New Victory for Animal Rights! Baltmore National Aquarium Frees Dolphins to Oceanside Habitat

Good news! Baltimore's National Aquarium is finally freeing dolphins in captivity, moving them to a safer seaside habitat.

According to a press release sent to Nature World News, Ingrid Newkirk, PETA President, said the organization is pleased to support the National Aquarium's move to end confinement of dolphins. She also added that the decision made by National Aquarium sets a tremendous precedent, giving dolphins the chance to feel ocean currents, hear other dolphins' call and live in their natural habitat rather than in tanks.

A blog post from PETA reported that the National Aquarium from Baltimore has decided to move eight bottlenose dolphins to a safe oceanside habitat. A pod of six females and two males, one of whom was captured in the wild in 1972 and another born at SeaWorld Orlando, will have a new home where they'll be able to have a resemblance of their natural life.

The National Aquarium's decision to this recent development was explained by CEO John Racanelli. He believes that dolphins flourish when they can form social groups, have opportunities to express natural behaviors and live in habitats as similar as possible to what nature designed for them. He also stressed the new experiences that the dolphins will be able to have in the sanctuary.

"[T]hey have never before felt the rain on their dorsal fins, chased a mullet along a mangrove shore or teased a startled crab," he said.

Dolphins are known as social animals, which is why it is very important that these friendly lot be with other dolphins. Also, living in a tank for years means that the dolphins in the National Aquarium have limited space unlike the vast ocean, where they can roam freely.

Racanelli also pointed out that the recent decision says a lot about our humanity, adding that how society treats animals says a lot about us.

Marine animals in their natural habitat work closely together to find food and navigate the ocean every day. They also share complex social relationships. All of these types of behavior are prevented when these marine animals are in tanks, the press release stated.