British Tour Operators continue to promote Dolphinella

In response to our investigative report undertaken in December 2005 into Dolphinella, Sharm El Sheikh, British tour operators Kuoni Ltd., Lastminute.com and Libra Holidays no longer offer Dolphinella as an excursion. The Marine Connection would like to applaud these companies' forward thinking and responsible decision in Sharm el Sheikh. Also as of 1st May 2007, Thomas Cook also took the decision to cease promoting and selling excursions to Dolphinella.

However, TUI/Thomson and MyTravel amongst others, continue to routinely sell excursions to the facility despite the many problems highlighted by our report. In fact, Thomson (TUI-UK) are partners in the Year of the Dolphin initiative but continue to promote, and profit from, swim-with dolphin excursions including Dolphinella. This is an absolute contradiction to the good work which Year of the Dolphin is trying to achieve and Thomson should prove its commitment by ceasing to sell these excursions. Click here for more information.

When the Marine Connection met with the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) to discuss their members' inaction, we were were told that the FTO do not exist to "police" their members, rather they are there to facilitate and co-ordinate with and between their members and "ensure the long-term success of air-inclusive holidays". We were told that the FTO had sent in their own expert to investigate and report on our findings, most of which they agreed required urgent action. In light of this information, shade has now been put over a portion of the dolphins' pool to protect them from the direct sunlight and a few other suggestions were made by their expert relating to the welfare of the animals.

However their expert did not agree with our findings that one of the animals appears to be stressed or ill and we have now been advised by the FTO their expert has advised that: "In my view, Thomson and other FTO members can be reasonably comfortable in selling this product to their clients"

The FTO invited the Marine Connection to join with them in drawing up guidelines for the welfare of dolphins in captivity, as they wish to ensure marine mammals are held in the best possible conditions. However we declined this offer as, in our opinion, dolphins, whales and other marine mammals do not belong in captivity at all, and whilst we are of course concerned with the conditions the animals in Dolphinella and other captive facilities housing cetaceans, we refuse to be party to advising on how "best" to keep them in a captive environment. To agree to this would, in the charity's opinion, be letting down the animals the Marine Connection was founded to protect and for who we act as a voice.

The FTO and its' members say they are quite simply supplying a demand, giving their customers what they want, however it appeared obvious by their expert's comments that dolphins and other marine mammals are simply a commodity - part of a "product" to be profited from.

If you agree that dolphins and whales should be left in the wild and not confined to interact or perform for paying customers, and feel that members of the FTO should NOT promote captive facilities please forward your comments to the companies selling these excursions. Thank you!

Take Action

Please contact the Tour Operators still selling Dolphinella excursions and politely explain your feelings towards their continual promotion of the captive facility Dolphinella.
Please click here for contact details

In the meantime, if you are on holiday 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. Input from concerned travellers is crucial, so please forward any photos, video footage or messages of concern to the charity.

There IS another way - it is simple to see wild dolphins in the Red Sea. Encourage these tour operators to promote ethical dolphin and whale watching, this is a viable yet responsible alternative.

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