A Mexican resort company wants to ship 12 bottlenose dolphins to tiny, chlorinated tanks in the middle of the harsh Arizona desert -- just so tourists can pay to ride on their backs.

The proposed dolphinarium, called Dolphinaris Arizona, is under construction right now by Ventura Entertainment just outside of Scottsdale, on land belonging to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Although Ventura claims that Dolphinaris is "educational" and will provide "important conservation," prominent marine scientists and veterinarians warn that once complete, the facility will be a "nightmare for dolphins."

Studies have revealed that dolphins have distinct personalities, a strong sense of self, and the ability to consider the future. They love, grieve, and create their own culture. Imprisoning them in tanks for entertainment is so cruel that dolphinariums have already been banned in several countries, including India, Chile, and Croatia.

Despite overwhelming scientific and ethical consensus against captivity, Ventura Entertainment plans to tear these intelligent cetaceans from their families and confine them to a 12-foot-deep concrete pool in the desert, where they will be forced to spend the rest of their lives interacting with tourists and doing tricks. The dolphins will be exposed to the extreme desert climate, with temperatures soaring to 115 degrees in the summer and plummeting to below freezing in the winter. They will be forced to breathe dry, dusty air, pollution from the nearby freeway, and airborne fungal spores, putting them at great risk of respiratory infections that can also be transmitted to humans. What's more, the project will use at least 1 million gallons of water per year in one of the most drought-stricken regions of the United States. Yet Ventura claims that Dolphinaris will "deepen respect for dolphins and the natural world!"

This is insanity -- but we can stop it.

Public approval of dolphinariums is at an all-time low, and Dolphinaris is no exception. Local newspapers have blasted the proposed park, calling it an "atrocity" and "Guantanamo for dolphins." Hundreds of Scottsdale residents are holding regular protests at the construction site to prove that a dolphinarium is not welcome in their town.  Now, it's your turn to speak up for these dolphins. Every signature on this petition sends an email to Dolphinaris executives, telling them that the American public no longer wants to see dolphins in captivity for entertainment and urging them to put a halt to this cruel project!

Together, we can ensure that this inhumane and outdated project is canned for good.