Aruba Marine Mammal Foundation
Ir. Luymesstraat 8
Savaneta
ph: (297) 592 4048
info
Express your thoughts on this subject
Susan & Ewald Biemans, who are the owners of the Bucuti Beach Resort Aruba, share their views on this issue on the Bucuti Blog. You can express your thoughts on this subject on their blog and they will send all your comments to Minister Wever.
Hurry, there is still time.
33 Responses to “What’s Wrong with Swimming with Dolphins?”
Ir. Luymesstraat 8
Savaneta
ph: (297) 592 4048
info
October 15th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I am fortunate enough to live on the water and spend a great deal of time out sailing and snorkeling. Dolphins in the wild never cease to amaze me – they playfully keep up next to the boat and when I am in the water I often hear them making their clicking noises to communicate. Just yesterday I was out on a boat full of tourists headed for a reef and we saw a couple of dolphins, which was the highlight of the afternoon for almost everyone on the tour and once again proved to me that dolphins continue to fascinate almost everyone who is lucky enough to see them in the wild.
It seems as though almost everyone wants to get close to these amazing animals and there is no doubt that the innate fascination with dolphins has lead to swimming programs becoming big business in recent years. However, I wish that people would recognize that by paying to swim in captivity with these amazing creatures they are actually contributing to an incredibly harsh life in captivity. More often than not the dolphins that tourists are paying to see or swim with have been captured from the wild (sometimes even illegally) and they often suffer a stressful and shortened life in captivity.
Dolphins have unique psychological and physiological requirements; they often swim 100 miles a day. Biologists have repeatedly done studies that have concluded that it is impossible to provide a healthy habitat in captivity that will meet their needs. Above and beyond the unhealthy life that the dolphins often endure when they are taken out of the wild, let’s think of ourselves - they are inherently wild animals and they can actually become tense and consequently aggressive towards humans, would you want to take this risk just to swim with them for a few minutes?
Let’s keep the mystique of these amazing creatures alive and let’s not risk having someone suffer and injury in a dolphin tank by simply allowing them to remain in the wild.
October 16th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
It is far better to visit wild things in the wild, as a potential visitor to Aruba, I would much rather see dolphins freely roaming their island/ ocean environment than penned up, for any reason. Why visit a zoo when animals that are free roaming can be seen instead?
October 17th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
I completely concur that dolphins should be in the wild and free. It is frustrating sometimes that man believes they have the right to control wild creatures and interfere with the normal and natural behaviors. Please, as stated before, keep wild creatures in the wild and allow people the priviledge of seeing them where they are meant to be.
October 19th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
My husband and I have been coming to Aruba for the last five years and intend to continue coming each year. We visit for the beauty of nature and the peacefulness of the area. Swimming in that gorgeous water with birds flying overhead and fish around us in their natural environment is what we love.
Setting up a “swim with the dolphins” spot is so contrary to what Aruba represents for us.
We would not visit that park and would recommend others stay away from it as well.
October 20th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Aruba is all about nature and the beauty of the environment. Dolphins are amazing creatures, and they should only be observed from a distance in their natural environment where they are free.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Susan, your blog says most of what I wish to say. I can furnish dozens of websites with further studies on the captive dolphin issues. As a diver, I love all marine creatures and am thrilled when we occasionally encounter dolphins, turtles, and even sharks. Please let me know if personal letters to any of the ministers might be helpful in having them abandon the idea of captive dolphins in Aruba.
October 28th, 2007 at 8:17 am
Unfortunately, we did swim with the dolphins while on a cruise in the Bahamas. We were unaware that this was harmful to them and are glad that we now know the truth. We had felt that the dolphins would actually live longer as they would be taken care off by those who were operating the facility.
Now that we realize how wrong this practice is, we would like to join with those who are trying to get it stopped. We definitely do not want to see it in Aruba. We have been visiting the island for years and have always been impressed with how it was not as commerialized as others were. Now, it seems that Aruba is following the practices of the other islands. First, it was the noisy water sports and now this new activity. It just does not fit in with the image of Aruba as a quiet island where both residents and wildlife were secure in the fact that they were safe. What will we do next–go after the turtles and have people swim with them as they do on other tours?
