The construction of the shopping center La Isla was recently announced in the city of Puerto Vallarta, which is a business concept that has branches in Cancun and Acapulco. Unfortunately their business proposal includes a dolphinarium, built and managed by the company Vallarta Adventures.

As a member of the Puerto Vallarta society, and echoing the general feeling about the shows with cetaceans (dolphins), we are inviting the civil society to petition the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta to not authorize the construction and operation of the dolphinarium.

Documentaries such as "Blackfish" or "The Cove" have revealed the terrible conditions of stress and suffering that such facilities have on cetaceans (dolphins and whales), and it is the main reason why places like Sea World are on the eye of the hurricane regarding this issue. It is a proven fact that dolphins have a higher intelligence, and it is blatantly cruel to subject them to captivity for the amusement of tourists.

 

Some facts about the life of cetaceans in the wild:

·         They live as families.

·         They gather in larger groups for amusement purposes, to strengthen their ties, as protection, and to reproduce.

·         They have culture. Adults transmit their knowledge to their offspring, such as group hunting.

·         They use and create tools to aid their hunting.

·         They recognize each other as individuals.

·         They protect the members of their herd.

·         They use a complex language to communicate.

 

These are just a few examples of how structured their society is. Social life is only present in animal groups with a proven intelligence, such as the non-human primates from which man evolved, who is also catalogued as a social animal.

Puerto Vallarta is a privileged area thanks to the exuberance of nature around it, and since this is its main attraction, it should be a tourist destination focused on the admiration and care of nature, where people coexist in harmony with it. It is easy to see wild dolphins in our bay. There is no need to restrict their observation to a water tank!

The Universal Declaration of Animal Rights of the United Nations and UNESCO establishes, among other things, that every animal has the right to be respected, and that any deprivation of freedom, even when it is done for educational purposes, is contrary to this law. Dolphin tanks violate the rights of animals.

On the other hand, the Law on Protection and Care of Animals in the State of Jalisco establishes, in its Article 30, that the following actions are prohibited:

XIX: The possession or sale of animals whose species are considered endangered or under special protection, according to the related regulations.

The most commonly used species in dolphin tanks is listed under Special Protection in the Ecol 059 NOM 2010 regulation: Delphinidae (Tursiops truncatus), bottlenose dolphin or porpoise. Pr (Special Protection) nonendemic.

XXV. Any deed, act or omission that may cause pain or suffering, or may endanger the life of an animal, or may affect its welfare.

The physical and emotional damage caused by captivity on these species has been extensively documented (documentaries such as "The Cove" and "Blackfish").

We are truly privileged to live every day with wild dolphins, and it is our right and our duty to protect them!

We invite everyone who respects wildlife to join this cause. Let us move forward, together with the most sensitive and educated countries in the world, to solve this problem. Huatulco is currently fighting against a dolphinarium, and now it is Puerto Vallarta’s turn.

We should not allow any more dolphins in captivity!

Please sign!