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| HSI/Naomi Rose |
| Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios. |
Jamaica's two swim-with-the-dolphins facilities—Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios and Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay—are owned and operated by the same family. This monopoly is now proposing to expand, with the company seeking to build a third dolphinarium on the northwest coast (in an area known as Paradise near the town of Lucea), on what is currently a relatively pristine, undeveloped piece of land. The builders will have to relocate mangroves and sections of coral reef in order to dredge out sea pens. The environmental assessment for this construction was written by the daughter-in-law of one of the family members—an obvious conflict of interest.
A dedicated local group, Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), has been working to establish mandatory government oversight of the two facilities already operating in Jamaica. The mortality record at these two facilities is relatively poor even though they make a very good profit for the owners, who can thus afford the best of care for the dolphins. Development of official guidelines or regulations governing the care or maintenance of captive dolphins in Jamaica has been extremely protracted, and although the first facility opened in 2001, the guidelines have only just been approved. The HSUS/HSI has offered its expertise to the government, urging officials to establish the strongest possible regulations and to prohibit any further development of dolphinariums; however, the family who owns the dolphinariums has a great deal of political influence and so far we have not been successful. We are currently working with JET on ways to improve the knowledge base of Jamaica's veterinary community, which has limited-to-no understanding of dolphin physiology, biology, and husbandry (and thus limited capacity to police captive conditions).
We are also working with JET to offer the strongest possible opposition to the expansion plans of Dolphin Cove. The site chosen by the company for this third facility deserves protection from development, as very little pristine landscape remains in Jamaica. Although Jamaica's coral reefs have been degraded and observations suggest that there are no resident marine mammal populations (dolphins are seen, but they appear to be migratory), the island still has a great deal to offer visitors, including a dramatic history: Slavery and piracy were actively practiced in Jamaica in the 17th and 18th centuries. Very little attention has been paid to this history in the mainstream marketing of Jamaica as a tourist destination; instead, Jamaica is mostly known for its all-inclusive resorts and for Dolphin Cove, a generic attraction that features animals not resident to Jamaica. However, the town of Port Royal, once the haven of Caribbean pirates and the model for the town depicted in the Pirates of the Caribbean (the Disney ride and movies), has great potential for development as an attraction for locals, visitors and cruise ship passengers. We are encouraging the tourism industry to focus on attractions that feature the island's unique history as shore excursions for cruise ship passengers, rather than attractions that are copied throughout the Caribbean.
