Coral World Ocean Park on Wednesday welcomed four Atlantic bottlenose dolphins to their new home at Coral World’s new St. Thomas Sea Sanctuary at Water Bay in St. Thomas, the aquatic park announced in a news release issued Wednesday.
The dolphins will participate in the park’s programming, which it said is designed to inspire guests to care for and protect the marine ecosystem.
“After seven years of careful planning we are thrilled to welcome four dolphins to the Coral
World family,” said Lee Kellar, Coral World Ocean Park general curator. “The dolphins will live in our newly developed St. Thomas Sea Sanctuary, a first-of-its-kind, 69,000 square-foot ocean habitat that introduces the dolphins to a natural environment with the added advantage of being cared for by licensed veterinarians and dolphin experts who are dedicated to their health and wellbeing.”
The four dolphins, who were born in human care, arrived from Dolphinaris Arizona. Marine mammal specialists who know the dolphins personally as well as veterinary specialists accompanied the dolphins on their journey to Coral World to ensure their every need was met, the park’s news release said. The team will remain with the dolphins until they are settled in their new home.
Coral World will study the dolphins’ behavior and new experience in the St. Thomas Sea Sanctuary and share research findings with the global scientific and veterinary community. The dolphins will spend time in the sanctuary’s specialty areas while they adjust to their new home.
The St. Thomas Sea Sanctuary – the first of its kind to be opened that meets the federal government’s Marine Mammal Protection Act and Animal Welfare Act requirements – features a large swim space safely enclosed by a mesh barrier. The sanctuary also includes several areas designated to facilitate animal healthcare and an area where dolphins can spend time away from other dolphins or guests if they choose. The habitat includes proactive safety measures, special liners and filtration systems that can be activated during natural or man-made emergencies.
Last week, the sea sanctuary successfully passed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s inspection, demonstrating the sanctuary meets or exceeds the agency’s standards for dolphin and habitat care.
The St. Thomas Sea Sanctuary is adjacent to the Park’s Dolphin Education Center, where daily presentations will educate guests about the intelligence and agility of dolphins and the importance of respecting the integrity of the marine ecosystem in which they live. Visitors will also learn how their own behavior can have a positive impact on the marine ecosystem. The Dolphin Education Center will also be the starting point for guests participating in Coral World’s Dolphin Experiences.
“The Dolphin Experiences are designed to provide visitors a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with our dolphins in a sea sanctuary setting, and educate them about the dolphins’ role in the marine ecosystem and how we can all help protect the species with small, yet effective conservation efforts,” said Trudie Prior, Coral World Ocean Park president and general manager. “Dolphins are animals that are familiar to people, and that is a gateway to helping us inspire guests to be a part of the next generation of animal advocates and conservationists.”
Coral World dolphin trainers will spend the next several months building strong relationships with the dolphins and helping them adjust to their new home before the marine mammals are introduced to the public. Once trust is built through positive reinforcement with the trainers, Coral World will design its Dolphin Experiences around each one’s unique personality, and likes and dislikes.
The dolphins will always have a choice whether or not they want to participate.
Coral World is accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, which Wednesday’s news release explained is “the preeminent accrediting body for zoos, aquariums and marine parks throughout the world dedicated to the highest quality of care for marine mammals and to contributing to their conservation in the wild through education and scientific research.”
Wow. What a one sided propaganda piece.
Are these the remaining 4 Dolphins who managed to survive their time incarcerated at Dolphin Arizona while the others died?
Cause of death of Dolphinaris dolphins
Bodie: Died September 23, 2017. CoD offered was contradictory – to the public, Dolphinaris said “rare muscle disease.” To the USDA, the company said “fungal infection.”
Alia: Died May 22, 2018. CoD was septicemia, an acute bacterial infection.
Khloe: Died December 30, 2018. CoD was sarcocystis (this is a parasite – Dolphinaris claimed she had this as a chronic condition for six years, which raises the question of why she was transferred to Dolphinaris – transport is stressful – and why she was used in a swim-with attraction)
Kai: Died January 31, 2019. They were still testing the samples from his necropsy.
