Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Should Beluga whales be put into aquariums?



With so many Earth Day articles about preserving the Earth, we came across the Debate article from Time For Kids about whether or not the Atlanta Aquarium should be allowed to purchase fourteen Beluga whales. Some folks say that whales should be kept in their natural environment because they have the space to roam freely. Other people believe that part of preserving a species is to educate people about them. Beluga whales live in the the cold water biomes found in the Artic Ocean. Alaska is the only U.S. state that has Beluga whales as part of its habitat. What do you think?

Do you think Beluga whales should be purchased for aquariums? Why or Why Not?

Use at least three supporting reasons to support your thinking. Check your capitalization and spelling as well.


9 comments:

Melody S. said...

NO!!!
They should not be kept in captivity because they should be able to roam free in their natural habitat. Even though they might be extinct some day, they should not be captured. They will not like it in those small tanks separate from each other! They like to stick together and be free. I mean come on, If you were one of the whales and you were kept in captivity all you would want to do is get out right? You would want to be free and go back to the ocean. I know they are just trying to help them and make more but would they throw them back? I mean yes I love animals but I think they should not be in captivity.

Rebecca K. said...

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think that these beautiful animals should be free to roam their natural habitat and be with other beluga whales. Another reason is that these whales should be with others to learn how to act like the other beluga whales instead of learning how to be part whale and part human. I mean the people are trying to help the whales yet the whales should get to be himself and choose their own life for a change. Like I said earlier the whales do help people learn about these wonderful animals yet the whales are not free and the probably do not have the space that they need. Look at it this way, when they are free to be wild they have a whole ocean to swim and live in yet when people catch them the end up just having an aquarium when the could be out in the wild swimming at their own free will. I want them in the wild so they can be free and be themselves when in aquariums they end up being locked up and they have to get used to human behavior.

By Rebecca K.

Jessica B. said...

Should beluga whales be in aquariams
Yes the should be in aquariams. I think they should beacuese they are becoming endamgerdthis way none of them die until they are suppose to. Another reson is another reson is they can get cought in the open so people know where to catch one but i an aquariam the doors are loocked so no one can kill it. the last reson is they can get cought in places like tunnels coral drift into a river and in the winter there home (ocean) can freze into ice and in the summer the water can get to hot. In the aquarium they could keep it a just right temuture. In concluetion the aquariam is a nice and safe enviorment.

Samantha S said...

I think that Belugas should be able to get sent away to aquariams because if Belugas habitats change only a tiny bit Belugas become endangered. I really don't want Belugas to become endangered because they are so smart and cute. Secondly, I think Belugas should be in aquariums and zoos so that people and scientists can study them and watch them change and grow so that people can learn more about them. The last reason I think Belugas should be put in zoos and aquariums is so that people can look at the beautiful creature. Thats what I think!

Emma G. said...

I think yes because if Beluga Whales ever do become extinct in the wild, their will be some in aquariums already. The aquarium can make big tanks. Another reason why I think that they should is because Beluga Whales are almost extinct and they can be extinct very easily. For example people can over fish and then they won’t have anything to eat. Another example is that their home will get trashed with trash. There aren’t that many Beluga Whales out there and if we don’t put them in an aquarium now than there with be zero left in the world.

Melanie S said...

Yes beluga whales should be kept in captivity. I say yes because then they wouldn’t become extinct any time soon. Also if you had whales in captivity and you had a lot of them they swim in there little groups.It would be easier for scientists to learn more about them. I mean some zoos give their animals very realistic habitat to live in. In some ways it might be better to. Like if the water froze super deep, then the whales would freeze to. It would be better to have them in a zoo rather than to freeze and probably die. So thats why I say that beluga whales should be kept in captivity.

Danielle H. said...

NO!!! Belugas whales should be keeped in the wild. A reason why is they can go anywhere, any time in the wild. They can live with their families and pod. When people go see them in the wild they learn about them and their habitat in their nature form.

Ryan B. said...

Beluga whales should be kept in captivity because if the population dies out we would have a way to fix it with the ones we have. And people do not have to go to the arctic to study them. Plus they could possibly live longer because their are no hunters and predators their.

Noah S. said...

beluga whales

by: Noah

I say that beluga whales should be free because they need space to move around. Whales should not be kept in captivity because they need to swim in those pods. If they are in the wild then they won't learn as well how to catch food from zoos and aquariums. When they take them back to the wild they might of forgot how to hunt. And when they catch them they could get hurt.