Vallejo, CA…The recent death of a baby dolphin at Marine World proves that dolphins and whales should not be held in captivity, In Defense of Animals (IDA) charged today. IDA also accused the Vallejo amusement park with misrepresenting the mortality rate of wild dolphins in an effort to justify unnaturally high death rates for captive born calves."

"Nearly every season we are subjected to the tragic news of another baby dolphin death at Marine World," said Elliot Katz, DVM, president of IDA. "Marine World's high mortality rate proves that dolphins should not be held captive in concrete tanks for human amusement."

Katz took issue with Marine World's contention that its mortality rate parallels that in the wild.

"We challenge Marine World officials to produce the scientific data that shows the mortality rate for wild born dolphin calves is 50 percent," Katz said. "They can't because the data don't exist."

"It's a ridiculous assertion," Katz continued. "If the mortality rate for wild dolphins was 50 percent, then the wild dolphin populations would be constantly crashing."

Katz also raised the specter that inbreeding is occurring at the park, a factor that could have led to the birth defect alleged to have played a role in the recent death. Katz noted that all five surviving dolphins at the park are male, meaning that only older females are available to breed with. Katz said that his staff has observed a mother and son mating at the park.

"The bottom line is that dolphins are highly intelligent, social and free-ranging creatures who should not be held under the extremely unnatural and inhumane conditions that exist at Marine World and other parks," Katz concluded. "It's time for Marine World to stop breeding dolphins and begin to phase out its antiquated and cruel exhibits of marine mammals."