Bodie was 7, Alia was 10, and Khloe was 11. Kai was 22.
Coral World is not a sanctuary nor should it be referred to as one. It is a sea pen in a bay that is often tested positive for high levels enteriococi bacteria and other polututants. That is where the captive dolphins will be incarcerated, trained to do tricks for food to entertain the ignorant for the sake of greed on behalf of Trudie’s Folly.
“The Humane Society International and the World Society for the Protection of Animals have stated that they believe that “the entire captive experience for marine mammals is so sterile and contrary to even the most basic elements of compassion and humanity that it should be rejected outright.”
Don’t buy a ticket!
You get to go home when the show is over.
They don’t!
These dolphins have never seen the open ocean before, and were rescued from the terrible park where they were born and/or raised. Rather than spew hate, I invite you to visit the facility and see for yourself.
The multiples of repetition of “sea sanctuary” by the St. Thomas Source doesn’t make it so, and is simply an untruth concocted to sway public opinion.
Sanctuaries are typically habitat or living areas, that exclude human and commercial activities and or are associated with rehabilitation and release in the case of marine mammals, or retirement from commercial exploitation, such as circus animals.
Coral Worlds business model is a for profit business, exploiting these dolphins to generate money for the business. It is no more a sanctuary than any other business selling a commodity, of which these dolphins are. A figure of $5,000,000.00 increased annual dollars was used in documents ranging from written proposals, to legislative testimony. Similar to the manner in which the sea lions were acquired through threats of closure due to insufficient revenue.
The reality is that the US Virgin Islands Government has permitted a marine mammal version of a puppy mill, as it has been clearly outlined by Coral World that any ‘surplus’ dolphins would be sold. Trained dolphins sold to marine parks go for hundreds, and millions of dollars.
Water Bay is also a polluted watershed, with testing results coming in at a 40% unsafe to swim conditions. In their proposal which was accepted by DPNR, Coral World does their own testing and submits this information to the government. The government should have required independent testing by an EPA certified lab, not connected in any way to the facility.
Dolphins and people, tourists or residents, will be exposed to these conditions in the business model whose revenue is based on a for profit swim with dolphin attraction, and breeding to sell program.
So whereas other countries are banning the breeding of marine mammals, dolphins and orcas, the US Virgin Islands Government has permitted and endorsed the breeding of dolphins, effectively licensing a captive dolphin breeding facility, in a known polluted watershed.
It would have been good to establish the US Virgin Islands as a marine mammal sanctuary, banning captive dolphin attractions and or breeding. But calling this a sanctuary is not true, and no amount of repetition by what’s supposed to be an unbiased source media outlet, will make it so.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-39834098
Coral World is now calling itself a Sea Sanctuary! That’s their new spin? These dolphins have been brought here to improve Coral World’s revenues by selling more tickets, having tourists swim with the dolphins, have their photo taken etc. This is not a philanthropic effort to improve the lives of these animals. They will be housed in a relatively small pen in Water Bay. Last year Water Bay was cited by DPNR in their weekly water tests as unsafe for swimming or fishing OVER 40% OF THE TIME. Coral World plans to place dolphins and humans in this water. And all to turn a profit.
This is a backward step for our community, when many of these captive marine mammal attractions are closing around the world. We know that these new animals are not to be the last generation because Coral World has not hidden their agenda to breed and sell the offspring.
Here is a quote from another facility that is open but without dolphins: (see link below for original article)
Toby Forer, general manager of the Sea Life London Aquarium, said cetaceans – whales, dolphins and porpoises – should not be kept in captivity.
“They have complex social structures and sensory capacities and a wide geographic habitat,” he says.
“It is therefore extremely difficult to meet their needs in manmade environments.
