Captive dolphin performing at Sea World Australia

Dolphins made to perform for tourists suffer a lifetime of distress. Help end this grim industry.

Dolphins

Hundreds of dolphins are trapped in a living nightmare

Separated from their mothers too young. Confined to tiny, barren tanks. Deprived of food and made to perform tricks to noisy crowds of hundreds of people.

Dolphins endure this horror day after day, all to entertain tourists and make big profits for venues and travel companies. This isn’t conservation or education – it’s exploitation.

Most of these dolphins aren’t from endangered species, and watching them perform unnatural tricks teaches people nothing.

Dolphin-friendly tourism is possible. So, it’s unacceptable that major travel companies like TUI Group are selling tickets to dolphin shows and making money from wild animals’ distress.

Dolphin used for photos at Resort World Sentosa, Singapore

Help end dolphin cruelty now

Will you join thousands of others and tell TUI Group to stop profiting from dolphin cruelty?

Sign the petition

Dolphins in the wild

Dolphin species range from the small Māui dolphin to the huge orca, or killer whale. Around 80% of those in captivity are bottlenose dolphins.

In the ocean, dolphins travel vast distances and can have a home range of up to 400 square kilometres. Some species can swim as fast as 50 kilometres per hour and dive up to 55 metres looking for food.

Dolphins are highly intelligent and social. They travel and hunt in groups called pods, and use squeaks, clicks and whistles to communicate and navigate.

Life in captivity can never meet a dolphin’s complex needs. In fact, when they’re confined to tiny tanks and made to perform, the stress can cause them to harm themselves and become aggressive.

Dolphin captive in tank at entertainment venue

A lifetime of appalling cruelty

Dolphins in captivity are kept in terrible conditions. Their bare concrete tanks are around 200,000 times smaller than the space they would have in the wild, so they can only swim a few metres at a time.

They’re trapped in water that’s often contaminated with chemicals and can cause infections, and are often drugged to cope with being held in captivity. Some never see daylight, while others spend all their time outside in the glare of the sun.

During shows, dolphins are made to perform the same routines again and again, in front of rowdy crowds and deafeningly loud music. They’re rewarded with frozen fish, and have no chance to hunt as they would in the wild.

This cruelty needs to stop now. Tell TUI Group to stop selling tickets to these cruel shows.

Sign the petition

Dolphins at Algoa Bay Whale Heritage Site. Credit: Raggy Charters

Dolphin-friendly tourism

Dolphins should be living wild and free. They should never be made to suffer in captivity for our entertainment.

The good news is, it’s possible to watch dolphins responsibly in the wild – they can even be seen from the shore in some parts of the UK. We’re supporting the Whale Heritage Site programme, which promotes sustainable whale and dolphin tourism.

It’s shocking that although the UK’s last dolphin attraction closed 30 years ago, travel companies like TUI Group are still making money from dolphin shows around the world.

With your help, we’re determined to change that. In 2021, thousands of us convinced Expedia Group to stop selling tickets to cruel dolphin entertainment, so we know this is a fight we can win.

Lone dolphin swimming in pool - photo by Jo-Anne McArthur

Are you in?

Sign the petition now and tell TUI Group to stop exploiting dolphins.

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_{Image credits: Body image 2: Raggy Charters | Body image 3: Jo-Anne McArthur}