Shocking Closure of Dolphinariums in Riviera Maya Sparks Outrage – What Will Happen to the Dolphins?

Environmentalists have confirmed the closure of two dolphinariums in the Riviera Maya. However, they have voiced concerns about the fate of the dolphins that once inhabited these facilities. They are calling for the termination of similar establishments in Solidaridad, arguing that the industry exploits these animals for entertainment purposes.

Camila Jaber Lara, the freediver and coordinator at Empty the Tanks México, announced that the year started with the news of two dolphinariums closing down. These include Dolphinaris Riviera Maya, located on federal highway 307 near the town of Puerto Aventuras, and another facility within the Bahía Príncipe hotel complex in the municipality of Tulum.

She reported that aerial observations revealed that the facilities have been dismantled and the pools are now empty and abandoned. Lara stressed the importance of continuous monitoring and advocacy, which led to an aerial inspection of Dolphinaris Cozumel last weekend. The team is keen to discover the whereabouts of the dolphins that were removed from Bahía Príncipe and Dolphinaris Riviera Maya.

Lara noted that there are still dolphins in the smaller facilities of Dolphinaris Cozumel. The sight of mothers and their offspring swimming in circles in small plastic pools is a stark reminder of the exploitation and abuse these animals endure in confined and limited spaces.

The interviewee added that all of the above is only the beginning of the end for this industry to evolve and say goodbye to its archaic practices. In addition, she stated that they also denounce the lack of transparency and lack of information that exists around this industry and above all the power it exercises over the authorities.

He said that animal rights activists have already made a very clear demand because it is urgent to take action to stop these practices. He also recalled the video that came to light recently and went viral in which a dolphin was putting on a show at the Barceló hotel and crashed into the concrete, and although it turned out to be an old recording, he considered that this is not a defense on the part of the dolphinariums.

Camila Jaber also said that they have been urgently calling on the Barceló hotel to close this dolphinarium and not lend its facilities to this captivity industry “which is clearly in decline”. To this end, they have held demonstrations and filed complaints with the corresponding authorities.He added that the Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation into the death of a dolphin at the Barceló hotel, adding to the more than 25 complaints that have been filed over the years with the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa).

 In this regard, Profepa issued a statement on January 30, 2025 in which it announced that it had requested, since January 24, to present the documentation with which the Dolphinaris Barceló dolphinarium, located in the Barceló Riviera Maya hotel, notified the General Directorate of Wildlife (DGVS) of Semarnat about the death of the dolphin named Plata and the authorization letter for the transfer of the dolphin named Alex and, where appropriate, the notice to the same authority about his death. 

The interviewee explained that the initial problem is that regulations allow for two-meter pools with dolphins swimming in them, so the origin of all this is that legislation needs to be changed at a national level. She reported that Mexico is ranked as the fourth country with the most dolphinariums in the world. There are 34 dolphinariums throughout the country, with 300 marine mammals such as dolphins, sea lions and manatees in them; of that total, 19 are in Quintana Roo.