So cruel.
An “adventure group” in Bali is holding four wild dolphins in captivity as part of a ploy to attract tourists.
The ‘Wake Bali Dolphins’ program invites tourists to swim with dolphins in a chlorinated pool just metres from the ocean at Keramas beach near Kuta.
“You are invited to not just watching [sic] but rather interact directly with dolphin through hugging, kissing, petting, and really swimming with dolphins,” the website boasts.
The program is charging tourists up to $110 USD (approximately $147 AUD) for 45 minutes with the dolphins.
However, after visiting the site some tourists have become outraged by the cruel treatment and exploitation of the animals — and have taken to Trip Advisor to express their disgust.
“For all most [sic] $140 Australian you would think that they would be making enough money to have the 4 dolphins in something bigger then a back yard swimming pool,” user Lisarosetaylor wrote.
“Anyone who says these dolphins are well looked after needs to get a reality check.”
“They have a tiny pool to swim in, all their teeth have been removed and as we were there for over 2 hours the dolphins did not get a break it was just show after show.”
Whether or not the dolphins’ teeth have been removed has been debated. However, there is no question that the captivity of these creatures is inhumane.
“Dolphins caged in a chlorinated pool hardly big enough to swim and 30m from the ocean – are you serious?” Trip Advisor user ‘ManlyFoody’ wrote.
“You should be ashamed of your exploitation of dolphins for profit! Shut down now before the people shut you down!”
Sydney man Craig Boshenka has started an online petition to have the dolphins freed.
“As a regular ocean user and surfer, interaction with dolphins in their natural habitat occurs semi-regularly,” he wrote on change.org.
“The discovery of a small resort swimming pool (10x20m) adjacent to the beach at Keramas, housing four dolphins in chlorinated water for tourists to swim and play with was a huge shock.”
According to Boshenka, Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry promised to close dolphin attraction sites — but the Wake Bali Dolphins program has been open for a year.
The petition has garnered more than 20,000 signatures calling for the program to be shut down.
Do you think this is animal cruelty?
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Top Comments
The dolphins have painful sores on their eyes from the chlorine pool, and they actually make disturbing crying sounds at night. Heartbreaking.
This is so sad, but whats more horrid is the fact the corrupt indonesian govt & local bali province council have allowed it.
One of my friends put up some photographs of a zoo she visited in Bali, and I found it horrendous, the animals are in tiny concrete cages, monkeys that look like they have been tied up for hours for tourists to get photos with them.
To be honest, I admit I do not enjoy seeing wild animals in a zoo at the best of times, but to go to a country that has zero animal rights and take part is sickening. If you want to see animals in Bali, go snorkeling, or go to the monkey temple - why take part in the cruelty when there are beautiful wild animals in their natural habitat on your doorstep.