“We are conscious of our obligation to display only those species which adapt well to good quality captive displays. Educational displays which allow people to see the living creatures first hand can be invaluable in raising awareness of, and support for, conservation endeavours.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-35832175
Quoted from a friend:
The MacMillan dictonary defines a sanctuary as: a special area where animals live in a natural environment protected from people.
Collins English Dictionary: : A sanctuary is a place where birds or animals are protected and allowed to live freely.
I don’t think any of this includes having to interact with ticket paying tourists. A few years ago Coral World was promoting itself as an eco destination – with interactive sea lions not native to the Caribbean.
If Coral World is a sanctuary then I’m David Attenborough.
Just out of curiosity, how many animals whether marine, avian or land creatures death has CW been responsible for over the decades?
They don’t have to account for them unless they lose a major attraction like a Sea Lion!
What about all those others?
They have no responsibility to account for them.
Nor the conditions any of the creatures held in endless cycles of captivity, breeding and death.
The VI Source — Shame on you for producing propaganda for these shameless capitalists!! It is national news that these animals from a new dolphinarium in Arizona, are dying before us, yet nary a mention in this promotional piece?
Here is some basic ecology for you. Higher order predators like dolphins are vastly more important to oceanic food web balance than their numbers would imply. Yet modern humanity is rapidly emptying the oceans of these extraordinary creatures. As by-catch from industrial scale fishing greatly reduced numbers over many decades, dolphins have been captured in increasing abundance for public entertainment and corporate profit that has ratcheted up the cruelty. Dolphins may cover scores to hundreds of miles to reach food sources while intercommunicating within pods of many individuals. These social interactions are all but totally deprived of them in captivity. How depraved have humans become!
Virtually our entire political establishment in the VI supports this brutal industry. Granting permits for siting these tiny pens to harbor intelligent creatures in one of the most polluted bays in the VI is a criminal act. i see no signs that DPNR is taking seriously the outrageous deficiencies in waste water treatment and storm water engineering that would control the pollution of waters these dolphins are expected to live. Tropes about state of the art filtration and superb hygiene at Coral World goes unexplained by proprietors and its veracity summarily ignored by VI Government regulators.
We need to wise up and rise up against this travesty. Boycott Coral World and spread the truth that the industry itself is in a long death spiral. The VI is now complicit. We can reject this cruelty if we spread the word to potential consumers, here and everywhere.
Well Said, thank you.
What the big deal. There dolphins in other ocean parks across the United States. When Coral World wanted to bring them years ago somebody was complaining now it’s problems after two hurricanes and we need to boost the economy.
BOYCOTT CAPTIVE DOLPHINS
The dolphins have been delivered in a cargo plane from a closed dolphin park in Arizona.
That park was only open for 3 years. The park closed because of dolphin deaths and protests.
If they could not make it there they won’t make it here in Water Bay that flunks DPNR water
quality testing 40 % of the year.
We all know how dirty Water Bay is on a good day. Most of us know how keeping dolphins in pens,
pools and containers is trending OUT in most of the civilized world. We will feel the world’s negative opinions and read the blogs about how backward a dolphin pen is. We will hear the calls
of foul play in making money from breeding dolphins in the USVI for the travesty it is. We will
feel the power of calls of boycotts to our island because of this shameful attraction.
The least we can do is ask you to join us in BOYCOTTING captive dolphins in St Thomas and
everywhere around the world until this cruel form of entertainment and entrapment ends.
Please ask your island vistors, family and friends to boycott the dolphin show. Don’t give up your humanitarian support of all creatures great and small .
Jane Higgins
The park is a not-for-profit, they don’t expect to break even. Good news though – they did think ahead about water quality, and have the ability to move walls to isolate the dolphins in a section where they can treat/maintain good water quality at all times.
ENSLAVEMENT! On an island born out of the pain and suffering of ENSLAVEMENT.
CANCEL ALL PERMITS DUE TO POLLUTED AND CONTAMINATED WATER.
Think about our own history. Must we also have living examples to make money off of?
SAY NO TO CORAL WORLD!
