Letter: Dolphins not at home in tank

Thursday, Feb. 21, 2002 | 8:35 a.m.

The very nature of marine mammals makes them uniquely unsuited to confinement. In the wild, dolphins live in large groups or pods, often in tight family units. Social bonds often last for many years. In some species, they last a lifetime.

The sea is to dolphins much as the air is to birds -- a three-dimensional environment where they move up and own and side to side. Dolphins are always swimming, even when "asleep," and they are always conscious. By understanding their behavior, you can imagine the tragedy of these ocean creatures kept in captivity. Unfortunately, people who love dolphins are thus unwittingly contributing to the animals' inhumane treatment, by buying tickets to look at them.

Dolphins in a concrete fish bowl at the Mirage is not the life these magnificent mammals were meant to have. We were all outraged at the movie "Free Willy," as we should have been. A huge outcry was heard around the world. Buying tickets to see dolphins in a small tank is what keeps them there. Think about it, don't they deserve more?

LINDA FASO