Donna and Terry Myers
Indiana, USA
October 28th, 2007 at 9:25 am
I will not use the DePalm services if this goes into effect. It seems that it is not understood of how Americans and Dutch feel about animals in general. This island is losing it’s beauty already with all the building and adding the dolphin attraction will just make it ugly. I have seen other attractions in other islands and the dolphins are exhausted at the end of the day by pulling around all the tourists. This is no way for such an animal to live. It just cheapens the island. I fear this island will turn into “just another island” in the tourist viewpoint instead of what it is - an island of beauty and respect for the environment. In a time when “eco-friendly” resorts are attracting more and more tourists - this is not the way to go.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:24 am
It is difficult to put into words how disappointed we are to read of a proposed Dolphinarium in Aruba! It is sad what lengths mankind will go to for entertainment and profit, even locking up, training, tameing the beautiful dolphins. We are also saddened that, from our perspective, Aruba is quickly losing many of the qualities that allowed Aruba to “stand out from the crowd” when it came to other islands in the Carribbean. We have witnessed the beauty of the dolphins swimming free along the Gulf Coast on a early morn and at dusk, as they should be. Hopefully, the Government of Aruba and business leaders will reject the Dolphinarium project and not contribute to additional caging of the beautiful dolphins .
October 29th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
We love visiting Aruba so much that we recently bought a house in Pos Chiquito near the “Spanish Lagoon”. We especially enjoy snokeling, swimming, and kayaking in the clear water there.
Aruba has a fantastic connection to the sea and its wildlife. That is the way to love dolphins, in the wild not captured. We are very disapointed to hear the De Palm Island might provide a captured dolphin experience and even more upset that the the governemnt of Aruba may allow this to happen!
If they are penned up in “Spanish Lagoon” will that not endanger the area with contamination? Will people still be able to enjoy the purity of the lagoon? We think this plan will have a detremental impact on other tourist activities like diving and snorkeling that occur in that area.
As “green” tourism grows, Aruba will pay a price for permitting this to happen. Enjoy the dolphins the way nature intended, in the wild.
October 29th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
We have read the prior comments and certainly could not improve on their content.
For reasons we cannot explain “man” seems hell bent on eventually destroying all things wild. Primarily for their own amusement. That is flat out wrong and should be stopped. No swimming with dolphins PLEASE!!!
November 7th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Dieren zijn er niet om geexploiteerd te worden, maar vormen een onderdeel van onze wereld met dezelfde, zo niet meer ,rechten.Bedenk aub eens iets origineels om de mens te vermaken en laat het niet ten koste van andere levende wezens, tenzij ook mensen, gebeuren
November 7th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Wij zijn FEL TEGEN het dolfijnen project wat ze op Palm Island
(Aruba) willen realiseren.
Dit mag NIMMER en NOOIT van de grond komen.
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Aruba wanneer gaan jullie eens zorg dragen aan de tal van verwaarloosde honden en katten die op het eiland rondt lopen ?
De illegale honden gevechten met Pitbull’s.
Wanneer gaan jullie eens een keertje wat doen aan de puinhoop / afval wat overal in de mondi ligt ?
Hou je bezig met nuttige dingen die het eiland tengoede moet komen, maar niet over de ruggen van Dolfijnen.
================================
Maar een Dolfijnen project wat ten koste gaat van deze mooie en intelligente dieren mag hier NOOIT komen.
Groet JC.
November 7th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
I am a optimal animal-lover.
Listen: Don’t destroy more animals in this world.
LET THE DOLFINS SWIM FREE IN THE SEA of MOTHER EARTH!!
Is not only the number of these Dofins, but lives of many animals in the sea that you will destroy!!! Be good and behave the world and respect all animals which are living on this earth!!!
Don’t come to Aruba with those beautiful animals, don’t go anyware. LET THEM FREE………………………
November 7th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
if ya wanna see dolphins just go dive and maybe you see dolphins in the sea but don’t put them in a small pool.
look too iran a couple of weeks ago they suicide them self because they hadn’t enough space too life.
