The CTV news covered the story that one of the Vancouver Aquarium Beluga whales, a young one, died yesterday. The cause of his death has not yet been explained and prior to the moment, he was a healthy, happy, almost 3-year-old.
Tuvaq’s death is already making the voices of animal rights activists ring higher. They say that 5 baby whales have died at the aquarium since 1977. They say it is cruel to keep the Belugas in captivity. Much is true to that but I still find myself quite divided. I feel guilty that I go to the aquarium to enjoy watching the Belugas, that our Echology project is based on a webcam used to watch these whales trapped in their tank. On the other hand, I find the Belugas so incredible, so amazing to watch that I would be very sad if they were at the aquarium no longer. I think there are many people in Vancouver who feel that way, a number of them who may have developed relationships with the Belugas. These people may not feel as though the Belugas home at the aquarium is cruel. They may feel the Belugas are part of a family, that they like to be there as much as we do.
It’s really hard to say. I feel really mixed about it. I do know that after watching hours and hours of the Belugas via the webcam, I can say that they always seemed really really happy. Maybe they cannot control the little upward curls at the corner of their mouths so that they portray more sadness for their situation. Maybe I just don’t know what a sad whale looks like. But I’ve felt sadness from animals before so I think it’s something that humans can be in touch with if they open that door. The Beluga whales always seem so happy, so playful.
The attitude of some folk at the aquarium scares me somewhat, complaining about children having to see the dead Beluga:

A crane lifted Tuvaq’s body from the pool — in full view of on looking children, which had some parents muttering there could have been a better time to do it.

This angers me quite a bit. First of all because it would have been obvious what was going on and there is plenty of room for parents to usher their children back into the aquarium. Secondly because it seems as though these parents are avoiding any responsibility in teaching their children the facts of nature - death and all. While the aquarium strives to not just display the creatures, but to make them a family, educate people, and conduct research hoping to benefit the sea life, it’s likely that some people still see the place as entertainment for their children.
I don’t hate kids. I don’t hate their parents. I just wonder at times if zoos and aquariums shouldn’t be adult only. I wondered this during my visit to the San Francisco zoo a year back. The place was littered with screaming, yelling, extremely hyperactive kids. It broke my heart to see that these wise animals received none of the respect they should.
So, I think that maybe it was good for some children to see the passing away of Tuvaq. It may help them understand the facts of nature. It may help them realize that the Begulas are more than a display, but they have souls just like us (I think) and should be treated with the same respect they would treat their friends and family.