Employee speaks out against Dolphin Academy

An interview with an employee of Dolphin Academy which was recently published in the local Curacao newspaper 'Napa', reveales the dolphin that landed on visitors during a swim-with programme on 1 January 2008 was not Anna, as previously claimed, but was in fact Tela - the same animal that, a week later, tail-slapped one of the trainers.

Tela lost a calf in November 2007 and is said to have been difficult to handle ever since; yet she still is being used in swim-with programmes, which we feel is highly irresponsible as the animal is obviously stressed and her behaviour could put both customers and employees in danger.

The interviewee also confirmed that the management of Dolphin Academy acknowledges that the accident was indeed stress related.

Back to background details on Dolphin Academy incidents