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Swim with the Dolphins Programs

Because humans are fascinated by the intelligent and gregarious nature of dolphins, these ocean creatures are commercially exploited in marine parks, aquariums, and "swim-with-the-dolphin" (SWTD) programs worldwide. We believe these programs pose an immediate threat to the safety of both human and dolphin participants.

Life in the Wild

HSI Asia opposes the capture of all marine mammals from the wild for any type of public display or entertainment. The very nature of these animals makes them uniquely unsuited to confinement. In the wild, dolphins live in large groups (called pods), often in tight family units. Social bonds often last for many years. In some species, they last a lifetime.

Dolphins travel long distances each day. Sometimes they swim in a straight line for a hundred miles; other times they remain in a certain area for hours or days, moving several miles along a coastline and then turning to retrace their path. These marine mammals can dive up to several hundred feet and stay underwater for up to half an hour. They spend only 10% to 20% of their time at the surface.

The sea is to dolphins what the air is to birds—a three-dimensional environment, where they can move up and down and side to side. But dolphins don't stop to perch. They never come to shore. Dolphins are always swimming, even when they "sleep." They are always aware, and always moving. Given this, it is difficult to imagine the tragedy of life in captivity for these ocean creatures.

An "Educational" Opportunity

SWTD programs overseas are a major  problem since regulation is often absent and conditions poor. In some facilities, pregnant dolphins have been mistreated. Some dolphins are contained in small, artificial pools, often surrounded by jagged, rusty fences. They may be fed rotten fish, and they have been known to suffer from disease and starvation. Regions that have seen an explosion in the growth of these programs include the Caribbean and the South Pacific.

There are several well-known SWTD programs in tropical resort areas around the world. For example, there are several programs in the Bahamas; the Dolphin Quest program in Tahiti originally held two wild-caught, rough-toothed dolphins (a deep-water species) in a shallow lagoon. A facility in La Paz, Mexico has been at the center of extraordinary controversy since capturing eight dolphins in December 2000 from waters off the Baja peninsula (a female dolphin died only a few weeks later).

Most foreign facilities capture their dolphins directly from the wild. The capture itself is highly traumatic for wild dolphins and may cause an often fatal condition known as capture stress or capture myopathy. In addition, the status of the populations from which dolphins are captured is often unknown; the removal of even a few individuals may have negative impacts on the pod members left behind.

Safety Concerns

Captive dolphins may exhibit an assimilation tendency, expecting humans to fulfill the natural social roles of their wild counterparts. They may become submissive or sexually aggressive when interacting with humans. Dolphins in SWTD program have demonstrated agitated and aggressive behavior under the stressful conditions of forced interaction. These behaviors may result in serious physical injury to swimmers. SWTD programs have reported human injuries, including lacerations, tooth rakes, internal injuries, broken bones, and shock. There is the potential for dolphins to suffer from unnatural exposure to human bacterial and viral infections, and they have experienced stress-related conditions, including ulcers.