Standard Presentation Australian Marine Sciences Association Annual Meeting 2023

Investigation of the effects of participation in public performances on dolphin behaviour and adrenal response (salivary cortisol)  (#115)

Isabella Reboul 1 , Tamara Keeley 1 , Isabella Clegg 2 , Wayne Phillips 3 , Janet Lanyon 1
  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane
  2. Animal Welfare Expertise, UK
  3. Sea World, Gold Coast

Cetacean shows or presentations in oceanaria have received much public scrutiny for their perceived negative role in animal welfare. However, little work has be done to quantify how dolphins respond to various activities in their daily routines. The Affinity Presentation at Sea World, Gold Coast, is a daily presentation of diverse behaviours demonstrated to the public by a rotating roster of offshore bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). This research aimed to determine if the frequency of scheduled presentations (0, 2 and 3 presentations per day) elicits an adrenal response (as measured by salivary cortisol levels), alters daily behavioural repertoire, or willingness to participate in daily sessions in twelve of the bottlenose dolphins held at Sea World. Clear diurnal fluctuations in salivary cortisol were detected, but no acute adrenal response to presentations, or presentation frequency, was observed.  This presentation will discuss how this lack of adrenal response relates to changes in behaviour and willingness to participate in training sessions between treatments, highlighting the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to assessing the welfare of animals in human care.