iStock/Adam White

Dolphins should be free.

In October 2006, The HSUS/HSI co-sponsored a vendor table at the annual trade show of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), held on Grand Cayman Island. Our purpose was to make a start at educating the tourism industry about the concerns with dolphinariums. Anti-captivity campaigners have for the most part focused on the supply side of the dolphinarium economic equation (targeting capture operators, pressing for enforcement of treaties and laws, and pushing for stronger regulations), with mixed results. We realized some time ago that we need to focus on the demand side as well, reaching out to the tourism industry and tourists themselves.

At the trade show, we handed out hundreds of leaflets, information booklets, promotional posters, and other educational material at our table. We discussed the issues with trade show attendees, who represented cruise ship companies, hotel associations, tourism ministries, and other parts of the tourism industry. We showed continuous footage of capture operations on a DVD player with two large monitors, illustrating all the brutality of this "hidden" side of the dolphinarium business. In the same vendor hall, three Caribbean dolphinariums also had tables. While their presentations extolling the glamour of their attractions were slick, the information they provided about dolphins was negligible at best.

We feel we offered a legitimate contrast to the dolphinariums, as opposed to merely an emotional opposition. Our materials were professional and substantive, providing in-depth information on captivity issues and dolphins themselves. We also made good contacts with representatives of the cruise ship industry and we plan to follow up with FCCA representatives, who promised to meet with us to discuss our concerns. Our goal is to get at least one major cruise line to discontinue promoting SWTD attractions to its passengers. Regent Seven Seas, a small cruise line in the Caribbean, has already done this—a courageous step for it to make, given the fierce competition among cruise lines in the Caribbean market. Despite the strong economic incentive cruise lines have to partner with dolphinariums, we believe we can achieve our goal if enough potential cruise line customers express opposition to dolphin capture and captivity. We will continue to work with local groups and other international NGOs to persuade the industry that they can do their part to keep dolphins free.