The Province, July 16, 2003
Sarah Young

A pal for Spinnaker? Opponents say no

Spinnaker, a 16-year-old male dolphin, is intelligent, outgoing, highly sociable, loves fish, is eager to impress (especially his trainers) and knows a range of tricks that include the volleyball toss and the high jump.

And the Vancouver Aquarium says he needs a friend.

But the Coalition for No Whales in Captivity doesn't agree, and intends to make a big splash about it at the Vancouver Parks Board meeting on Monday night.

"They cannot continue with the cruel practice of keeping dolphins and whales in captivity in Stanley Park, it's sacrilegious to many people," said Annelise Sorg, the group's founder.

The coalition wants to lobby the board prevent any more dolphins, whales or porpoises -- otherwise known as cetaceans -- from being bought by the aquarium.

The Vancouver Aquarium bought Spinnaker two years ago from an aquarium in Japan.

"We have always said we would like to bring in a companion or two for Spinnaker," said spokeswoman Angela Nielsen. "We've said since we've had him that we'd like to have another dolphin."

"Cetaceans are very social animals, they don't like to be by themselves," said Dr. John Nightingale, the aquarium president. "In the wild, you'd see them in groups of 1,000, so keeping them by themselves is not a good thing.

"The problem is that you can't just go to the dolphin supermarket."

The coalition wants the parks board to reconsider the bylaw it proposed in 1996, which would require the aquarium to phase out their cetacean population by implementing a ban on any new animals.

Sorg said the aquarium proposed some exceptions that were eventually accepted by the board. Those exceptions allowed the aquarium to bring in animals that had been born in captivity or ones that were caught before 1996. The aquarium can also bring in rescued or endangered animals.

Sorg said any new efforts to bring in such animals would simply indicate the aquarium's need for more foreign tourist dollars.

Not so, said Nielsen. She said ticket sales are swimming along quite nicely already.

"We did have a bit of a dip after Sept. 11, [2001]," Nielsen said. "But last year we had a great year, it was one of our best years ever. We haven't been struggling because we feel we have a lack of dolphins.

"Do we think if we didn't have dolphins that it would affect our business? Yes, but that's a different question."

Several people watching last night's dolphin show at the aquarium said they wouldn't mind seeing Spinnaker with a fine-finned friend.

"I think it's fine," said Karen DeSilva, a former Vancouver resident who works for Dolphin Quest in Hawaii. "Animals in captivity help to educate people and it helps people to appreciate them."

One youngster from Smithers said he thought the show was great and that Spinnaker needs a friend so he can communicate.

"There shouldn't be dolphins in captivity, I think they should be free in the world," said nine-year-old Lorne Braam.

"But without their own kind, they can't communicate . . . they [aquarium] should get another one."

syoung@png.canwest.com

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