A Big "NO" to Captive Dolphins in Arizona!

Mauricio Martinez del Alva - CEO, Ventura Entertainment

Amram Knishinsky - CEO, Northern Gateway, LLC

Grey Stafford - GM, Dolphinaris Arizona

We understand you are developing a new captive facility in Scottsdale, Arizona that will house dolphins for entertainment in the desert southwest.

Keeping dolphins captive in Arizona is absolutely not acceptable for the following reasons:

The climate in Arizona is different from that in Mexico, thanks to the dry air and bright sunshine. Arizona is known for its rapid weather changes throughout the seasons. Dust storms occurring any time throughout the year can stir up a great deal of dust which can be quite hazardous. Summer monsoon storms create heavy downpours with intense lightning and thunder. Temperatures can reach almost 120 degrees during the intensely hot summer days and can plummet to 30 degrees or below at night during winter. 

Dolphins held captive in the desert will be subjected to intense UV rays from the bright sunshine that could cause sunburn and possibly skin cancer. They will encounter dust and other debris blown into their pools from dust storms. Excessively hot and cold temps may be a bit too much for dolphins to tolerate. Unpredictable monsoon storms - especially with heavy lightning and thundering - may cause excessive stress, especially with their sensitive hearing.

Dolphins living in small, heavily-chlorinated outdoor pools in Scottsdale may face the risk of developing respiratory and other infections - as well as various diseases - from the rapid changes in weather, as well as from medications that are necessary to maintain them in captivity. Heavy emissions from traffic on Loop 101 - an extremely busy freeway right by your facility - could create all kinds of health problems for the captives. 

Dolphins are extremely intelligent, highly sociable, and sentient beings who swim long distances every day in the wild - all the while foraging for their food, communicating with one another, socializing with their families and friends, supporting one another during the ups and downs of their lives, and keeping each other safe from dangerous situations, such as predation. 

Dolphins are considered 'non-human persons' - as well as the 'people of the sea' - who share a number of similar characteristics as humans. Link: www.cetaceanrights.org.

In a captive environment - especially in the desert - dolphins swim in endless circles; are being fed dead, medicated fish; and suffer from stress-induced physical, psychological, and physiological problems.   

Extensive research has shown the SWTD programs to be detrimental to dolphins. Dolphins used for such programs are being subjected to abuse through heavy exploitation for human entertainment. Links: https://www.thedodo.com/swim-dolphins-caribbean-1094674999.html and http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/10/14/swimming-with-dolphins.aspx. Furthermore, humans participating in these programs can experience injury from their encounters with dolphins. Link: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/338398.

For the above reasons, we very strongly urge all of you to please abandon your plans to have captive dolphins for the SWTD programs in Scottsdale.  Captive-born dolphins - as descendants of the ones captured from their home waters for human entertainment - are NOT meant to spend their precious lives in the Arizona desert nor should they be treated like domesticated animals!