This is a dolphin SHOW at truth and it is being falsely portrayed as a “sanctuary”. If this were a true sanctuary, it would NOT be in THIS polluted bay and CW would NOT be exploiting them in shows and “swim-with” attractions, and they CERTAINLY would not be breeding them further into captivity, where they can then sell or lease them off for a lot of money!!!
They belong in true sanctuaries where they can live out their final days in peace!!!!
It is very ironic that this business is supposed to care for animals and yet they are willing to stoop so low and at the very expense of these magnificent, intelligent and beautiful marine mammals.
FACTS-
Water Bay is one of, if not the most frequently and highly polluted bays in St. Thomas, which is supported by the data from the weekly beach monitoring advisories issued by our government authorities, and which often shows many weeks where Water Bay is the only beach failing, when all other bays/beaches are deemed safe. In 2018 alone, Water Bay was deemed unsafe for swimming by the Environmental Protection (EP) of Department of Planning & Natural Resources (DPNR) 40% of the year. After a heavy rain, which we get frequently in the summer and fall months, the surrounding hills funnel down and empty runoff directly into Water Bay. This runoff, as stated by DPNR includes and is not limited to “sediment, pesticides, animal feces and oil & grease, all of which are harmful to the waters of the Territory”. And even on what appears to be a beautiful and clear day, this bay has proved to contain unsafe levels of bacteria making it unsafe for swimming. This bay is and always has been a notoriously polluted bay, which has always suffered from severe runoff and poor circulation.
According to the standards listed within the AWA regulations, section §3.106 ‘Water Quality’ states that “the primary enclosure shall not contain water which would be detrimental to the health of the marine mammal contained therein”. Not only does Water Bay repeatedly fail to meet water quality tests, it is also on the list for impaired bodies of water 2018. The dolphin pen must meet the marine mammal standards in the AWA regulations, which arguably this pen cannot meet. BUT THEY STILL GOT THE LICENSE???!? HOW!!Considering the data and the images of this bay after heavy rains, it is evident that this enclosure “contains water which would be detrimental to the health of the marine mammal contained therein” as well as to any tourists/trainers getting into that body of water.
Furthermore, Water Bay is in Assessment Unit VI-STT-18 which contains DPNR ambient monitoring station STT-19 and VI Beach Program Monitoring Station VI591668. But more specifically, Water Bay is designated as a “Class B” water, which are “for primary contact recreation (swimming, water skiing, etc.)”. As to the relevant water quality standards for Water Bay, the report says “[a]ll waters of the Virgin Islands are designated for fish consumption, aquatic life support, primary contact recreation, and secondary contact uses pursuant to the Virgin Islands Water Quality Standard, Title 12, Chapter 7, §186-1 of the Virgin Islands Rules and Regulations (VIRR).” Therefore, the basic requirement for Class B waters states that the body of water must be suitable for “primary contact recreation” like swimming. So, it is fairly obvious that if a body of water is deemed by government entities to be unsuitable for swimming (Water Bay) 40% of the year due to bacteria (as the summary of the beach monitoring data proves) it isn’t meeting its water quality standard for “primary contact recreation.” Our conclusion is that because Water Bay is a Class B water it has to be swimmable and if it is not swimmable it is violating the standard. If you can’t swim, it flunks the water quality standard for Class B waters. How can our governing officials approve this as acceptable??!!
