Sustainable Action Network (SAN) wishes a Happy 48th Birthday to the Dolphin Project, Virgin Holidays, Richard Branson, National Aquarium in Baltimore creating North America’s first dolphin sea sanctuary, Dolphin Outlook!
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Virgin Holidays is teaming up with the National Aquarium in Baltimore to support North America’s first dolphin sea sanctuary. Once it is up and running in a few years’ time, this pioneering project will offer a natural and much larger home for the National Aquarium’s captive population of seven bottlenose dolphins – and hopefully set a wonderful example for both marine entertainment and tourism operators who have faced increasing pressure over the welfare of whales and dolphins, collectively known as cetaceans.
For the Virgin Group, the announcement marks a major milestone in our ongoing effort to drive change in this industry. Four years ago, we announced The Virgin Pledge, a commitment that Virgin businesses will only continue to work with suppliers that don’t take sea mammals from the wild. The Pledge followed in-depth consultations with non-profits and activists, scientists, tourism operators, and many organisations running marine parks and aquaria, and we knew it was going to be the first step in a long journey to end the use of captive cetaceans for human entertainment. In 2017, Virgin Holidays took the next step and announced that it would not add any new attractions featuring whales and dolphins to its portfolio and at the same time explore alternatives to captivity. We felt strongly about this decision, and we knew that most of our customers supported it, too. It’s a simple truth: many consumers no longer consider whale and dolphin shows to be appropriate forms of entertainment, and most would rather enjoy these magnificent creatures in their natural environment.
Nevertheless, an important challenge remained: what to do with the large number of whales and dolphins currently held by marine parks and aquaria around the world. Many of them were born in captivity and have never spent a day of their lives in open water. That’s an important consideration as we continue to work with some of the operators. A sudden shutdown of facilities without clear strategy could spell doom for these amazing animals. Active engagement that supports long-term business transformation away from captive entertainment seems the much better option. This is where sanctuary projects like the one pioneered by John Racanelli and his fantastic team at the National Aquarium may lead the way and make a world of difference. In John’s own words, this is about developing “a global vision to reimagine how humans experience and connect with animals”. It is about finding ways in which welfare, conservation and education can be reconciled without causing further harm. To this end, Virgin Holidays has also committed to a new two-year partnership with the World Cetacean Alliance that will see newly created Responsible Whale Watching Guidelines rolled out to all Virgin Holidays suppliers.
We haven’t reached the end of this journey yet. But the Virgin Pledge endures, and I am heartened by the progress. To future generations, orca acrobatics and dolphin rides will seem like a relic of the past. Innovations like the dolphin sanctuary tell me that we can do much better. All you need to know about the world's first dolphin sanctuary and why it's so important An ambitious new project supported by Virgin Holidays provides new hope for sea mammals in captivity.
The debate about the ethics of dolphin tourism has been raging for years, but finally there appears to be a breakthrough. In a pioneering move, Virgin Holidays has announced it will be investing $300,000 with the non-profit National Aquarium in Baltimore to support the creation of North America’s first dolphin sanctuary. The three-year, US $10-15 million project, which will rehabilitate seven dolphins in an as yet unknown Florida location, is the first of it’s kind – and will hopefully serve as a blueprint for the ethical treatment of captive cetaceans.
An artist impression of the new Sanctuary site (Studio Gang/Virgin/PA)
According to Joe Thompson, managing director of Virgin Holidays, the company currently sells “around 25 marine parks and swim-with-dolphin attractions – predominantly located in the USA, Caribbean and Middle East”. Thompson admits the future of these animals is one of the biggest challenges facing the tourism industry. “The majority were born in captivity, have never spent time in the open water and would not be able to survive for long without human care – so a sudden shutdown of captive facilities would be detrimental to these animals while there is nowhere else for them to go,” he explains. “We hope that the National Aquarium Dolphin Sanctuary will prove that an alternative is possible.”
In 2014, the company suspended working with any attractions removing whales and dolphins from the wild; in 2017 they stopped selling any new attractions or hotels featuring cetaceans. As part of their continuing drive to provide ethical wildlife tourism, Virgin has also been working with the World Cetacean Alliance to create new Responsible Whale Watching guidelines, which it’s hoped suppliers will adopt over the next two years. Here’s everything you need to know about these ground-breaking changes… What is the sanctuary all about?
Spirit, one of the seven dolphins being relocated (Heather D Moran/National Aquarium/PA)
“Our vision is to create an outdoor facility where the dolphins will swim in natural sea water, with a vegetated shoreline (mangroves, sea grapes, etc), in a flexible habitat configuration featuring pools that can be customized to meet individual dolphin needs,” explains John Racanelli, CEO and president of the National Aquarium. “An on-site clinic will be fully staffed with marine mammal experts and an attending veterinarian. The sanctuary will also serve as a centre for applied science that advances knowledge and conservation.” How will the space compare to the dolphins’ current home? “We are exploring sanctuary sites that are approximately 100 times the size of the dolphins’ current habitat, which is approximately 1.1 million gallons,” says Racanelli. “With more than 100 million gallons of water, there will be more distance and depth for the colony to swim and interact in a more natural environment.” How will the dolphins be trained to adapt to new living conditions?
