Sadly, it's that time of the year again, when we are bombarded by advertisements of all sorts, promoting interaction with dolphins and whales. Whether it's watching a "high-diving" show; petting a "gentle" cetacean or worse, swimming with a "friendly" dolphin, there's no shortage of captive activities to drain one's financial resources.
Better suggestion: save some money and take the family whale-watching; dolphin-watching, or visit a museum and learn about the natural history/evolution of these magnificent mammals.
You might say, it's more convenient, less time-consuming and much less expensive to visit a marine theme park. However, it's also more convenient to throw one's trash out the window, dump a variety of recyclables into ordinary trash, or run gallons of water needlessly, while doing a small load of laundry.
Thinking of reciprocity, with every action creating a reaction, wouldn't it be an overall more satisfying and authentic experience to engage in an activity which both benefits the participant - as well as the "entertainment?" A trip to the ocean provides a hands-on educational experience, where one has the opportunity to learn of this environment in it's natural state. An excursion to a museum provides much-needed funding to the institution, while obtaining the ability to connect to one's natural history. Even renting a film on dolphins and whales teaches us not only about these wild and free-thinking individuals, but also, educates us on their habitats - AND - what actions we can take to create a healthier environment for both themselves and ourselves.
So the next time you see a commercial for a marine park, why not mute the volume, and think of a more beneficial way to spend your energy?
