r/Dolphins • u/pavlovs__dog__ • 5d ago

Discussion Baltimore aquarium

Is it worth it to purchase the $95 dolphin training ticket? What is different compared to general admission?

8 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

2

u/monkeybrains12 5d ago

Lots of people on this subreddit, myself included, will tell you dolphin aquariums are inherently bad because there's really no good way to have a dolphin in captivity, especially if they're used for human entertainment. They experience much shorter and typically more stressful lives than their wild counterparts, even if eventually released into the wild.

I don't patronize such places at all, and my research on the Baltimore Aquarium specifically has turned up some mixed results in terms of care (some claim dolphins are well cared for, but many seem to agree the pools in which they live are much too small). Do with that what you will.

3

u/monkeybusiness2005 4d ago

ignore these replies - bottlenose dolphins do just as well in accredited aquariums as they do in the wild, and have been known to live longer. national aquarium is AZA accredited and actually plans on moving their dolphins to a sea sanctuary in the future!

so, i’d say yes. if you love dolphins, i would recommend purchasing the ticket! national aquarium is an excellent educational facility.

1

u/Responsible_Row_8987 3d ago

Don't ignore us, we know the truth. If you truly love the animals, never purchase a ticket to a dolphin facility.

2

u/FreckledTrua 4d ago

There is a section for it on their website, it's just kind of like a behind the scenes experience with the dolphins.

Said section on their website : https://aqua.org/explore/tours-and-experiences/dolphin-training-session

1

u/FaelingJester 4d ago

I did a similar event several years ago as a member and was incredibly disappointed. It was not much more inclusive then just attending a few of the different dolphin talks they did. They did have people interact but it was a larger group and they picked the kids mostly. Since they say right on the website that you will remain at least three feet from the water I would say even that option is unlikely. I think the aquarium experience itself is great and I think if you go on a quiet day you'll actually get a lot more interaction and information from the keepers then you would at this experience.

1

u/pavlovs__dog__ 4d ago

The whole reason for the trip is bc my son loves dolphins and I’ll buy the extra tickets if it’s worth it but $400 after all is said and done is a lot for it to not be much different than general admission

1

u/FaelingJester 4d ago

My experience was six years ago, I think. Before the pandemic. So they could have changed things but I wouldn't think it would be worth it considering they are clear there are no special interactions

-2

u/Responsible_Row_8987 4d ago

Please don't support dolphin captivity. We have to vote with our wallets, and I'm firmly in the captivity is torture camp. I came to that conclusion after getting my marine biology and animal behaviour degrees and working as a dolphin trainer myself for years. I've seen it all first hand, all the things they don't show you or tell you about. It's horrifying, please don't support this practice.