The Birth and Growth of a Porpoise:  An insight into the life processes and behavior of an air-breathing animal that gives birth and suckles its young underwater. (PDF) - reprinted from the Natural History Magazine November 1953, featuring Marineland of Florida and their colony of dolphins.

Biting the Hand That Feeds: The Case against Dolphin Petting Pools (PDF), a 2003 report from The Humane Society of the United States and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), reveals that what looks benign is, in fact, unsafe for both the multitudes of people who participate in petting pools as well as the dolphins who are held in them.

Captive Cetaceans: A Handbook for Campaigners (PDF) - by Jerye Mooney for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS).

Captive Cetaceans: The Science Behind the Ethics (PDF) - presented at the European Cetacean Society 18th Annual Conference, Kolmården, Sweden (29 March 2004) by Naomi Rose.

Captive Orcas: Dying to Entertain You (PDF) - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) Chippenham, UK. Produced by Vanessa Williams

The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity (PDF)

A Comparison of Survival Rates for Captive and Free-Ranging Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) and Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) (PDF) In 1992, the International Marine Mammal Association (IMMA) was commissioned by a number of NGOs to produce a report on the survival rates of three captive cetacean species. The resulting draft technical report (93-01) entitled “A Comparison of Survival Rates for Captive and Free-Ranging Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Killer Whales ( Orcinus orca) and Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas)” was released in 1994 for review.

Culture in Whales and Dolphins (DOC) The presence of cultural processes in non-human animals is an area of some controversy (Galef 1992; de Waal 1999). In this target article we attempt to fuel the debate by reviewing the evidence for cultural transmission in whales and dolphins (order Cetacea), a group which has so far received almost no attention from students of animal culture.

Driven by Demand (PDF) - dolphin drive hunts in Japan and the involvement of the aquarium industry. A Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) document.

The Dolphin Traders(PDF) - An Investigation into the World-wide Trade and Export of Black Sea bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Ukraine and Russia, 1990 - 1997.

Dolphinaria in Mexico - A Critical Report (PDF) The purpose of this research report is to publicize the realities of the dolphinarium industry in Mexico, and to accomplish the first inventory of several facilities, including their captive animals and involved companies. This report also makes a brief analysis of conditions relating to the health and mortalities of captive dolphins, despite a lack of published or official statistics.

An Experiment in Two-Way Communication with Orcinus orca (PDF) - This paper describes a behavioural experimen t in which an Orca was encouraged to attempt elementary two-way communication, i.e. choosing between two objects, by spontaneously using a learned connection between a visual object and a corresp onding auditory stimulus. Study features Gudrun at Dolfinarium Harderwijk.

Remembering Sea-Arama Marineworld - an article from "The Islander" August 2006.

Review of the Scientific Justifications for Maintaining Cetaceans in Captivity. (PDF) - Increasingly, zoos and marine parks are arguing that research is an important part of their role and that knowledge acquired in this way is essential for conserving cetaceans in the wild. This report reviews the research that has been conducted on whales and dolphins in captivity. It documents the information that has been gathered on haematology and blood chemistry; disease; physiology; experimental psychology and cognition; behaviour; reproduction; captive breeding; and protection. The report questions the relevance of these studies to free-living whales and dolphins, their conservation and the justification for experiments on captive animals.

The Rose-Tinted Menagerie (LINK) - a History of Animals in Entertainment, from Ancient Rome to the 20th Century.

Survival Guide to Survival Rates (PDF) - The survival of marine mammals in captivity is often the subject of heated discussions. Interestingly, these discussions usually focus on cetaceans. The discussions are often complicated by a general lack of understanding of the subject matter. This can result in incorrect representation of the available data and comparisons of unrelated parameters. The terminology involved is not straightforward and can be confusing (Fad, 1996). In this paper, I will discuss the terminology involved, the calculations that must be done to derive survival rates and life expectancies and I will look at the presentation of the data and how that can influence the message. A few examples will be given.

QUANTITATIVE BEHAVIORAL STUDY OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS IN SWIM-WITH-THE-DOLPHIN PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES - Swim-With-the-Dolphin (SWTII) programs allow members of the publlic to enter a pocd with one or more captive dolphins 1fIor recreational swimming. The Niational Marine Fisheries Senice (NMFS) first authorized use of bottlenose dolphins (Tumiops t m n c a ) in a SIVT'D program in 19115 and three adtlitional programs were authorized in 19l37-88. SWTD programs are presently limited to the original four facilities that operate under experimental and protisional public display permits, pending determination by NMFS whether these programs adversely affecit the health and wt:ll-being of dolphins. The present study of behavior and social interactions of SWTD dolphh; comprises one component of the NMFS evaluation of these programs.