Various Dolphin Facilities Around the World

Dolphin Discovery, a Mexican company
that operates three dolphin-swim facilities in Mexico,
stands out as a forward thinking, decent company
whose standards are exceptionally high
and whose dolphins receive consistently excellent care.

Dolphin Discovery has been a long time supporter
of Dolphin-Assisted Therapy and research into this amazing field,
including the primary sponsorship of the
International Dolphin-Assisted Therapy Research Association (IDATRA) symposiums.

This photo is of the newly enlarged and improved facility
they operate on Isla Mujeres, just off the Mexican coast from Cancun.

A detail of the Isla Mujeres site before expansion.

Another detail of Dolphin Discovery's Isla Mujeres facility, before expansion.

Among the facilities operated by Dolphin Discovery in Mexico,
this one at Puerto Aventuras is surrounded by shops, apartments and restaurants.
It's classrooms, offices and changing rooms are on the island in the middle of the marina,
with the dolphins enjoying both excellent water conditions and closeness to human activity.
This site is an excellent one for Dolphin-Assisted Therapy,
with easy access.

The oldest dedicated research facility in the world,
and the longest continuous history as a facility,
the Dolphin Research Center has contributed much to our understanding of dolphins.
By supporting many research projects, including Dolphin-Assisted Therapy,
DRC has been at the forefront of organizations helping us
to discover how to help them as they work to give us their gifts.
DRC was originally known as "Santini's Dolphin School",
then the site for the filming of Flipper,
eventually becoming what it is today.

In a semi-enclosed building in Finland,
dolphins are enjoyed, researched and utilized
as teachers of ocean awareness.

This and the following image are of the controversial "Manati Park" facility
in the Dominican Republic. While small, it gives every appearance of clean water,
good maintenance and adequate conditions.
It can be argued that this is an example of a pool that is too small,
too smooth and too unnatural. While these are important questions to ask,
an openminded examination of the real lives of dolphins in human managed situations
reveals that most, if not all, dolphins do thrive under human care.


We still have a long way to go to get it right, but we are on our way.

Widely distributed by activists as evidence of poor conditions at Manati Park,
this is a small side pool, used for medical procedures,
occasional separation of dolphins for special care and a temporary pool.

This bleak scene raises many questions.
What is its purpose? Does this have any use as an interaction site?
is this for training?
It appears to have no commercial aspects.
What goes on here, somewhere near La Paz, Bolivia?

In Subic Bay, in the Philipines, is the new Ocean Adventure Park,
a long held dream of one of the foremost animal trainers in the world.

This photo was taken while still under construction.
Built on the side of a tropical bay, with forest along the shore,
the dolphins and small whales wo live here enjoy fresh, natural water,
great depth (55 feet deep in some places) and excellent care.

One of the facilities run by a Mexican company,
X-Caret is part of an extensive development--part botanic gardens, part theme park.
South of Cancun, this site and its sister site attract thousands of visitors.

ARCHIVES


MAIN