Over 200 animal rights activists gathered this summer in Arizona to protest the construction of a new entertainment park. Dolphinaris Arizona will feature 12 captive dolphins in their park, each engaged in ‘interactive experiences’ that allow park goers to swim and play with them.
“I think it’s going to be a nightmare for the dolphins,” Courtney Vail, campaigns and programs manager for Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), said in a statement. “You can climate control anything, and any prison cell can be adapted to enable these dolphins to survive, but it doesn’t mean they will thrive.”
Dolphinaris already has five locations in Mexico, and their Arizona location will be their first U.S. based operation. The plan is to open the park next to the OdySea Aquarium, which is also under construction.
Opposition toward marine animal based theme parks has been growing. While the Dolphinaris website states they provide “an opportunity for visitors to interact with dolphins, learn about this amazing species, and be part of ocean conservation efforts,” many people are not convinced.
“What we have learned over decades of keeping these animals in captivity is that we cannot meet their needs in concrete tanks,” Dr. Heather Rally, a marine mammal veterinarian who currently works with the PETA Foundation, said. “This includes wild-caught and captive-born animals who all have the same basic and genetically ingrained needs.”
Watch one person’s scary encounter during a swim with the dolphins experience below! What did you think? Leave us a comment, we’d love to hear from you!
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