APNewsBreak: National Aquarium to move dolphins into refuge

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JENNIFER KAY

MIAMI (AP) — Eight dolphins that have spent their lives swimming in tanks will be retired from the National Aquarium in Baltimore into a seaside sanctuary.

By announcing plans to move its dolphins into a protected habitat by the end of 2020, the aquarium sails into uncharted waters for the marine mammal industry. SeaWorld, which earlier this year ended its orca breeding and hinted at similar changes for its dolphins someday, has balked at similar proposals from activists who want its animals released into natural waters.

"There's no model anywhere, that we're aware of, for this," aquarium CEO John Racanelli told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of Tuesday's announcement. "We're pioneering here, and we know it's neither the easiest nor the cheapest option."

Potential sites in the Florida Keys and the Caribbean have been explored, Racanelli said.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e66a39eb37994e06aed81de7921bae99/apnewsbreak-national-aquarium-move-dolphins-refuge

[HeartoftheMidwest]

1. THANK GOODNESS!!!!!!

But so LONG overdue.
Also need to retire any dolphins the military might still have in their not-so-secret programs.

[Marrah_G]

2. Good, the way these dolphins are obtained is tragic

Watch "The Cove"

[Johnyawl]

3. It's about time!

Kudos to John Racanelli and the National Aquarium for taking this step! A successful implementation of this will put growing pressure on SeaWorld and others to follow this example.

[ffr]

4. Boycott Morrow Bay Aquarium as well.

It's a privately owned establishment and it's just sad. As a tourist walking down the storefront, you can hear the animals crying all day long. This place needs to close and the animals need to be released.

[secondwind]

5. oh my god, why isn't ANYONE doing something about this?

I just read that the owners, who are 90 and 84 years old are finding themselves in a bit of a controversy.. their lease expires in 2018, and the city is not keen to renew.

good news!

[Duval]

6. I am so glad!

I've been to Sea World with my children. Even they thought it was a shame to keep these intelligent creatures in an aquarium. I would much prefer they were released into the ocean.

[niyad]

7. really? in four or five years? why the long wait?

[herding cats]

8. They have to find a qualifying site and prepare it for them?

The Atlantic bottlenose dolphins won't simply be released into open seas. The aquarium's criteria for a sanctuary include a full-time staff, "excellent water quality" in a temperate climate, isolation pools for medical care or temporary refuge from harmful conditions and barriers to stop breeding among the dolphins or mingling with wild dolphins, Racanelli said.

[niyad]

9. four or five years still seems an awfully long time.

[herding cats]

10. Maybe, but if they're trying to avoid the failures of it her such endeavors it may take time.

The article seems to make the ponnt they want them out of there due to the bad PR, and loss of revenue from such PR. Which would mean they're going to move as fast as possible I would guess. Of course if they rush and don't create a safe environment they're in for another PR nightmare.

[hedda_foil]

11. Why would they want to prevent them from mating in the sanctuary??