November 8th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Ban protesta, un creacion bonita asina mester biba den libertad.
protest against captivity of such wonderful creatures it will be a shame on aruba if they are gonna allow this.
protesteer hiertegen dit kan en mag niet!!!!!
November 8th, 2007 at 7:20 am
Wie echt van dolfijnen houd, denkt niet aan zn eigen fun om met ze te zwemmen, maar laat ze leven in rust in hun eigen natuurlijke omgeving.
Laat de Palm tours het geld wat ze willen uitgeven aan het dolfijnenproject, uitgeven aan het grote zwerfhonden probleem op Aruba.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:43 am
I have been in Aruba when someone was planning to build Dolphin Beach. My father (Harry Buikhuizen) was against that and togetter with Milton Ponson stoped that project. Now ten years later another would like a dolphin in capture on Aruba? When I heared that I used my radio program on Hit 94fm live from Dublin Ireland to ask my fans, listeners to support me in the protest against the Palm tours. I did not know how many people where listening to my program but recieved allot of e-mail from around the world suporting me in my protest. If the planning is still there I will start up my protest again. The protest e-mails will be send to the minister who plans to give the Palm tours a permit to hurt a dolphin! Because there is no dolphin hurt in my program on Hit 94fm every wednesday night from 9pm till 11pm live from Dublin Ireland!
November 8th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I am a optimal animal-lover.
Listen: Don’t destroy more animals in this world.
LET THE DOLFINS SWIM FREE IN THE SEA of MOTHER EARTH!!
November 12th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Thank you Ms. Biemans for bringing this subject into the spotlight.
All of those against this project of a proposed dolphinarium need to make their feelings known to De Palm. I have started by refusing to patronize any of their businesses.
Actions speak louder than words and money, or in their case, hopefully loss of, will speak even louder.
November 12th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
DePalm will never get another cent from me. They have continually ignored the outcry against their plan with the dolphins. They refuse to look at any thing other than greed as their motivation, that much is clear. The health of the coral around their island is deplorable, it shows how little they care about anything other than money. While most of the world is trying to outlaw this practice of swimming with dolphins, DePalm promotes it. What does that say to the world about Aruba? Unfortunately, Aruba will suffer right along with the dolphins. No good can come from the harm to these intelligent mammals in the long run, and I sure hope DePalm finds out they have gone too far and this all ends in bankruptcy with as few dolphins dead as possible. Don’t support this activity!!!
November 12th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I am very disappointed to learn about this. I hope the powers that be will reconsider. This is so unnecessary and so unfair to the dolphins.
November 12th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
We are animal lovers and find that bringing wild dolpins to Aruba is not a positive thing. We love Aruba but this angers us. Why is it necessary to torment a wild animal? If this venture is successful, (praying that it is not) it will be one that we will NOT support ever. We would rather see dolphins in their natural habitat-not living a miserable life. Please reconsider.
November 12th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I never would have imagined that Aruba one of the most peaceful tranquil islands in the carribbean would fall for the nonsense someone had of an idea to bring dolphins to aruba and have a Dolphinuim or a place to swim with them.An Island that takes the green status very seriously would now allow the training and captivity of dolphins so tourist can get their momentary jollys by saying that they can now allow swimming with them.
I hope they lose money I hope they are boycotted everyday and whoever bankrolled this idiotic idea learn that it might seem really nice and a great moneymaker which it is not that you just sold your soul for money that you think you might make in the long run it’s going to be a failure.
November 13th, 2007 at 5:49 am
Just another way that De Palm Corp. is ruining my island. They will do anything for money. And the saddest part, there will be people going to see them and are going to pay money to see the dolphins (because most people don’t know how harmful it is to the dolphin, the same way they don’t know that you kill coral when you stand on it.), so in the end money wins again.
So, so sad!
