Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Federal inspectors have permanently closed the dolphin show for tourists at Dolphinaris Barceló and fined the company more than 7.5 million pesos. The show was shut down due to “violations of dignified treatment, performance of acrobatics that endanger the lives of the animals and activities not authorized in the management plan, as well as failure to report dangerous incidents.”
The Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepo) said due to various irregularities including violations of the dignified and respectful treatment of wildlife and failure to manage specimens undergoing medical recovery, they have imposed the definitive total closure of the Dolphinaris Barceló facility, operated by Acuario Arrecifal, SA de CV.
During this administrative procedure which began in February 2025, the wildlife specimens were inspected on-site and the documentation presented by the company visited was reviewed, Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente (Profepa) reported.
“Profepa wants to emphasize that any facility that manages marine mammals has a series of responsibilities imposed by law and must fully comply with them. We reiterate our commitment to taking decisive action to ensure the dignified treatment of captive wildlife,” stated Attorney General Mariana Boy Tamborrell.
In a statement, she said regarding the dolphin named Mincho who appears in a video broadcast in various media outlets last January, the Attorney General’s Office reports:
The video is from 2020. Mincho survived the blow he received during a show. He is currently in another dolphinarium. He is 35 years old and is the oldest dolphin there. He maintains adequate mobility although he suffers from chronic keratitis in both eyes. His left eye no longer functions, while his right eye, under treatment, retains 60% vision. Mincho does not participate in high-impact activities.
For this case, Profepa filed a criminal complaint with the Attorney General’s Office against whoever is found responsible for acts that appear to be a crime provided for and punished in article 420, section I, of the Federal Penal Code, which establishes a penalty of one to nine years in prison and fines for anyone who unlawfully captures, harms or deprives of life any specimen of turtle or marine mammal.
According to the inspection conducted by the Attorney General’s Office, during the accident, that is, while performing acrobatics, the dolphin had eye problems.
Profepo said Dolphinaris Barceló at Akumal has been permanently closed after inspectors found seven irregularities.
Breaches of dignified and respectful treatment: Inappropriate practices that put the specimens at risk were identified during interactive sessions (Article 34 of the General Wildlife Law and NOM-135-Semarnat).
The dangerous incident was not reported: On November 28, 2020, an incident occurred in which the dolphin named Mincho collided with a concrete slab during an acrobatic performance. This incident was not reported to the authorities as required by applicable regulations (Article 42 of the LGVS and NOM-135-Semarnat).
Performing unauthorized stunts: These activities are not covered by the approved management plan (art. 78 bis section g of the LGVS).
Participation of animals in activities while undergoing medical treatment: Animals undergoing treatment participated in activities without veterinary authorization. Of particular note is the case of Mincho, who returned to work two days after the injury, despite the fact that the veterinarian had granted him 15 days of sick leave (Article 77 of the LGVS and NOM-135-Semarnat).
Excessive number of people in interactions: On multiple occasions, the authorized limit of people in interactive programs was exceeded (art. 78 bis of the LGVS).
Lack of periodic medical evaluations: The monthly and semi-annual evaluations required by law to report on Mincho’s health status (Article 77 of the LGVS and NOM-135-Semarnat) were not conducted.
Unregulated water temperature: According to the logs from the period in which Mincho was in this facility, temperatures above 27°C were detected on various dates, which violates the regulations for proper management (art. 77 of the LGVS and NOM-135-Semarnat).
For these irregularities, Profepa imposed a fine of 7,526,240 pesos and the permanent closure of the facility, including the placement of closure seals in a visible location.