How then, we ask, could any agency (for the protection and well-being of animals) justify allowing for marine mammals to be permanently housed against their will in a bay that is so heavily polluted and consistently deemed unsafe for swimming almost half the year? If it is not safe for humans, it is not safe for dolphins. And if the bay is already struggling now, most certainly the consequences of dolphin feces and uneaten fish parts with only further the problem.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has documented a history of water quality discharge permit violations by Coral World, including the payment of fines for violations (https://echo.epa.gov/detailed-facility-report?fid=110028188280). It seems odd that Coral World Ocean Park is in frequent violation of polluting the waters, yet they would be allowed to place people and dolphins into these waters to swim? Coral World has stated (Facebook post November 10, 2018) that they “are well aware of water quality issues in Water Bay” and they support an assessment that will allow the implementation of government mitigation projects to address water quality for residents, businesses, visitors and the marine ecosystem in the Smith Bay area”. However, this does not resolve the current issue at hand, that the bay is currently unsuitable for human contact, and therefore should be deemed unsafe for dolphins as well. Their statement only proves that they have known this to be a major health concern for 6 years and still they haven’t put something into action in order to remedy the issue of poor water quality, prior to moving forward with this project. It seems that they should be required to have these protections in place prior to putting animals and humans into this already troubled bay. It is clear that their record of delinquencies and violations prove their lack of respect for the waters they are impacting with their business.
The only planning they did was offer to confine the animals to even smaller spaces – They have declared they intend to put the dolphins into confinement (inside of a specialized enclosure which permits temporary isolation of the dolphins and filtration of the water) during the times when the water is polluted. Does this mean that they will be placing the dolphins into confinement when the water has dangerous levels of bacteria and DPNR declares this bay as unsafe for swimming? If so, we implore you to consider what that actually means. That means these dolphins would have been confined in these inhumanely small spaces for *almost half the year* 40% to be exact!!
Truly a step backwards for our islands. Why would these sentient beings be brought here and penned up for people to swim with? They are from a tainted dolphin show facility in Arizona which was closed due to so many dolphin deaths! Did we quarantine them before they went into the pens? Department of Agriculture, Senator Nelson, answers please.
Knowing the great work that The Source has done throughout the years and after reading the letters regarding the dolphins at Coral World piece, I hope that they do a follow-up story to answer the questions raised by its readers, including my own questions below.
Out of a total of 8 dolphins, 4 died between 2016 and 2019 at the Arizona facility where they lived. The last 2 died in 12/2018 and 1/2019 and the results of the investigation into their deaths remains “inconclusive.” (see link at the end of the letter). The 4 survivors out of that facility are Coral World (CW), St. Thomas, VI residents now.
My (first) question is: Could the 4 dolphins from Arizona now in the VI be carrying pathogens that can spread into the surrounding waters?
They will be penned outside with free-flowing water from the bay going in and out of their pool. There are wild dolphins in the area, so it should be something of concern.
According to the International Whaling Commission there is much to be learned about
contagious diseases in whales and dolphins. They write: “While great strides have been made in the last 50 years to improve our understanding of these diseases in whales and dolphins, this is still a new field of study with many unanswered questions.”
I quote from their longer article here: https://iwc.int/infectious-disease
“In cetaceans (whales and dolphins), infectious agents have been identified in both wild and captive populations. While some infectious diseases may cause mild or insignificant illness in animals, others have lead to the death of individuals and in some cases, large die-offs of groups of animals in the wild.”
“Some infectious diseases are contagious, meaning that they can be transmitted from one animal to another through contaminated breath, bodily fluids, bite wounds, or from mother to fetus/newborn. Infectious organisms can also be contracted through the ingestion of contaminated food, infection with affected parasites, or from the environment. The signs of illness vary depending on the part of the body that the disease affects. Some infectious diseases that impact cetaceans have been shown to infect humans as well.
“Basic information about the way that diseases are transmitted and the degree of illness they cause is lacking in many cases. Increasing pressures on cetacean populations, including rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification, may change disease dynamics as well, further complicating research efforts.”
My final questions:
– Reading how little is known about dolphins contagious diseases, and what happened in Arizona, how can CW know for a fact that the 4 dolphins are not carrying an infectious disease?
– If the answer is “inconclusive” I ask: Is it worth the risk?
– And finally: Does CW staff have the knowledge and expertise to prevent or contain an epidemic that could affect wild dolphins in the region?
Inconclusive report on the death of dolphins at Dolphinaria Arizona, here:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2019/02/18/investigation-into-deaths-dolphinaris-arizona-inconclusive/2911150002/)
Captive World brought in 2 males and 2 female dolphins.