November 13th, 2007 at 6:39 am
De Palm Tours has gone too far now.. They’re already the dominant tourist business and now they want to move into a business which profits off of dolphin captivity?? Leave the dolphins and tanks to the zoo’s!! This is my prediction: If this is approved and built, there will be a massive uprising against Aruba Tourism, not just De Palm Tours.. Needless to say De Palm Tours will never get another dollar from me, and I’m sure there are others that feel the same. Within Aruba.com there’s a community forum which is becoming more and more popular, you can bet us Aruba lovers will make it known to people who are thinking of traveling to Aruba. I won’t stop coming to this beautifull country, but I will reconsider my thoughts of the direction things are going.. Stop the Commercialization!! Draw the line, don’t allow dolphins to be exploited..
November 13th, 2007 at 6:52 am
One last thought… I love the water, I’m a trained Diver and have spent plenty of time in the waters around Aruba. During my recent visit to the island this past October, I was snorkeling in front of the Divi and it’s neighboring resorts. I was out very far in the ocean, probably in 40 to 50 feet of water. Scattered along the bottom were the plastic cups the resorts give you to fill beverages, those cups the bars give you. I bet I saw in the stretch around the Divi area over 2 or 3 thousand of these cups. I was extremely disappointed, and I did tell the people at the Divi. Why not spend the money to clean up the waters instead of putting money into a dolphin tank?? Heck, I’d fly to Aruba and help for free…
November 16th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Tragic. This is the only word I have to describe the life awaitng those dolphins.
I can not understnd how people with moral conscience, would be willing to exploit these magnificant creatures for their own financial gain. Even more to blame are the individuals who pay to swim with them with no regard for the animal,but thinking only of their own selfish interests. Shame on you.
November 20th, 2007 at 8:36 am
Lagoons or sea pens, where these dolphins will be kept may be larger than concrete pools, but are still just a fraction of the size of the ocean - dolphins’ natural habitat. Endless scientific documentation attests to the fact that no captive facility is able to meet the complex physiological and psychological needs of dolphins, and observation of dolphins in such confined spaces often reveals them engaging in abnormal behaviours which signals psychological distress.
Along with the welfare arguments against keeping dolphins in captivity, additional barriers exist with regard to environmental impact. Dolphin sea pens are a significant source of nutrient pollution and can cause ecological damage to coral reefs.
November 23rd, 2007 at 4:26 pm
What never seizes to amaze me is the way people protest against dolphins held in captivity. For one reason or another people tend to react more heavily when dolphins are held in captivity than when for example horses are held in captivity. If you protest against dolphins being held in captivity then you should protest against all other animals that are being mistreated for our pleasure as well, and I don’t see that happen. If you claim to be concerned for the well being of dolphins and don’t want them to be held in captivity then you should be consequent and never ride horses anymore, free all your pets, never go to the zoo anymore, don’t wear fur, don’t eat meat, never wear leather, etc., etc. The list is endless.
I guess George Orwell was right. Some animals are more equal than others. Or at least it seems that way according to a lot of people.
November 24th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
In response to Coen’s comment, he makes a common error. One cannot compare dolphins (or any wildlife) with domesticated animals such as horses or dogs. Horses and dogs have been bred for centuries for specific traits favored by their human caretakers, and have become dependent on people as a result. Wild animals don’t need people to take care of them.
The fact that he makes this inappropriate comparison shows that he has been influenced by the propaganda of the dolphinarium industry, which frequently implies that dolphins, because they are TAMED in captivity, are domesticated. I assure you, they are not - dolphinariums are lucky if their dolphins breed at all. They certainly haven’t “progressed” to selecting for specific traits - if they had, perhaps the customers who are injured every year by dolphins expressing their NATURAL frustration with the constant exposure to strangers with whom they must interact in swim-with encounters wouldn’t have been injured!
Another error Coen makes is assuming that somehow those who oppose dolphinariums must be pure in their positions and be vegetarians who should “free” their pets etc. This is a fallacy (and very unfair! I can no doubt come up with an equally long list of irrational “purity” markers for almost any idealistic position, conservative or liberal) - there is strong evidence that dolphins are not suited to captivity (and neither are African elephants, big cats, or polar bears - there is scientific research looking at this issue). There is good cause to single them out (and these other large, wide-ranging, often predatory species). And indeed many dolphinarium opponents are vegetarians, don’t wear fur, and fight for other species (I for one work to protect all marine mammals, as they are my academic speciality) - as for freeing one’s pets, see my point above. Pets are domesticated, bred for generations to be dependent on human caretakers. Dolphins are NOT. They can take perfectly good care of themselves and should be allowed to do so.
