Why We Boycott Dolphin Quest
THE CO-FOUNDER
Prior to co-founding Dolphin Quest, Dr. Jay Sweeney co-directed Dolphin Services International, "the second largest dolphin catching operation in the United States,” according to Sun-Sentinel.
THE MISINFORMATION
CLAIM: Dolphin Quest advertises itself as a wildlife sanctuary.
REALITY: None of Dolphin Quest's dolphins were rescued.
Their dolphins are captive bred offspring of the original 8 dolphins that Dolphin Quest co-founder, Jay Sweeney, captured off the Florida coast.
It cost only $200 to acquire the permit for all 8 dolphins.
Lono (Kahala Resort), Iwa (Hilton Waikoloa), Pele (Hilton Waikoloa), Kona (Hilton Waikoloa), and Cirrus (Bermuda) are all wild captures and still alive at their facilities (as of 2019).
CLAIM: Their co-founder Jay Sweeney "has never been to, seen, or directly participated" in the infamous drive fishery in Taiji, Japan.
REALITY: Despite photos, footage, eyewitness accounts, and documents Dolphin Quest still continues to deny that their co-founder ever took part in ANY drive fishery. They even go as far as to say "he has vocally opposed this horrific practice for decades."
Watch the video of him in Taiji.
Read the letter he sent to National Marine Fisheries Service about Taiji’s hunting methods.
CLAIM: Their dolphins participate in the swim-with-dolphin programs voluntarily.
REALITY: This is a curious claim considering an article from the LA Times on the facility that was published shortly after they opened in Hawaii.
"Trainers insist the dolphins are not forced to interact with humans. If the captive dolphins didn’t like being petted and played with by strangers all day long, 'they wouldn’t do it.' Dolphin Quest training manager Jo Hay said.
"Still, if dolphins do not voluntarily swim from their holding tank to the open lagoon where humans are waiting for them, a net is used to force them out. 'They are like children. They’ll test you- like saying, 'Do I really have to do this?' We say, 'Yes, you do.'' [Rae] Stone said."
CLAIM: Their captive dolphins' average lifespan is 45 years.
REALITY: They haven’t even been in business for 45 years. When this was pointed out to them by a board member of the Department Of Agriculture, they backpedaled and claimed the number was an estimate based off their original six dolphins, failing to mention that Dolphin Quest began with eight dolphins, not six. The other two had been found dead at the bottom of their enclosure shortly after the facility opened.
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