They have a breeding pen at this dolphin incarceration facility.
What does that suggest to you?
That they will breed and sell the offspring sure as God made little green apples, perhaps?
Thereby perpetuating even more dolphins lost to a dismal and sterile lifetime in captivity.
This is NOT a Sanctuary.
Please stop calling it one!
In Coral World’s own words:
“The facility will house up to 10 Dolphins on a permanent basis and up to18 on a temporary basis once operations (including CAPTIVE BREEDING program) are fully underway. Animals produced through the CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM will be sent to other facilities once they are mature enough. ”
A puppy mill for Dolphins.
Perhaps the author of this article, is simply parroting Coral Worlds new inaccurate description of its commercial Swim With the Dolphins business as a seaside sanctuary, and is not a deliberate intention to deceive. However, any further references to seaside sanctuary by the news media should stop, and perhaps a correction or modification should be issued.
Please see within the article attached the definitions of seaside sanctuaries as regards marine mammals. Sanctuaries for animals retired from exploitation in the animal entertainment industry do not use use them to make profit, nor do they interact with humans more than they have to, other than for their care.
https://awionline.org/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/ML-Rose-Seaside-Sanctuaries-DFE.pdf
In this article ,Coral World’s spokesman,Lee Keller ,states that their recently purchased dolphins will live in “69,000 square foot ocean habitat that introduces the dolphins to a natural habitat.”
A dolphin’s “natural habitat” is actually the vast ocean where they roam with their families up to 40 miles a day reaching speeds of thirty kilometers an hour . Confining these free ranging marine mammals to such a small space 24 hours a day ,seven days a week ,for the rest of their lives is analogous to keeping a human being in a bathtub ,in solitary confinement ,for the rest of his life .
Mr .Keller ,or whomever wrote this propaganda piece , goes on to explain that “Coral World will study the dolphins behavior and new experience in the St.Thomas Sea Sanctuary and share findings with the global scientific and veterinary community.”
Dolphins have been on this planet for 60 million years .They have been greatly researched by the scientific and veterinary community with the conclusion being that keeping dolphins in captivity is unethical and cruel . Research shows that it is a barbaric practice according to Dr.Naomi Rose, Dr.Jane Goodall , Dr.Sylvia Earl , Dr.Lori Moreno , The International Marine Mammal Project , ,The World Animal Foundation ,Earth Island Institute, Whale & Dolphin Consevation Society , Helsinki Group , Sea Shepard Conservation Society , Animal Welfare Institute, World Society for the Protection Of Animals, Humane Society Of the United States , Humane Society International , American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , FIAPO, Jean-Michel Cousteau and many more .
Coral World’s president , manager , and very determined matron Trudie Prior , refers to her profit motivated tourist attraction as educational and “a gateway to helping us inspire guests and to be part of the next generation of animal advocates and conservationists.”
Legendary marine explorer ,Jacques Cousteau ,wrote :
“There is about as much educational benefit to be gained by studying dolphins in capativity as there would be studying mankind by only observing prisoners held in solitary confinement.”
As to “ inspiring guests “ Ric O’Barry of dolphinproject.org says” Any intelligent person who sees a trained dolphin show would have to conclude ,if they were honest , that what they have just witnessed was a spectacle of dominance. That’s what’s wrong with it . It teaches that dominance is good . Dominance is right , dominance works.”
The only education provided by Coral World is bad education . What is being learned is that it is acceptable to abuse nature and to imprison wildlife .By taking the ocean’s most intelligent beings and putting them on display to perform tricks and swim with tourists you are only teaching cruelty .
Calling your money motivated tourist attraction a “Sanctuary “ is like calling Leavenworth prison a day spa .
It is institutionalized animal cruelty and breeding dolphins to sell to other dolphin prisons perpetrates this abuse for generations to come .
Rev. Anne Marie Porter
Well said!