John posted an interesting comment last week (5 May 2007). In his comment, he asks the following questions: "Which is the lesser evil? An aquarium where a relatively few animals kept in captivity bring awareness and enthusiasm to a large population of humans? Or "Eco-tourism", where few humans encounter a large number of creatures in their natural habitat, and run the risk of disrupting the lives of a larger number of creatures?"
So Many People Have Pondered That Question...
It's an interesting question, on that has kept a large number of ethicist and biologists occupied over the years. Consequently, I feel capable of pronouncing myself only on my very own values and beliefs, and feel in no way that I hold the absolute truth.
Annie's Philosophy...
On the one hand, I came to love the sea life on the BC coast (which subsequently fueled my desire to SCUBA dive) through my involvement with the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have had NO IDEA how absolutely breathtakingly beautiful these sea creatures were without first coming into contact with them at the Aquarium.
However, having said this, I think I prefer encounters in the wild. My experience has been that despite disturbance of the wildlife, the encounters are fewer and more respectful in the wild. When you are playing with a one-ton sealion or a sharp-teeth shark or a powerful and inquisitive octopus in the wild (see attached picture of my friend offering his hand to a local octopus)
, there is always the possibility that the animal will harm you. So you have to keep a respectful distance and appropriate behaviour in all encounters.I counter the view that we should never be interacting with animals in the wild (lest we disrupt them) with the solemn reminder that WE ARE ANIMALS OURSELVES, and therefore, a certain degree of interaction with ANY wildlife is completely natural.
I have been fortunate enough to experience an encounter with dolphins while on a dive, and it was nothing short of magical. I have always thought dolphins "cool", but until I swam with them, I do not think I really, truly, appreciated them. These dolphins approached me out of their own volition. I will treasure this experience for the rest of my life - I am not so sure seeing a dolphin in an aquarium has the same power. And even though only a smaller percentage of the population is exposed to the wild life through natural encounters, there are always movies and pictures - I would wager a bet that Jacques Couteau's films have ignited more than a few people's passion for marine life.
So, to recap: I am not opposed to aquariums, but I think nothing beats a wild encounter in terms of raw emotional power and I don't think animals suffer too much from this as SCUBA divers are weak/hapless animals in their sea, and sea creatures can defend themselves!
Note: I realise this "we're not causing too much damage" attitude may not hold as well in popular dive destinations, particularly in warm, easily accessible tourist destinations. However, through tight regulations and monitoring, even these tourist destinations could remain fairly pristine...
