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Happy Halloween! I have had a great first full day at Tenerife. There have been many great moments but one of my favourites has to be when I saw these ruddy turnstones for the first time. It’s not every day I see a wader and even as a birdwatcher, they’re among the group of birds I’m aware of alone that I’m least expertise in. In fact I’ve only just found out their name comes from their habit of "turning stones" over to find food. I have also seen ring-necked parakeets and another parakeet species I cannot tell. At my hotel, I’ve of course first seen the collared dove. There still I have also heard the occasional but familiar alarm whistle of a European robin and I even heard what sounded like a chiffchaff from home but less "chiff-chaff"-y, as in the notes. I researched and it actually turned out to be a unique species called the Canary Island chiffchaff. It is amazing that even on these North African isles, there are a lot of familiar yet odd bird species here, though I’ve somehow not seen canaries yet. I hope to go to a national park here or something to see these birds easier, and we plan to go whalewatching tomorrow too. The surrounding sea is a protected sanctuary for marine life like whales, and my favourite sperm whales can also be found here. When I come back home, I will make my second Birdwatch Batch post about my sightings.
Something more alarming however is the search for a nice water park, which we do on every holiday because why not. Unfortunately this time it is a little harder, because a lot of amusement parks here have dolphinariums and other entertaining animal attractions which I question the welfare of. I wouldn’t want to pay to that industry. No, I am not some animal activist from PETA or whatever. As someone into conservation, I support zoos for their work on protecting species from threat, those that actually care about said animals and their welfare. Not all animals can be captive. Elephants have been leaving some zoos for ethical controversy but it is well known in zoology that the effects are even worse in cetaceans like dolphins and whales that are too intelligent to make their only home in one tiny pool, not to mention their dangerously exceptional usage dedicated to human amusement. Most captive cetaceans do not live long, and if they ever do, their lives don’t end well. Such is controversially the case in SeaWorld, famous and infamous for its orca shows, though it is at least the largest animal rehabilitation/rescue program. I had Siam Park in my head. This park is highly reputed and is rated one of the best water parks in the world with its beautiful theme of Chinese mythology and thrilling attractions. I also really loved watching videos of its famous shark tunnel when I was younger. As for animals, I’ve seen it at least has the sharks and other fish, but also a sea lion if not more. Sea lions do better in captivity if I remember correctly but they also are used for entertainment and I have seen a few bad reviews about the animals’ welfare. It is also a sister of Loro Parque, which I already know for its infamous exhibition of dolphins and orcas (one of them was the gifted calf of the infamous Tilikum from SeaWorld) and I have heard there have been incidents. I have seen promotion for both a whole lot, including ticket combos. I have also been looking for other zoos like Jungle Park but I also heard some bad reviews on Tripadvisor. I even looked at reviews of very reputable zoos I’ve actually been to. I am hoping these bad reviews are exaggerating and the animals are actually doing good. I do hope there is an animal welfare inspection service out there for advising what zoos/parks are ethical. My father understood me on my TED talk but my younger brother unfortunately just continued making fun of me for being "cautious and gullible," but being too open-minded can be bad, especially when it comes to paying for harmful industries. I would so love to see even more animals or have a great splash at a water park, but at the same time, I want to be responsible for the welfare of other beings when it comes to that. The general public and tourism industry is a bit naive. Oh well, at least I have what I have.
