The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) has suspended aquatic shows at one of the Riviera Maya’s biggest resorts following a month-long investigation into the treatment of dolphins at the facility.
The decision to halt shows at the Barceló Maya Grand Resort in Quintana Roo came after a video surfaced showing a leaping dolphin landing hard on concrete during a performance in January, and amid reports of the deaths of two other dolphins, Alex and Plata, last year.
The suspension, which also applies to hands-on encounters in the dolphin pool, was based on the lack of authorization from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) for the resort to host dolphin shows.
In a press release issued Monday, Profepa stated that the hotel’s dolphinarium — part of the decades-old “captive dolphin industry in Mexico,” according to a 2022 Mexico News Daily article — does not have the necessary permits, and the activities are not included in its management plan, which has led to the endangerment of the dolphins.
“It’s important to add that … Profepa will begin conducting inspections at all dolphinariums in the country to ensure the dignified treatment of the animals they house,” the agency wrote in the press release.
Located halfway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, the sprawling, all-inclusive Barceló Maya Grand Resort includes more than 2,500 guest rooms spread out among five interconnected hotels and a separate adults-only property.
The dolphin injured in the recent acrobatic stunt, Mincho, has been transferred to a facility where its condition is being monitored, federal environmental protection attorney Mariana Boy Tamborrell said in a video posted to Profepa’s social media accounts.
However, Jerónimo Sánchez, director of the Animal Heroes organization, expressed skepticism about Mincho’s survival chances after such an impact.
In an interview with the newspaper El País, Sánchez added, “We find it incredible that a multinational hotel chain like Barceló would agree to host shows without [proper permits]. It’s terrible. [The facility] is one of the smallest in Mexico, there’s no shade, the pool is smaller than the human ones — and Alex and Plata have already died.”
Animal rights groups have long campaigned against the exploitation of dolphins in entertainment.
“Never Swim With Dolphins at Barceló Maya Grand Resort Near Playa Del Carmen — Here’s Why,” was the headline of a recent blog post by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
“How foolish to take photos with these animals or swim with them,” Sara Rincón Gallardo, president of the Luum Balicheo animal protection society, said in the newspaper Por Esto. “As long as there are consumers, it will be difficult to eradicate this practice.”
Profepa noted that although the hotel can continue to operate normally, the dolphinarium will remain closed until further notice.
The incident has sparked outrage and calls for the closure of dolphinariums across Mexico, where there are approximately 30 facilities, according to El País. Most are located in Quintana Roo, but there are others in Guerrero, Veracruz, Baja California Sur, Nayarit and Mexico City.
According to data from Forbes México, there were approximately 3,000 dolphins in captivity around the globe at the start of this decade, with 60% of those in just five countries: China (23%), Japan (16%), the United States (13%), Mexico (8%) and Russia (5%). That translates to about 250 captive dolphins in Mexico at that time.
In late 2022, Mexico’s lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, modified the country’s General Wildlife Law to include a prohibition against the use of marine mammals such as dolphins, seals and otters for entertainment purposes unless it is for scientific research or educational reasons.
The enacted law requires owners of marine mammals to comply by presenting an inventory and updating their management plans. However, enforcement has reportedly been uneven.
Eugenia Morales, wildlife campaigns manager at World Animal Protection, emphasized the need for thorough inspections and a plan to gradually close all such facilities.
“We support the investigation into this case and call for transparent inspections in all dolphinariums in the country,” she said. “It’s time for this to be the last generation of dolphins used for entertainment in Mexico.”
With reports from Milenio, El País, Riviera Maya News and Por Esto
