A poor choice?

I started "Death At Sea World" a little while ago, and I have to say, I'm concerned I may have made a mistake.  The information that is the heart and soul of the book is vital, interesting, and compelling.  The information the author tends to focus on relaying in these first few chapters is tedious and boring.  I feel like I've heard several people's life stories, about their college years and their childhoods.  I bought this book because I wanted to read about orcas in captivity and in the wild, and the difference between their lifestyles, life expectancies, and their behaviors.

I understand there's an ongoing story that needs to be told, but I feel like large amount of my time is being frittered away on inconsequential details.  The pertinent information to establish this person's credibility could have been given in a paragraph, and there are several chapters of the book about different marine biologists realizing that's what they want to do as children and then going to college.

Another thing that struck me as silly is that the author wrote an account of Tilikum's life from his point of view, asking the readers to put themselves in his place.  That whale has thoughts and feelings, but there's no way I could infer them.

I have to say, I'm not thrilled with this book so far, which is a shame because I really thought I was going to get sucked into it.

The case against Seaworld.

I've been pretty down lately.  I'm not sure how much of that is Wuthering Heights, how much is the reduction in calories consumed, and how much is the mild seasonal illness I'm experiencing.  Perhaps it's just a mood I'm in, or the weather.  All I know is I've been sad.  And my favored reaction to sadness is distraction.  This time, I'm going to read a book called "Death At SeaWorld."  I've been wanting to read it for a while.

Before I get too far into the reading process, some groundwork.

Hi, I'm Rochelle, and I'm anti-cap.

Captivity is wrong for orcas and dolphins.  They're too large for the tanks their kept in.  They're too intelligent to be happy in captivity.  They are sentient and self aware.  They're social animals that should not be separated from their families.  Imagine having to live with a simi random assortment of strangers.  They have cultures that SeaWorld either doesn't respect or doesn't understand.  Distinctive calls, eating habits, and hunting strategies, all disregarded.  Unimportant.

Their lives are greatly shortened.  Their families are broken apart.  They're forced to live with other whales they hate.

There are a hundred great reasons we shouldn't put orcas and dolphins in captivity and zero reasons it's a good idea to keep them in concrete tanks.

I love orcas.  I will almost certainly never see an orca.  And that's okay.  I don't want to see an orca that has to suffer pain and separation and an early death for me to see it.  I do not need to see one personally to know that they exist out in the ocean somewhere, and to care what happens to them.

Did you know that dolphins have names?  Not names like Takina or Flipper.  Names they came up with themselves.  Names human beings can't pronounce.  Let's study things like that.  Let's send boats out into the wild to record their calls.  Let's not take prisoners.

Did you know dolphins recognize their own faces in a mirror?  They pass the mirror test.  They recognize their own bodies.

Nonhuman persons.  We don't need space aliens, intelligent life is here.  It's in elephants, it's in orcas, it's in dolphins, it's in gorillas, and there are many others.

I'm not a vegetarian.  I know dolphins aren't special magical angels that are only good.  But I do believe it's wrong to eat people.  I do believe it's wrong to keep people against their will.

And so, for my next reading option, I'm reading "Death at SeaWorld."  I'm going into this experience with some background knowledge from various research I've done into orcas and dolphins as well as having seen Blackfish and paid attention to the news during the initial incidents.  More thoughts to come as I take in this particular work on the topic.