Sasscuba, where did you get the idea that they were raised in captivity? Pretty much without exception, marine mammals in dolphin encounters outside of the U.S. are captured in the wild and transported to their new homes. And many of those transported do not survive the initial period. Most common places for capture these days are Cuba and the Solomon Islands, where there are little to no regulations protectiong wild dolphin polulations. Rearing marine mammals in an evironment sufficient to promote breeding is very difficult, and even the best aquariums with top-notch scientists on staff have trouble accomplishing this. The animals you see in an entertainment environment like this were NOT born and raised in captivity.
That aside, several alluded to above but didn't say outright: the reason they are placed in pools during a hurricane is to prevent them from ESCAPING. This is what they mean by keeping them "safe." It's not that they can't survive the hurricane, it's that they are likely to get out of their pens. The safest place for them to be, from the standpoint of their own welfare, is out in the wild.
BTW, the U.S. has stringent rules and regulations for zoo and aquarium animals. There are many, many hoops for these organizations to jump through to prove that what they are doing is ok for the animals. Those with breeding programs for endangered species have to regularly prove that what they are doing is advancing the welfare of the species, in addition to being ok for the welfare of the individual animals in captivity. Even with all of these restrictions in place, the most reputable of institutions can have problems keeping their animals safe, healthy, and thriving. No other country has this many safeguards in place as we do. Don't kid yourself that becasue you've been to a good zoo or aquarium in the U.S., that facililties elsewhere, particularly in 3rd world countries, take this kind of care with their animals. They just don't.
p.s., for those of you who don't know me and will therefore ask: I'm a retired endangered species biologist, though I have no special expertise in marine biology.
