Study of the captivity of marine mammals with special reference to Cetaceans

Abstract

This thesis aimed to compare the behaviours displayed by marine mammals, especially toothed cetaceans, in the wild and in captivity, as well as to study how captivity is modifying their lives in comparison to their lives in the wild. The history of animal captivity was discussed, including the improvements observed in the wellbeing of captive animals in the last three decades, and the benefits that these improvements have brought into being. The legislation relating to the captivity of marine mammals and furthermore, the arguments against animal captivity asserted nowadays by society were also presented. Brief introductions were made on subject matters such as animal behaviour and cetacean intelligence in order to familiarise the reader with the subject.