Hotels with Captive Dolphins

 

Vacation planning can be fun and exciting, but it is important to be a responsible tourist and continue your commitment to cetaceans and our oceans when away from home. There is a lot of confusion with many marine parks misleadingly listing themselves as “wildlife sanctuaries” or “rescue” facilities on travel sites. An easy rule of thumb to consider while making your travel plans, is if you are paying to interact with a wild animal, then it probably isn’t a genuine sanctuary or rescue. Places will sometimes boast about their dolphins living in open ocean pens or areas that they can leave when they want. However, if you look at the fine print and read between the lines, you will see these are still trained dolphins, doing dolphin swim activities with tourists in exchange for food. 

Hotels with Captive Dolphins

Below are hotels and resorts that we DO NOT recommend, due to the fact that they keep captive dolphins on their property, or are partnering with captive dolphin facilities nearby.

Hotels by region

Hawaii

The Kahala Hotel & Resort

Hilton Waikoloa Village

Florida

Discovery Cove, Orlando

Baker’s Cay Resort, Key Largo

Nevada

Mirage Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas (UPADTE: As of May 2023 no longer has dolphins of property)

Dreams Resorts & Hotels

Barcelo Hotel Group

Hyatt Ziva

Xcaret

Xel-Ha

Bahia Principe Hotel

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort

Atlantis, Paradise Island

Renaissance Resort, Okinawa

Singapore

Resorts World Sentosa

Tahiti

Moorea Dolphin Center at Intercontinental Moorea Resort and Spa

UAE

Atlantis Dubai

If you happen to come across a hotel with captive dolphins that is not on our list, feel free to contact us. It’s unfortunate that hotels are taking part in the captive dolphin trade. Together, we can continue to spread awareness so that we all make conscious decisions both in their daily lives and while on vacation.

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