Shame on Batumi Dolphinarium

Apparently, there is no limit to the cruelty that captive dolphins must endure in the hands of humans. A dolphin trainer who works at the dolphinarium in Batumi, Georgia, on the coast of the Black Sea, has posted several videos on her social media platforms where she sexualizes dolphins and uses them as props to obtain views and likes from her millions of fans and followers. In one of the videos, the trainer poses in a Christmas-themed miniskirt and cropped top and makes sexy dance moves in front of the camera. Meanwhile, a dolphin that has been ordered to beach itself onto the concrete floor next to her obediently moves its head quickly from side to side, as if participating voluntarily in this revolting performance.

https://www.tiktok.com/@annachulkovaa/video/7180329440361188610?_r=1&_t=8d1jcY2aaz5

In another video, the trainer, who is showing off a tight-fitting pink outfit, is sitting at the edge of the dolphin pool. A dolphin has been instructed to hoist itself halfway out of the water in such a way that its upper body is positioned in her lap. The trainer fondles and kisses the dolphin, as if making out with him (or her). In a third clip, the trainer is holding up a dolphin’s tail fluke and nibbling on it. She is pretending to be eating the dolphin like one would eat a sandwich and has even inserted crunchy eating sounds for maximum effect. The trainer, in yet another of her dance videos, has generated more than 500,000 likes by making a dolphin perform a fast-paced hip-hop-type dance on the concrete floor. She has posted similar content on Facebook and Instagram and last year posted livestreams where a dolphin had to remain stranded for a long time while she executed a self-promoting dolphin kissing session and took selfies.
https://www.tiktok.com/@annachulkovaa/video/7024439214813023494

She has 7 million followers on TikTok alone, and one of her videos, where an obviously hungry dolphin must perform silly dance moves to earn a fish reward, has generated 2.4 million likes! The videos are reaching millions with the message that sexualizing dolphins for views and likes on social media is a great idea, and comments from adoring fans are almost as disturbing as the videos themselves. Just a few examples: “Does its meat taste  good?” followed by a laughing emoji and several emojis of plates with forks and knives. Another comment reads, “Ha, ha, that’s cute!” And a third fan jokes, “That dolphin dances better than my brother!” Several fans respond admiringly to the trainer’s revealing outfits and the sexual acts she performs on the dolphins, such as the kissing, cradling, and petting, during her staged video sessions. The comments include: “I want one!”  “What do they feel like?” “I want to pet a dolphin.” Another wrote: “Suddenly I feel myself turning into a dolphin.” And then, there’s “I identify as a dolphin now!” and “I am your dolphin,” followed by a series of lips and heart emojis. And perhaps the most disturbing comment of all: “Flipper is getting more action than me.”

@annachulkovaa

♬ Я буду ебать – Moreart

Clearly, portraying dolphins as sex objects is popular with some people, and Batumi dolphinarium is feeding into the over-the-top exploitation by allowing the videos to remain on social media platforms. (It is difficult to believe they don’t know about them.) Could it be that management at Batumi dolphinarium even encourages the sexual objectification of dolphins to help promote dolphin shows and attract ticket buyers?

@annachulkovaa

@⭐ Cherisse Camacho ⭐

♬ original sound – Asiah

Captive dolphins suffer enough as it is, and to exploit them as stand-ins for sexually charged videos that are posted online for millions to drool over is both creepy and abusive. The trainer’s videos make me wish that dolphins could create a MeToo movement, just like women did. Imagine if they could. But they can’t, of course. They have no voice, and the dolphins at Batumi Dolphinarium have no choice but to perform whatever demeaning and pathetic role their human jailors force upon them.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Batumi Dolphinarium can be contacted through their Instagram page. (Simply type “Batumi Dolphinarium” in the search field.)  Please send them a message asking that the exploitative videos be removed from the trainer’s social media platforms.

You can also call the Dolphinarium at this phone number: +995 422  22 17 30 or send them an email at [email protected] and voice your concerns. (Please keep your messages and emails polite.)

Featured image: @anna__chulkova__ (Instagram)