Captivity doesn't have to be used for dolphin research!
It is argued that people will not have the same capacity to study these mammals in the wild the same way as if they were in captivity. There is record that some information has been very valuable to the research programs such as taste, smell, and social behavior. Echolocation has also been studied but there is a downfall: the high concentration of sounds may cause the dolphin to go deaf. Why cause so much damage for so little information? Research on wild dolphins should be more widley considered. Dolphins are seperated from families when they are put into captivity, so social behavior will be affected. In the wild their is a connection between dolphins, they know each other. Being in captivity increases stress and aggrevation between some dolphins, which can cause aggresive behavior.
Bibliography
Ellis, Richard. Dolphins and Porpoises. New York: Alfred & Knopf, Inc., 1982.
Harrison, Sir Richard, et. al. Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1994.
