Dolphins are commercially exploited in marine parks worldwide and swim with the dolphin attractions. We at Orca Conservancy are strongly opposed to cetaceans in captivity and swim-with-the-dolphin (SWTD) attractions, yet we do believe that while they are in captivity, they should receive the most humane care possible.
We are asking that the suspension on the regulations for the swim-with-the-dolphin programs (SWTD) be lifted immediately and enacted into the Animal Welfare Act. These regulations should include all shallow water interactive programs in which a member of the public enters the primary enclosure of a SWTD cetacean to interact with the animal and in which the participants remain primarily stationary and non-buoyant including wade programs and encounter programs.