Did you ever go to SeaWorld as a child? If so, I’d be willing to guess that you feel a little uneasy about it looking back now. moral concerns around keeping animals in sustained captivity have become much more public and pressing over the last decade.
The UK has not held dolphins in captivity since 1993, and the remaining parks around the world are being pressured to stop by various conservation groups. Despite these criticisms, millions of people visit theme parks every year with the misguided hope of having a ‘close experience’ with a dolphin or whale, making the financial incentive large enough to slow the rate of change to a less than ideal pace. However, a new mechanical marvel may be able to please both executives and ecologists: the robotic dolphin.
The ‘cruelty-free’ alternative to live dolphins was created when New Zealand researchers partnered with Hollywood animatronics experts with years of experience designing robotic versions of real – and sometimes quite surreal – creatures. Unlike the mechanical Great White used in Jaws, these ‘dolphins’ are almost indistinguishable from the real thing; and cost a whopping £19 million each
High cost is the first factor that could limit the success of this technology, since companies such as SeaWorld will need to take in a lot of revenue to recoup their initial investments. There is also the possibility that maintenance and replacement will generate further costs in the future, although the cost of this compared to veterinary bills that parks currently pay is unclear.
However, as charities such as WWF and Whale & Dolphin Conservation tirelessly campaign for cetaceans to be ‘safe and free’, there will hopefully come a time in the near future when keeping animals in captivity for our entertainment is not an option.
However, even if keeping live dolphins is off the table, investors would also need to consider whether tourists would pay to visit mechanical substitutes for animals in captivity. Whilst ‘dinosaur parks’ are often a hit with young children, less morally conscious consumers are likely to argue that they would prefer to see the real thing.
Moreover, many people visit places like SeaWorld out of a love for animals and a desire to feel a connection with them. Since these robots will likely not be sentient for a very long time, can they provide this level of immersion for tourists? Many people, including myself, would argue that such ‘up close and personal’ encounters with captive animals belong in a bygone age.