As a child, I spent most of my time in the ocean, which has truly transformed the way I see aquatic life. I spent many vacations snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming through the reefs, and most importantly, I saw dolphins and whales gliding freely through the ocean where they belong. The ocean is a world full of intellect living creatures. The animals that live in the ocean are not meant to be used as entertainment. Dolphins especially have very high intelligent personalities and have strong community bonds. Whales and dolphins have some of the most advanced brains above all animals. According to Earth Day, whales and dolphins have "one of the largest and most sophisticated brains in the animal kingdom," this means that they can feel stress, create relationships, and suffer with mental health. Removing these clever animals from their natural habitat and placing them into captivity takes away their freedom and can cause prolonged damage. 

Dolphins and whales being put into captivity can cause physical and mental harm to the individual animal. When they are held in small tanks there is no way for them to swim long distance, explore the environment, and mate naturally. The size of these tanks causes stress, sickness, and abnormal behaviors. World Animal Protection explains that captive marine mammals are kept in spaces "thousands of times smaller than their natural range," with that being said it impacts their mental health. It does not matter the amount of attention, space, or freedom they are receiving, it cant replace the open ocean. Watching these animals slowly loose energy is heartbreaking to see. 

Harm and captivity to dolphins and whales still happens to this day because it has become normalized and its earning money. Even though capturing these animals causes many issues, it is bringing in prophet and visitors. Since this has been going on for many years, it will be hard to break the social norm. It most likely wont be admitted that the animals are suffering. some people may think that this is educational but that does not matter if the animals are not living a healthy life. There have been places taking action and helping this cause, but there are still many organizations capturing dolphins and whales. These animals can not speak for themselves, so it is important that we let them live freely in their natural habitat, that way they live a nourished life.