Dolphin deaths, algae-ridden pools, and illegal circus-style shows
Life for male bottlenose dolphins Sol, Ninu, Cha, Rohan, and Luqa is boring at Mediterraneo Marine Park. The deterioration in pool conditions is deeply concerning, yet the Maltese authorities ignore the suffering of these marine mammals, allowing the park to use the dolphins in shows or swim-with and photography interactions with the public for financial gain. However, these circus-style shows place Mediterraneo Marine Park in breach of its current zoo licence because Malta’s current Animal Welfare Act defines a ‘circus’ as “any exhibition put on by exhibitors for profit and viewed by the public for entertainment which offers amusement and display, and where animals are made to perform tricks or manoeuvres, which do not reflect their natural behaviour or does not offer any educational value”. The dolphins at Mediterraneo Marine Park perform tricks for the paying public, making the park a circus, which is against the animal welfare laws in Malta as under 31 C of current regulations, those found operating circus-style shows can have their licence revoked, premises closed, and animals relocated. Marine Connection is now pushing for the existing laws to be applied to Mediterraneo Marine Park.
The facility, managed by Italian company Costa Edutainment, has over the years been the subject of animal welfare issues, including the exposure by Marine Connection that three of the dolphins had died at Mediterraneo from lead poisoning. The authorities continue to ignore our concerns, which we cannot tolerate. The barren pools at the facility are a disgrace, the dolphins swimming or languishing in water filled with significant algae growth, yet the Head of Animal Welfare and Principal Veterinary Officer for the Veterinary Regulation Directorate (VRD) advised us that the conditions in which the dolphins are kept are ‘adequate’.
Costa Edutainment also manages Genoa Aquarium and Oltremare in Italy, both facilities hold bottlenose dolphins. We have contacted Costa directly, asking if they are aware of the unsuitable conditions these dolphins are living in at Mediterraneo Marine Park, and await their response.
