Sharm el Sheikh Campaign

Egypt markets itself heavily as a country which has a thriving marine environment with images of wild dolphins, coral and idyllic clear seas. The Red Sea is a haven for divers, snorkelers and anyone who is keen to see sea life in beautiful clear waters in a warm climate. However, in contrast to these impressive natural ecological features, Egypt is home to captive dolphin facilities where this far-ranging creature, present in the Red Sea, is restricted to the point that its instinctive skills are rendered useless. The stark contradiction of these facilities absolutely opposes the natural diversity of marine life offered by the Red Sea itself.

The Marine Connection has been campaigning for several years against the existing facilities as well as against any further development of captive facilities.

Dolphinella, Sharm El Sheikh

Dolphinella in El Hadaba, Sharm El Sheikh is a captive dolphin facility in Egypt. The Marine Connection has had concerns with this facility for several years. Its "swim-with" programme jeopardises the health of both the dolphin and the human participants. They have also previously held beluga whales in appalling conditions but were confiscated after a successful Marine Connection campaign. Nevertheless British Tour Operators still continue to promote the facility as a family excursion despite the charity alerting them to the facts surrounding the facility and the numerous complaints we receive every year.
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Concorde El Salaam Hotel, Sharm El Sheikh
When the Marine Connection were alerted to the opening of a second dolphin facility in Sharm El Sheikh, at the Concorde el Salaam Hotel, we found out that the dolphins had been illegally imported from Syria. The charity campaigned to have the dolphins removed and after continued pressure the authorities returned the animals to their country of origin. Recent visits show the dolphin pool to be derelict but the charity will be keeping a close eye on this hotel - the fact that the pool is still there, even if derelict, is a particular worry. Please do contact us if you are in Sharm el Sheikh and have any information regarding any developments at the Concorde El Salaam Hotel.

Cleo Aqua Park, Sharm el Sheikh (adjacent to Hilton Sharm Dreams Vacation Club)
The Marine Connection were concerned to discover that a dolphinarium was planned as part of the aqua park next door to Hilton Sharm Dreams Vacation Club. However, after a year of continuous campaigning and discussion with the Hilton regarding the project we succeeded in having the plans abandoned, the Hilton stated "there are no plans to house marine mammals now or in future". A wave machine intended only for human use has now been installed in place of the dolphin pool affirming our hopes of preventing further captive dolphins in Sharm el Sheikh.

Help us make Sharm el Sheikh a 'Captive Dolphin Free Zone'!
If you are on holiday in Egypt and are in a position to take photographs of dolphin or whale facilities or report any concerns to the charity please contact us so that we can take further action. We would also like to hear which tour companies and hotels are selling tickets to Dolphinella so that we can contact them and ensure they know the facts. Input from concerned travellers is crucial, so please forward any photos, video footage or messages of concern to the charity.

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