Despite worldwide opposition, De Palm Holdings have not abandoned their plans to build a dolphinarium on De Palm Island off Aruba coast.

The decision on whether they can proceed with their plans has not yet been made however and Minister of Environment, Public Health, and Immigration Affairs, Candelario ‘Booshi‘ Wever, has commissioned the Flora and Fauna committee to advise him on this matter. Wever stated “It is not in my hands, even though it is us, as council of ministers that has to make a decision next”. According to reports, Mr Wever does not think that a dolphinarium as tourist attraction is a bad idea; “But you have to be careful with these kinds of activities that are worldwide criticized and if something goes wrong, the activity can have a contrary effect on your tourism.”

The corporate name of the dolphinarium will be "Aruba Marine Awareness Center NV" and the two managing directors will be Laetitia Lindgren and George Kieffer who are shareholders and directors of Dolphin Academy in Curacao, a facility that has recently been under investigation due to recent incidents involving both visitors and trainers.

Take Action

Aruba is a perfect getaway island located in the Caribbean, blessed with some of the most spectacular beauty and diverse marine life and a haven for divers. Dolphin sea pens are a significant source of nutrient pollution and can cause ecological damage to coral reefs.

Please email Minister Wever advising him that destruction of marine environment would have a huge impact on numbers of future visitors and tourism in general in the country. C.A.S.D. Wever Minister of Public Health & Environment email