Baby Dolphin Never Even Got To See The Ocean
After living only 17 days, a baby dolphin born in captivity has died.
This week, Marineland Dolphin Adventure announced the loss of a baby born to the dolphin Casique on its Facebook page.
Marineland Dolphin Adventure is deeply saddened to announce the loss of our female dolphin calf, born July 12 to one of our resident dolphins, Casique. Over the past several days, our veterinary and animal care teams have provided constant care for Casique and her calf, but became concerned when the calf developed a respiratory condition and Casique's maternal behavior declined. This is an extremely difficult loss for the Marineland family, and we welcome your positive thoughts and support.
The Florida park was the home of the world's oldest dolphin in captivity, who spent 61 years in a tank before passing away last year.
Living this long in captivity is rare, though. According to the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), dolphin and orca life expectancies are cut drastically in captivity: While dolphins will live for up to 40 and 50 years in the wild, in parks their survival rates are staggeringly low. At SeaWorld San Antonio, for example, the average lifespan of a captive-bred dolphin is four years.
Short or long, life in a tank for a wild animal is really no life at all.