In the United States alone, there are more than 500 dolphins and members of the dolphin family held in captivity; equally thousands died in captivity. Today, dolphins are held captive in amusement parks, "Swim with Dolphins" programs, casinos, and sometimes even in shopping malls. Many people enjoy watching them perform in shows or even interact with them at water parks, but most people don't understand the trauma dolphins go through when captured and transported and the often cruel conditions in which they are kept. The capture process and conditions in which dolphins are kept are cruel and unnatural and can be stopped by informing the public about the significant costs of this industry to the health and lives of dolphin species and by convincing the public not to purchase tickets. to the various events involving dolphins in captivity. The process of capturing and transporting dolphins to captivity is brutal and harsh and can lead to the death of these creatures. Prior to the passage of the MMPA, approximately 1,133 dolphins had been captured in U.S. waters. The most common process of catching dolphins is called “purse seine catching”. In this capture process, groups of dolphins are chased by small, fast boats and then herded together and surrounded by a net. Hunting and catching dolphins with nets is extremely stressful and has led to many situations where accidents have occurred, including entanglement in nets and sometimes even death. The entire process is so traumatic that mortality rates of dolphin species have increased sixfold overall, particularly of the wild-caught bottlenose dolphin species (Tursiops truncatus) in the first five days...... half of the paper ...released just a few years ago. The lack of natural behaviors in dolphins in captive facilities is one of the many reasons why keeping these creatures in captivity is inhumane. Dolphins have lived on land for thousands of years. They evolved to live and thrive in their wild homes in the ocean, not in captivity. For all marine mammals in captivity, especially dolphins, many are captured too young to learn to socialize and form relationships. Captivity inhibits socialization and learned behavioral skills, which are crucial to the natural development of dolphins. Their natural activity levels, social relationships and interactions, hunting behaviors, and even the structure of dolphins' natural habitats are all compromised in captivity. Dolphins are also naturally predatory. They are unable to exercise this part of their behavioral repertoire when living in captivity.