Against Plans To Open Dolphinarium In Gibraltar

A Facebook group has been made in order to protest against these plans. We believe it is wrong to keep dolphins in captivity for our amusement. Besides, tourists can already watch wild-living Common dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins and Striped dolphins in the Bay of Gibraltar.

So far the public seems to be unaware of these plans. However, if they go ahead, it will not only have a significant impact on a marine habitat protected by EU Law and on the captured dolphins themselves, but also on Gibraltar's infrastructure: Some of the last remaining beaches would be turned into a tourist attraction. A lot of traffic could be expected to be channelled through residential areas and past local schools.

A Dolphin's Life In a Dolphinarium

Opposed to public opinion, dolphins in dolphinariums do not live in a protected environment. True, apart from performing tricks, they might also be of therapeutical value to humans in a "swim with the dolphins" experience, but the costs are high: As highlighted by GONHS on the facebook page, it has to be taken into account that half of all captured dolphins die within the first two years of captivity; survivors last an average of five years; the average life span of a dolphin in the wild is 45 years.

Have a look at the following trailer, Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. It follows a high-tech dive team on a mission to discover the truth about the international dolphin capture trade: The Cove Trailer.