Because tourists' wallets are easy targets, "swim-with-dolphins" programs are sprouting up all over the Caribbean. These displays, often misleadingly promoted as "educational," are barefaced attempts to take tourists' money. People are captivated by these exceedingly intelligent marine mammals, but dolphins pay a very high price for human curiosity.

The psychological and physiological nature of dolphins makes them entirely unsuited to confinement. Countless studies by biologists make it clear that it is impossible to meet dolphins' unique needs in captivity. In the wild, dolphins swim together in family pods up to 100 miles a day. Dolphins establish strong social bonds, and research indicates that dolphins prefer to associate with specific individuals and recognize one another after periods of separation. Calves stay with their mothers for up to six years. Adult males can form close, cooperative, and long-standing friendships. In captivity, these complex and multifaceted social relationships are left in tatters.

Dolphins navigate by bouncing sonar waves off objects to determine location and distance. In captivity, even the largest tank is a hideous prison. Internationally renowned oceanographer Jacques Cousteau was opposed to keeping dolphins and other marine mammals in captivity after witnessing a captured dolphin deliberately smash his head against the side of the tank until he died. Former dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry quit the business upon the death of "Flipper," his favorite student. According to O'Barry, "stress and depression" were the culprits in the dolphin's death.

Although captive dolphins in the United States are afforded some legal protection, programs outside the United States are often governed by few, if any, protective regulations. Conditions are often poor: Dolphins are sometimes kept in small pools and exposed to sewage drain-off and other pollutants. Their diets may be inconsistent because many facilities generate additional revenue by selling fish to tourists to feed the dolphins; assertive dolphins can grow obese, and less aggressive animals can suffer from malnutrition. Debris and trash left in or near these pools, such as plastic bags, coins, or the paper used to wrap the "fish food," can be ingested by the animals, causing acute gastrointestinal problems and sometimes even death. Many facilities operate almost continuously, giving the animals little respite from a constant stream of tourists.

Many foreign facilities acquire their dolphins from the wild. A recent exposé on ABC's Primetime detailed the cruel methods that are used to capture wild dolphins and the enormous profits that are made by those who sell the animals. In this piece, a marine park in Cancún is placed under the microscope, as is the capture of dolphins for swim-with-dolphins programs. What Primetime discovered is alarming. In the Solomon Islands, for example, dolphins are driven to the shore and slaughtered for their flesh, but a few are instead sold into the marine-park trade.

Mexico recently enacted a moratorium on dolphin captures, which followed a widely publicized capture in December 2000 in which several dolphins were left injured and bleeding. One dolphin died five weeks after being forcibly removed from her home in Magdalena Bay, Baja, California, and confined to a pen in Mexico.

Keeping Dolphins Free

Cruise liners are a significant source of customers for swim-with-dolphins programs because many cruises promote these programs in their offshore excursion packages. Revenue generated from these side trips is considerable. Still, as we learn more about how poorly dolphins fare in these programs, worldwide condemnation of such facilities is growing.

In July 2005, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises announced that it had ended its "dolphin encounter" programs, which allowed guests to interact with dolphins in water parks and holding facilities on its Caribbean cruises. A spokesperson cited concern for the dolphins' well-being in captivity and for the contradiction posed by the cruise line's environmental education programs as reasons for the decision:

“Sadly, under the guise of communing with nature or advancing our scientific understanding, dolphin encounter programs too often overlook the way dolphins actually exist and interact with each other in the wild, rather than respecting their natural place in the marine ecosystem,” said Darius Mehta, director of land programs for Radisson Seven Seas. “While some parks may obtain dolphins legally, many use illegal and cruel means to capture these magnificent animals.“ While we will continue to employ programs that allow our guests the wonderful experience of observing dolphins in the wild, we're opposed to those that interfere with dolphins' natural behavior.”

More Good News

A swim-with-dolphins program called Dolphin Discovery operated in Antigua for three years but was shut down because of area residents' concerns. The residents were worried about the park's proximity to nearby wetlands; these concerns materialized in 2004 when a clogged drain in the park caused flooding in a nearby town to worsen, putting both the town's residents and the dolphins' well-being in jeopardy. Because of the lack of responsiveness by Dolphin Discovery, the Antiguan government closed the operation. In 2005, the Development Control Authority of Antigua rejected an application by Dolphin Discovery to reopen the captive-dolphin facility on the island. This progressive decision shows that governments can put the well-being of dolphins before revenue.

In another case, in July 2005, Bermuda's minister of the environment refused the application for a display permit submitted by Lynn and Martin Hassell of Dolphin Oasis. The Hassells, who previously operated a swim-with-dolphins program in Antigua, hoped to open a Dolphin Oasis in Bermuda. The minister's decision effectively put an end to their efforts to establish a new facility.

Also in July 2005, Costa Rica banned "swim-with" programs that use dolphins and whales and prohibited the animals from being held in captivity.

What You Can Do

Review PETA's factsheet to learn more about the industry.

PETA has written to every cruise line that offers swim-with-dolphins programs, asking them to follow the example of Radisson Seven Seas Cruises and eliminate these programs from their excursions. Please write short, polite letters to the cruise lines, telling them that you support the removal of these cruel excursions from their offshore itineraries.

The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) strongly defends this industry. FCCA President Michele Paige claims that cruise lines are "compelled" to offer swim-with-dolphins programs if they are available (which is belied by the fact that Radisson Seven Seas is a member of the FCCA). Please let her know that you disagree:

Michele Paige, President
Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association
11200 Pines Blvd., Ste. 201
Pembroke Pines, FL 33026
954-441-8881
954-441-3171 (fax)
info@f-cca.com

Learn more about becoming a compassionate traveler.

Get a supply of leaflets from PETA and distribute them freely.