31.03.2025 – Sad celebrity

In the morning, our guests saw a Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). At this time of year, baleen whales, as well as Fin whales, migrate northwards. With a bit of luck and the right timing, whale-watching enthusiasts may even see them off Madeira’s coast.

On the second tour, we encountered Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). We get to see them in the wild. But this dolphin species became famous through the film Flipper and also through captivity. What a sad celebrity.

Dolphinaria advertise with spectacular shows and promise visitors unforgettable experiences. But for the dolphins, these facilities mean a humdrum life in captivity. They could not be further removed from their natural habitat and a species-appropriate life. In cramped tanks, without the opportunity to swim long distances or explore the oceans, their senses atrophy. Their natural behaviour is suppressed. Dolphins are highly intelligent and social animals. In the wild, they live in complex group behaviour. In dolphinaria, however, they are kept arbitrarily in artificially formed groups. This leads to social tensions and stress. Added to this is the noise of the shows. The echo, which is amplified in the concrete pools, puts extreme strain on the animals’ sensitive hearing.
While dolphins cover dozens of kilometres a day in the wild, they are limited to a few metres in captivity. The lack of exercise and the monotonous environment lead to behavioural disorders and aggression. Many animals die prematurely from infections or stress-related illnesses such as stomach ulcers.

Breeding in dolphinaria is rarely successful. For this reason, wild-caught dolphins are repeatedly caught to replenish the population. The brutal hunting of dolphins for the entertainment industry has already decimated entire populations. The training is based on coercion and food deprivation in order to force the animals to perform tricks.
Behind the façade of the alleged ‘education programmes’ lies pure greed for profit. But education about marine life must take place without animal suffering. Modern technologies such as interactive 3D experiences or virtual aquariums could offer a species-appropriate alternative.

Petition for the protection of Bottlenose dolphins: https://www.lobosonda.com/marine-protection/

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightngs of the day

Stenella

09:30 Fin whale

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins