and felt that, if possible, animals which cannot be refloated reasonably promptly should be taken and rehabilitation attempted. It was recognised, however, that isolation facilities are required. In discussion of the legal situation in the UK, only the Royal Fish law was considered in any detail. However, it appears that there may be considerable further complications, which are discussed in the Legislation section.

Strandings rescue in the UK in recent years

From the British Museum (Natural History) records and other sources, we have compiled a list of recent strandings rescues, which appears at the end of this section. While sane dolphinaria have been involved, the most active centre appears to be Natureland Marine Zoo of Skegness (a quite separate institution from the former Skegness dolphinarium). Gweek Seal Sanctuary, in Cornwall, have obtained outline planning permission for rehabilitation pools, but it is not known whether any further progress has been made.
Between 1967 and 1982 only about 50 live animals of a suitable size for rehabilitation stranded in the UK (RSPCA, 1985); an average of just over three cases a year. The majority of the animals were harbour porpoises, a species which does not seem to thrive in captivity (Andersen, 1978). None of the animals taken for rehabilitation in the UK have survived for more than a few weeks.

Remarks

Although a number of attempts have been made in the UK to rehabilitate live stranded animals, none have been very successful. This may be because only animals which could not be refloated after considerable effort, and were therefore likely to be very ill, were involved. If this is true, euthanasia may well have been the more humane option.

There are so few suitable live strandings in the UK, and the majority of these are of species generally considered unsuitable for captivity, that strandings are highly unlikely to contribute permanently to the captive cetacean population.

However, there are those who feel very strongly that rescue and treatment should be attempted. Extensive preparations for the reception of live, stranded animals may not be very practical. From the numbers of animals involved, one centre could easily cope, but this might involve lengthy transport for already sick and stressed animals. It may be more practical to make enquiries at the time of a stranding to find the nearest dolphinarium or wild animal rescue centre with proper isolation facilities, willing and able to accommodate the stranded animal without compromise to the health and welfare of existing animals. Dolphinaria and wild animal rescue centres without proper isolation facilities freely available at the time of a stranding should not be tempted to admit stranded animals, for the sake of their other charges.

STANDINGS RESCUE

GWEEK

Gweek Seal Sanctuary, Gweek, Cornwall.

Gweek is mainly concerned with the rescue and rehabilitation of seals an( other wild creatures. Mr M. Glover, of Lynx, said that he recently appeared as a witness at a planning hearing related to Gweek's project to build a large( pool or pools for nursing and display of stranded dolphins and killer whales Permission was granted, but there is no information on whether there has beer any further progress.

6.1.80 Common dolphin (M) stranded Gwynver Beach, Land's End; taken to Gweek, died later.

NATURELAND MARINE ZOO, SKEGNESS

Natureland Marine Zoo, North Parade, Skegness.

This is a quite separate institution from the former Skegness Dolphinarium with a seal and other wild animal rescue service.

14.6.69 common dolphin, stranded Mablethorpe, Lincs.; taken to zoo; fate ?

22.1.71 common dolphin, stranded Skegness; lived 24 hours.

24.11.72 harbour porpoise (F), stranded; died 27-11-72.

4.7.73 harbour porpoise, stranded Skegness.

6.2.74 whitebeaked dolphin (F), stranded Skegness.

23.4.74 harbour porpoise (M).

13.7.74 harbour porpoise, died 18.7.74.

26.1.75 harbour porpoise (M), died 30.1.75.

2.3.75 harbour porpoise (F) recently aborted; died 3.3.75.

11.2.79 harbour porpoise, stranded Skegness.

21.2.79 harbour porpoise, stranded Skegness.

20.3.80 harbour porpoise (M), 'Popsy'; died 3.5.80.

NEW QUAY

New Quay Bird Hospital, Penfoel, Cross Inn, Llandysul, Dyfed SA44 6NR.

Mr and Mrs Bryant and family.

A general wild animal rescue service, but particularly concerned with rehabilitating sea birds and seals (Bryant, 1981). Mr R. Bloom and colleagues advised on both strandings. The first died before they could arrive, the second en route to Clacton.

24.3.76 common dolphin; died 25.3.76.

25.9.76 common dolphin; died 26.9.76, en route to Clacton.

CLACTON

3.3.75 harbour porpoise; died same day, pneumonia.

12.1978 harbour porpoise; (F).

24.3.76 common dolphin; see New Quay.

29.9.76 common dolphin; see New Quay.

FLAMINGO

3.1965 harbour porpoise.

9.1965 harbour porpoise.

6.1969 common dolphin (or possibly Cleethorpes).

15.4-76 whitebeaked dolphin; died 18.4.76.

1975/7 harbour porpoise 'lived a few weeks'.

MORECAMBE

1980 common dolphin, lived for 9 weeks.

SCARBOROUGH

10.11.82 harbour porpoise; South Landing, Flamborough; died 11.11.82, Scarborough Zoo.

WOBURN

17.3.79 whitebeaked dolphin; stranded Spurn Head; died 18.3.79, Woburn.

OTHER STRANDINGS

1.10.71 A stranded wild dolphin, caught by fishermen in the river Severn, taken to a 'zoo hospital' near Scarborough; (Press report).

2.10.71 A dolphin caught in the river Severn was destroyed by Dudley Zoo officials yesterday; (Press report).

(This incident is not listed in the British Musuem (Natural History) record The confusion over Scarborough and Dudley probably arises from the fact at the time, Flamingo, Cleethorpes, Scarborough and Dudley were under the management.)

Return to contents

WELFARE - Return to contents

Introduction

Most of the concern about the keeping of cetaceans in captivity is based in one way or another on concern about the health and welfare of the animals. Opponents of dolphinaria envisage no justification for cetacean imports when any possible benefits are weighed against the costs to the animals (eg. Wildlife Link sub.; Greenpeace sub.; RSPCA sub.; Project Jonah, Australia sub.; Carter, 1982; Pilleri, 1983).

There are no published comparative studies on the health and welfare of captive cetaceans which clearly show the overall mortality and morbidity rates, nor are there comparative studies of the influence of pool size, husbandry or social group.

Therefore, it was important to try to establish facts about the keeping of cetaceans in the UK to provide a basis from which the various concerns about the welfare of the animals could be assessed.

Cetacean keeping in the UK

Information collected about cetacean keeping in the UK is summarised in the Existing and Former Dolphinaria sections, in the List of Animals and, as appropriate, in the Research, Education and Breeding sections as well as in this section. Biology and Conservation, Mortality Rates and Water Treatment are also discussed in separate sections.

Specific concerns about the welfare of animals in the UK

Mortalities

Remarks

The points above all relate to particular incidents or practices, mainly in the past. None reveal problems which could not be solved through existing legal provisions.

Behaviour and welfare

Pool use