It’s perfectly appropriate to debate this controversial issue, but please use good logic, solid facts, and rational ideals when you do. It’s not Orwellian to say that some animals, because of their biology, don’t adapt well to captivity - there are plenty of species that we have never been able to domesticate because of something inherent in their genetic make-up. Even after four decades of keeping dolphins in captivity, there is still no “domesticated dolphin.” Believing they should be allowed to live natural lives in the wild is not picking favorites - it is, among other things, paying attention to their biology.
November 30th, 2007 at 8:46 am
In response to Naomi’s comment: Being so committed to a cause clearly blurs the peripheral vision and obviously prevents someone from seeing the big picture, or for this matter: the real subject of a message. Where she claims that my comments lack rationality it is her lack of ratio that leads her to not being able to put things in perspective anymore.
She makes the common error of reacting to that part of a message that seems to be so wrong or in contradiction with own beliefs, instead of reacting to or answering the complete message. Don’t mistake me for someone who is in favour of keeping dolphins, or any other animal for that matter, in captivity. Naomi is remarkably quick to conclude that I must have been influenced by ‘the propaganda of the dolphinarium industry’. I can tell her that I am not. Luckily enough I am also not under the influence of the ANTI-dolphinarium industry. I am perfectly neutral on this subject and very well capable of forming my own opinion.
Another error that Naomi makes is claiming that it is a fallacy to say that those who oppose dolphinariums must be pure in their positions. Ofcourse one should be pure in ones position. Otherwise it is no more than unbalanced and strongly biased zealotism. She seems to be indeed missing the whole point of my posting.
One cannot deny the fact that the subject of keeping dolphins in captivity stirs a lot of emotions. Emotions that I don’t see on this scale on other and similar subjects of keeping animals or killing them for no other purpose than our own pleasure. Naomi picks out the example of dogs and horses. Obviously a lot of pets are domesticated and it is, indeed, impossible to set these animals out in the wild. This doesn’t take away the fact that these once were wild animals. The better example though, the one Naomi wisely didn’t comment on, is the one where animals are killed for our own pleasure to serve as food. If you think it is cruel to keep dolphins in captivity then she must agree that is immensely more cruel to keep animals in miserable conditions with only one goal: To make them as fat as possible in as short a time as possible and then kill them so they can be served on our dinner table. Millions of turkeys have recently undergone this faith to end up on the North American Thanksgiving dinner table. As a Ph.D. Naomi must know that there is no need whatsoever for humans to eat meat.
Again, I am not taking a moral standpoint in favour of or against killing and eating animals. The only point of my comment is that I don’t understand human nature and see an immense opposition against keeping dolphins in a dolphinarium while on the other hand I see the same people commenting on the great steakhouse they have been to on Aruba. These are actual examples that I saw on the Aruba bulletin board where this discussion has already been going on for a while.
It is perfectly legitimate to be against keeping dolphins or other wild animals in captivity. I think it is good that there is research on the subject and that people like Naomi are active. What I oppose is zealotism. This is never good and ultimately leads you no further. What bothers me the most though, and still does, is that if people are really committed to the well being of animals they can have a much greater impact by simply stopping to eat meat. Millions of miserable animal lives can be spared in an instant by a simple action. This has so much more impact than opposing the possible opening of a Dolphinarium on Aruba. But I don’t see it and therefore I am so puzzled by human nature. This, still, leads me to the conclusion that some animals seem to be more equal than other animals.
December 3rd, 2007 at 6:01 pm
We are against a Dolphinarium on Aruba. The abuse off these beautifull animals only to make money, is a disgrace for the island.
It has not been proven that therapy with dolpins is really helping human beings. It will be sure that the coralreefs will be damaged, we better do something to preserve them!