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Japanese whaling ship

Infamous whale slaughter ship docks for the final time

The whaling ship, Nisshin Maru has returned to the port of Shimonoseki for the final...
Sperm whale

Dominica announces new protections for sperm whales

Dominica has placed almost 800 square kilometers of sea off the west coast of the...
Porpoise dies after becoming entangled in fishing net

UK government rejects chance to protect whales and dolphins

The government has formally rejected almost all of the crucial recommendations made in a House...
Common dolphins © Christopher Swann

Ocean areas selected for conservation are now in danger says task force

The international task force celebrating 10 years of work mapping out Important Marine Mammal Areas...

Is swimming with dolphins losing its popularity in Mexico?

New research by Mexican marketing consultants suggests that the popularity of swimming with captive dolphins appears to be waning in the state of Quintana Roo. Studies of visitor numbers to facilities in locations such as Cancun and Riviera Maya have shown a steady decline in recent years with less than 10% of visitors to the region in 2016 taking part in such activities.

There has been widespread criticism of the standards of many facilities which has led to tighter regulations. At the same time, increasing public awareness about the issues surrounding the keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity have also had an impact.

There are more than 30 dolphinariums in Mexico holding around 300 dolphins, of which 16 facilities are in Quintana Roos. The latest figures come just weeks after Mexico’s Legislative Assembly took a significant step in the right direction regarding dolphin captivity in the country by announcing a ban on dolphin shows and dolphin assisted therapy in the Federal District of Mexico.

Find out more about WDC’s concerns with swimming with dolphins.

About George Berry

George is a member of WDC's Communications team and website coordinator.