The plight of captive cetaceans—dolphins, whales, and porpoises—has long been a contentious issue worldwide. These intelligent and deeply social creatures are often confined to small enclosures that drastically limit their ability to engage in natural behaviors. This confinement leads to a host of physical and psychological problems, turning the lives of these magnificent creatures into a daily struggle where they suffer in an artificial environment. They are used for profit, entertainment and forced to do tricks.

 

As public awareness of the issue has grown, many countries have begun to take action by banning or phasing out cetacean captivity.

Help the push to relocate the captive orcas, beluga whales and dolphins from concrete coffins to the freedom and retirement of seaside sanctuaries.

There are also extreme issues of strandings, injured marine life, lack of protection of our seas, boat traffic and overfishing. These sanctuaries could offer safe areas, ones that help populations and the biodiversity, areas where life in the sea can thrive.

This way captive cetaceans will not have to continue to be used for human entertainment, live in a life in a barren concrete tank and be fed dead frozen fish where they typically die prematurely while going through severe stress and pain.

For those cetaceans in captivity, immediate relocation to suitable sanctuaries is vital. Sanctuaries offer a humane alternative, environments designed to replicate their natural habitats as closely as possible, providing these creatures the space and enrichment they desperately need.

While the captive cetaceans get the help and care that they need, the sanctuary will provide a place of protection if it is needed to other marine life for a wide variety of species, not just cetaceans. It provides research and increased biodiversity. It is a demonstration of what marine protection could like, and could help endangered populations. 

While most captive whales and dolphins would live out the rest of their lives in a sanctuary, in some rare cases, individual cetaceans may be able to transition from a sanctuary back into the wild if they are able to integrate and adapt. 

Seaside sanctuaries provide much more space – both in volume of water and depth – for orcas and other cetaceans to swim in, being as much as 100 times larger than the largest concrete tank, a vast improvement.
Seaside sanctuaries allow cetaceans to experience real ocean conditions, such as tides, the wind, and currents. They also allow interactions with fish and other marine life.

 The sanctuary provides a training base for the orca and other cetaceans to learn independence skills, notably catching fish, as well as opportunities for experts to determine if an orca or other dolphin is ready to swim freely and thrive in the ocean.

Establishing a sanctuary for captive cetaceans can serve as a beacon of hope for these creatures across the globe. Such a sanctuary would not only provide a safe haven for those who can never return to the wild but also serve as a critical center for education.

 The sanctuaries could also act as a place for wild cetacean rescues where they can be rehabbed and then released. There are roughly 2,000 strandings of whales and dolphins annually around the world, and while most animals are dead or die shortly after stranding, some are left to die that could benefit from rehabilitation and release in a seaside sanctuary.

Currently, no sufficient, dedicated spaces exist to house the hundreds of cetaceans in need. We urge governments, NGOs, conservationists, and private stakeholders to collaborate in creating and funding a global network of sanctuaries where these animals can live out their lives with dignity. With concerted effort and investment, these sanctuaries can become a reality.

Ideal sites are ones that are quiet, in coastal areas such as coves or bays that provide safety and accessibility. 

This can be done, this is proven through Keiko the orca’s sea sanctuary and release. Some other captive cetaceans have also been successfully rehabbed and released. There are also some protected sanctuary areas for conservation and rehabbing wild species, but there needs to be a sanctuary more larger, beneficial and well known.

One that is a safe place for all cetaceans, captive or for wild ones that need rehab. 

The sanctuaries could be funded through governments, NGOs and donations. There would need to be specialists and animal veterinarians. 

The captivity industry has made billions of dollars year after year through exploiting captive orcas and other dolphins. This cannot continue. The tide is turning and worldwide pressure continues to grow for the captivity industry to retire captive cetaceans to seaside sanctuaries.

Over 3,700 whales, dolphins and porpoises are held in captivity globally in over 300 facilities. Many of them were captured from the wild. Captures are still ongoing in places like Taiji, Japan. Also, 15 captive orcas in China were caught in Russia’s Sea of Okhotsk between 2013-2016.

The time to act is now. By signing this petition, you are taking an important stand for the welfare of captive cetaceans everywhere.

 Let us work together to give these creatures the quality of life they deserve. Join us in calling for the creation of sanctuaries that symbolize compassion and respect for all living beings. If a few facilities decide to do this, others will follow.

 Sign the petition today to make this vision become a reality. This can be done if we all come together. The only reason this is being stopped is because of the parks themselves, their ownership of the animals and their need for profit. If the governments enforce it, it will have to happen.

The sanctuaries, which there would be a couple of them, can be created through making sure the area is suitable and that it will be funded and protected. It needs to be large and have low pollution levels. No fishing or boats would be allowed around the area.

 It gives captive cetaceans a safe place, a place for research and conservation, protected parts of the sea and a place where rescued marine life can go and be rehabbed and released.