Aquariums: aquatic prisons

Aquariums are really just large tanks which attempt to imitate the environment in which the non-human animals trapped inside used to live. In aquariums we can find dolphins, sea lions, sharks, rays, mackerel, barracudas, tuna and other marine animals.

During its life a dolphin, for example, would swim thousands of kilometres under the sea and interact with hundreds of other dolphins (they are animals which live in schools of dozens of dolphins) and other aquatic animals. When we enclose them in an aquarium we are condemning them to swim around in circles in the same tank for the rest of their lives without the smallest fraction of the variety of sensations which they would enjoy in liberty. On top of this, dolphins navigate the oceans using ultrasound, and when they are enclosed in an aquarium they tend to suffer due to the confusion caused by the eco against the close aquarium walls. Don’t let yourself be fooled by their apparent smile, which is nothing more than a fixed facial feature which is maintained while they suffer and even after they die.

Jacques Cousteau pointed out that the life of a dolphin in captivity ends up in the confusion of all of their senses and eventually causes such a sensitive creature to suffer the de-structuring of all of its normal behaviour and habits. But dolphins are not the only ones who suffer in aquariums due to the lack of freedom. Fishes are also individuals who suffer harshly reduced capabilities in such enclosures, which causes them changes in behaviour and anguish.

Most fishes possess spatial memories which enable them to create cognitive maps to guide them through the seas and oceans, using features such as smells, sounds, lighting etc. As a result they suffer enormously when deprived of freedom, that is to say, when they can’t live their lives in spaces as vast as the oceans, seas and rivers.

The senses of fish have evolved in a way totally different from animals like us and so, for example, something which for us is a light sound can be a thump to a fish, with a greater sense of hearing and who lives in a medium in which sound travels faster (water). A knock on the glass of the aquarium can be a source of shock and torment.

There are other problems in aquariums, apart from those caused by the lack of space. It's practically impossible to control the water temperature and keep it suitable – and hundreds of animals die as a result. As well as this, the chemicals used to disinfect the tanks tend to cause those living imprisoned inside wounds to skin and eyes, which adds even more pain to their lives.

What can I do for the animals in aquariums?

Don’t visit places where animals are enclosed. It’s the money from the visitors which maintains these companies. Therefore, if we don’t support them, and we encourage others not to support them either, these sites won’t be around forever.
It might be stunning and exiting to see individuals of different species of marine animals in aquariums, but their lives in these places is one of torment. If you like animals and want learn about them, there are many ways to do it without harming them. We can look them up on the internet or in library books, watch wildlife documentaries about marine life, go on scuba diving expeditions etc. Above all, remember than animals need your help. You can be their voice and help to make the change so that, one day, the only marine animals that exist are can be found in the seas, rivers and oceans where they belong.