Our Animal of the Week is the bottlenose dolphin! Dolphins are incredibly intelligent and social animals. Traveling in pods of anywhere from 15 to 100 individuals, bottlenose dolphins use a mix of clicks and whistles to communicate with one another. pic.twitter.com/rmUqcn8czi
A three-year project is already underway, teaching the animals how to live in a more natural environment. They will be encouraged to drink water so their system can be flushed if they eat the wrong thing, the temperature in the tank will be raised to 26 degrees Celsius to allow algae to grow, and they will be taught to swim onto stretchers in preparation for transport to their new home. Why is it not possible for animals in captivity to be released fully into the wild? “Some individuals that have spent time in captivity can be rehabilitated and later released into the wild. However, other individuals, especially those that have been born in captivity, would likely stay in a seaside sanctuary where they can be overseen by humans,” says Dylan Walker, the CEO of World Cetacean Alliance who have been working closely with Virgin. “In captivity, cetaceans are hand fed, so many of them have never learnt how to hunt for their own food. A seaside sanctuary provides vast improvements in terms of welfare, while still ensuring the human care they will need for the rest of their lives.” So why has a project of this sort taken so long to come to fruition? “The idea has existed for many years, and in the last decade some rehabilitation projects have used temporary sanctuaries for rescued wild cetaceans and captive cetaceans,” says Walker.
“By their very nature, seaside sanctuaries are going to offer more choices, more challenges, and more stimulation to captive cetaceans. While cetaceans in sanctuaries will continue to be provided care, their human... https://whalesanctuaryproject.org/benefits-seaside-sanctuary/ …
“In these last few years, however, public perception has drastically changed regarding cetaceans in zoos and aquariums and, as a result, projects to create permanent seaside sanctuaries are being developed for individual animals that will undoubtedly need them in the near future.
“It’s a very exciting period for whale and dolphin lovers.” Head over to Virgin Holidays for more details about their commitment to improving animal welfare in tourism. Visit the National Aquarium to learn more about the Dolphin Sanctuary project and check out the Whale Sanctuary Project, another brilliant effort to return whales and dolphins to their natural environment. For more information on how to support the dolphins’ journey, go to aqua.org/sanctuary
“After attempting to free a captive dolphin named Charlie Brown, I spent a week in a Bimini jail, paid the $5 fine and shortly thereafter, Dolphin Project was born.” ~ Richard O’Barry That was 1970. Now 48 years later, thanks to you, we’ve come a long way in our efforts to protect dolphins worldwide from exploitation and slaughter.
Bimini then (1970) and now (2018). Ric O’Barry revisits the courthouse where Dolphin Project began. Credit: DolphinProject.com Your generous support of our global projects and campaigns is the reason real progress is being made. After years of campaigning against dolphin abuse in Indonesia, Wake Bali Dolphin, a tourist attraction in Bali, just closed down. Last month, Dolphin Project returned from our 15th season in Taiji, Japan, ground zero for the captivity industry. Thanks to your social media sharing, our videos have received over 100 million views. Last December, Dolphin Project confiscated two wild-caught dolphins in Karimunjawa, Indonesia, destined for the traveling circuses, with the surviving dolphin successfully released into her home range.
Dolphin Abusement Facility Wake Bali in Indonesia closes down.Wake Bali Dolphin, a dolphin abusement facility in Indonesia closes down. Credit: DolphinProject.com
Dolphin destined for Indonesia’s horrific traveling circuses is rescued and released. Credit: DolphinProject.com As we commemorate our 48th year this Earth Day, we ask that you continue to share our blogs and social media posts, consider supporting Dolphin Project with a recurring donation and encourage others to take the pledge to NOT buy a ticket to a dolphin show. Collectively, we have done much towards ending dolphin abuse and with your help, will continue to do so.
For the Virgin Group, the announcement marks a major milestone in our ongoing effort to drive change in this industry. Four years ago, we announced The Virgin Pledge, a commitment that Virgin businesses will only continue to work with suppliers that don’t take sea mammals from the wild. The Pledge followed in-depth consultations with non-profits and activists, scientists, tourism operators, and many organisations running marine parks and aquaria, and we knew it was going to be the first step in a long journey to end the use of captive cetaceans for human entertainment.
Nevertheless, an important challenge remained: what to do with the large number of whales and dolphins currently held by marine parks and aquaria around the world. Many of them were born in captivity and have never spent a day of their lives in open water. That’s an important consideration as we continue to work with some of the operators. A sudden shutdown of facilities without clear strategy could spell doom for these amazing animals. Active engagement that supports long-term business transformation away from captive entertainment seems the much better option.
We haven’t reached the end of this journey yet. But the Virgin Pledge endures, and I am heartened by the progress. To future generations, orca acrobatics and dolphin rides will seem like a relic of the past. Innovations like the dolphin sanctuary tell me that we can do much better.
The debate about the ethics of dolphin tourism has been raging for years, but finally there appears to be a breakthrough.
“After attempting to free a captive dolphin named Charlie Brown, I spent a week in a Bimini jail, paid the $5 fine and shortly thereafter, Dolphin Project was born.” ~ Richard O’Barry
Bimini then (1970) and now (2018). Ric O’Barry revisits the courthouse where Dolphin Project began. Credit: DolphinProject.com
Dolphin Abusement Facility Wake Bali in Indonesia closes down.Wake Bali Dolphin, a dolphin abusement facility in Indonesia closes down. Credit: DolphinProject.com
Dolphin destined for Indonesia’s horrific traveling circuses is rescued and released. Credit: DolphinProject.com
Cetacean Alliance
