Five male bottlenose dolphins, Sol, Ninu, Cha, Rohan, and Luqa, remain confined to artificial tanks and forced to perform tricks for paying audiences in swim-with programmes, staged photo sessions, and public shows. These activities are psychologically and physically harmful and bear no resemblance to natural dolphin behaviour. Although the facility operates under a zoo licence, these performances meet the legal definition of a circus under Section 31C of Malta’s Animal Welfare Act, which explicitly prohibits animals being made to perform unnatural tricks for public entertainment. Authorities therefore have clear legal grounds to revoke the licence, halt the shows, and relocate the dolphins to more appropriate environments, such as sea pens or an accredited sanctuary.
This inaction is especially concerning given the park’s history. Three dolphins previously held at the facility died from lead poisoning, a failure of care raised by Marine Connection. Several of the dolphins at the park now show elevated creatinine levels, which suggest possible chronic kidney effects due to the lead toxicity. Concerns raised with the former Veterinary Regulation Directorate were dismissed as “adequate,” and Costa Edutainment, the company apparently still linked to the park’s management, has failed to intervene.
The continued use of dolphins in circus-style performances is not only ethically indefensible but also questionable under Malta’s animal welfare laws, which exist to protect animals, not to be ignored.
Marine Connection is dedicated to ensuring Malta’s animal welfare laws are properly enforced.
