Cancun, Q.R. — Environmental authorities have confirmed the care of nine dolphins by Dolphin Discovery. They made the public confirmation Friday after touring the facilities in response to social media videos posted by concerned citizens who claimed they had been abandoned.
The nine mammals were found earlier this week inside a hotel aquarium once used for tourist shows. In January of this year, the hotel show was fined by federal authorities for numerous animal and permit violations, which led to it being shut down.
Oscar Rébora, the State Secretary of Ecology and Environment, confirmed their finding Friday. In a posted video, he explained that they became aware of the situation through concerned citizen videos posted on social media.
Images of the alleged abandonment of nine dolphins still inside the tanks of the aquarium were shown on social media. Oscar Rébora said that although the social media complaints pointed a finger at Ventura Park, the responsible company for the dolphinarium is Dolphin Discovery.
On Friday, the Secretaría de Ecología y Medio Ambiente said he, along with other state and federal environmental officials, went to the site where they confirmed nine dolphins in the tank.
The location of the Dolphin discovery tank is next to Ventura Park in the Cancun Hotel Zone, he said, but it is not Ventura Park.
“Ventura Park was pointed out but it’s not them, it’s Dolphin Discovery,” he confirmed.
“Based on the videos shared on social media, we acted immediately, going to the site with Profepa (Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection). That dolphinarium was closed with precautionary measures in place, but the company is responsible for the care of the nine dolphins found,” he said.
During their tour, they also found Mincho, the same dolphin that was injured during a show the year before. After the injury, the dolphin was put back to work before the recommended recovery time by a veterinarian.
With that, the government established the Mincho Law to verify that tourist show animals have veterinary care, food and responsible personnel.
“This does not mean they will remain there,” Rébora said. “Five months after the Mincho Law was enacted, and at the governor’s instruction, a responsible transition and their relocation in accordance with the law will be guaranteed with permanent monitoring throughout the entire process.”
After the videos were released on social media, Dolphin Discovery issued a statement assuring that the dolphins that live in the Dolphin Cancun aquarium continue to be under the permanent care of a team of veterinarians and marine mammal specialists.
They added that Dolphin Cancun in the hotel zone temporarily suspended its operations, however, the dolphins continue to receive daily care, as is the case in all the group’s habitats.
Riviera Maya News serving Quintana Roo Mexico since 2014
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