This video recorded at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut went viral and shows what at first glance might seem like a beluga whale playing with a group of kids. But that impression is far from reality.
According to Dr. Lori Marino, an expert in beluga behavior at the Kimmela Center against animal exploitation, with over 80 publications on dolphin and whale behavior, the animal's behavior in the video is indicative of absolute aggression. "The open mouth and posture are typical ways cetaceans express aggression, and I've seen it often in captivity in similar circumstances. This poor animal is telling the children: 'Stay away!' It's a threat" commented Dr. Marino.
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"Belugas and other cetaceans make the same aggressive movements and gestures in their natural environment. In this case, it's clear that it behaves this way because it's confined in the tank and has nowhere to go to escape from those children shouting and banging on the glass". In other words, what many have seen as an example of whales, orcas, or dolphins in captivity connecting with humans is, in reality, an indication of their suffering and fear.
And in reality, this fear shouldn't be so surprising. The practice of keeping cetaceans in marine parks and aquariums began over 50 years ago, and in this half-century, we've discovered that cetaceans are among the most intelligent animals on Earth, not far from human beings. After the release of films like "Black Fish" or "The Cove", movements in their defense have emerged, raising awareness that both the treatment they receive and the confinement of cetaceans are significant cruelties. There is even serious debate as to whether these mammals should be considered not as animals, but as non-human persons, beings deserving of the most basic rights of freedom.
Even so, that hasn't stopped aquariums and marine parks from trying to include more belugas in their exhibits, moving them thousands of kilometers from their natural habitat to put them in a pool. It was recently revealed that the Georgia Aquarium in the United States tried to secretly import 18 belugas taken from their natural habitat off the coast of Russia.
