The whales and dolphins trapped in never-ending lockdown – hearing their stories
Every whale and dolphin in captivity is an individual with a life history and around 3,600 whales and dolphins are held in concrete tanks around the world. This means there are 3,600 stories to tell. While researching case studies for our Lockdown never ends campaign I remembered just how traumatic and cruel these stories can be.

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I experienced the start of the pandemic in Spain and from mid March to the beginning of May 2020 we weren’t even allowed to go out for a walk – just essential shopping, medical appointments, going to the pharmacy or caring for relatives in need. So I spent seven weeks in my small apartment, knowing that I was still privileged as I have a balcony and could always talk to family and friends on the phone or online. I will never forget my first walk after the lockdown ended in May, seeing my friends again, going out for a coffee or a swim in the sea.
I can only imagine what a lifelong lockdown means for intelligent and social beings like whales and dolphins. They are not only confined to a small, unnatural space but they also have to deal with lots of noise during shows or presentations and with people invading their space for interaction and swim-with-dolphins experiences.

Working for a responsible whale watching operator, I have spent lots of time with whales and dolphins in the wild and never get tired of seeing them roam their natural environment. Apart from the large baleen whales, most of the whales and dolphins I encounter spend their time in close family or social groups, hunting, resting and socialising. In my role for WDC I have observed whales and dolphins in captivity and it broke my heart seeing them in tanks performing circus tricks for human entertainment. What a difference in appearance and behaviour between a wild orca and a performing orca!


A couple of years ago I saw the orca show at Loro Parque in Tenerife and met three of the individuals we’ve highlighted in our campaign: Morgan, Skyla and Keto - you can read their stories at the end of this post. What I remember the most from the show is the loud music and that the orcas had to jump out of the water, shake their heads and even stick their tongues out - a behaviour you would, of course, never see them do in the wild.
Skyla and Keto were born in captivity and were shipped to Loro Parque from SeaWorld in the US in 2006. Morgan, however, was found off the Dutch coast in June 2010. She was emaciated and alone and brought to Dolfinarium Harderwijk on a rehabilitation and release permit. But after a long court battle she was shipped to Loro Parque in 2011 despite a detailed multi-stage release plan that was drafted for her.

The travel industry needs to accept that keeping whales and dolphins in concrete tanks for human entertainment is wrong as well as being an outdated practice. Responsible whale watching is a great alternative – it’s exhilarating to watch intelligent marine mammals in their natural homes. Coastal sanctuaries (like the SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary that we helped to create in Iceland) are vital so we can provide a home for the individuals now in captivity and allow them to continue their lives in a more natural environment or in some case be prepared for a release back into the wild.
Let’s make these 3,600 stories the very last captive stories there are to tell.
Here are just nine of the 3,600 stories:
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