Trapped, traumatised and trained to perform: Is your 'holiday of a lifetime' worth their 'lifetime of horror'?

As thousands of Britons look to banish the January blues by booking their winter sun or summer holidays, International Wildlife Charity Born Free is calling on tourists to help end global animal exploitation by not buying tickets to, or visiting, attractions where marine mammals are held captive and forced to perform for crowds of holidaymakers.

Around the world more than 3,600 whales, dolphins, and porpoises (collectively known as cetaceans) are held in captivity for human entertainment. These complex, highly intelligent creatures are kept in restrictive, barren, chemically-treated pools and over-crowded tanks, or trapped in shallow sea pens. They are made to perform repetitive tricks and display unnatural behaviours in front of crowds of tourists, often multiple times a day.

This cruel, confined existence is unimaginably different to their life in the wild. When free, marine mammals live in closely-bonded family groups, often swimming more than 100 miles a day and diving to depths of 300 metres.

Many captive cetaceans are further exploited by being forced to interact with visitors, swim with tourists or pose as ‘props’ for souvenir photos and selfies.

The incredible harm caused to captive marine mammals may not be immediately evident to holidaymakers, who may only be visiting for a few hours, but these animals suffer physically and psychologically in many ways…

· Premature death and reduced resistance to disease.

· Often drugged as a way of controlling abnormal behaviour caused by boredom and stress.

· Physical harm such as tooth trauma from biting and hitting the sides of concrete pools or injuries caused by interaction with trainers and performing tricks.

· Injuries from human fingernails and jewellery, and irritation of sensitive skin and eyes from water purposely contaminated by chemicals, as well as make-up, perfume, and sunscreen.

· High infant mortality and reduced survival rates - animals are often forced to breed or subjected to artificial insemination.

Thanks to Born Free’s campaign ‘Into the Blue’, the UK has been free of captive cetaceans since the early 1990s. Shockingly, however, more than 300 cetaceans continue to suffer in captivity in the EU alone. Holiday hotspot Spain has more than any other European nation, with over a hundred whales, dolphins or porpoises languishing in confinement. Just two months ago, former SeaWorld orca, Keto became the fourth whale to die prematurely at Loro Parque, a large zoo and marine park in Tenerife. Keto’s heart-breaking story of a life of exploitation is known to many around the world after the tragic incident in 2009 when he killed his trainer. This disastrous event highlighted the dangers of holding wild animals captive and forcing them to perform…and yet the shows go on.

To help finally bring this exploitation and suffering to an end, Born Free is calling on the public to back its ‘Tank-Free’ campaign, and take some simple steps when booking excursions or on holiday:

· Don’t buy tickets to, or visit, dolphin and orca shows or attractions.

· Don’t take part in swim-with, selfie opportunities, and other interactive encounters.

· Tell tour operators and travel companies who promote and/or sell captive cetacean activities that these practices need to stop.

· Speak Out and report experiences involving captive cetaceans via Born Free’s Raise the Red Flag platform.

While tourists can influence real change, the responsibility for ending this exploitative and unethical industry does not lie solely with the public. Born Free strongly believes the travel industry and national governments must step up and do their part to protect these incredible creatures.

Travel companies and tour operators, across Europe and around the world, need to recognise that the public is increasingly rejecting the idea that keeping cetaceans in captivity is an acceptable form of entertainment, just as they have in the UK. They must put an end to the promotion and selling of excursions that are responsible for putting financial gain above animal welfare.

Born Free also wants to see countries commit to phasing-out the keeping of captive cetaceans through the introduction of legislation banning the practice. This phase-out would ideally see an end to animal imports, breeding, and a ban on building new, captive facilities. Any existing captive animals could then be assessed for their suitability for relocation to ‘seaside’ sanctuaries, where more suitable and natural space and facilities could be provided, and where they could either receive lifetime care or be rehabilitated for release back to the wild.

This is a wholly realistic vision which can be achieved if animal welfare organisations, the public, governments, and the tourism industry work together. In 1991, Born Free campaigned to close the UK’s last dolphinariums, which resulted in the rescue of three bottlenose dolphins, Missie and Silver from Brighton Dolphinarium, and Rocky from Morecambe Marineland. All three were rehabilitated and released back into the wild in the Caribbean. The UK has remained dolphinaria-free ever since. It can stay that way, and other countries can be inspired to follow suit.

A ‘Tank-Free’ future is possible. Born Free has fought for the freedom of whales, dolphins and porpoises for the last 40 years, and will continue to do so until their exploitation in the name of entertainment stops. Wild animals are not attractions – more information on Born Free’s mission can be found here: Tank Free - Born Free

Sarah Jefferson, Born Free’s Captivity Campaigns Information Coordinator said, “We’re calling on the public not to support the suffering of captive cetaceans on their holidays. Whales and dolphins in captivity face a miserable existence in barren tanks and sea-pens, forced to interact with humans - in stark contrast to the rich and complex lives they live in the wild. Born Free’s ‘Tank-Free’ campaign urges holidaymakers to avoid booking any captive cetacean activities, and to voice their concerns to travel companies which profit from animal suffering. If people see a travel operator, hotel, or business advertising captive whale and dolphin facilities or activities, speak out - let them know how you feel. Tourists can also tell us directly if they see dolphins and whales in captivity, by sending us their reports through our Raise the Red Flag platform. This enables us to gather vital information to assist our work securing positive and compassionate change, and improving animal welfare.”

Dr Mark Jones, Born Free’s Head of Policy added, “It is shocking that hundreds of cetaceans are still held in captivity throughout Europe purely for entertainment purposes. This travesty must be brought to an end. Keeping dolphins and other marine mammals in captivity, and forcing them to perform unnatural tricks and interactions with tourists, seriously compromises their welfare, while serving no useful conservation or education purpose. By continuing to promote visits to captive dolphin venues to their customers, certain travel companies are complicit in the suffering of these highly-intelligent and social animals for the sake of entertainment and profit. We call on them to do the right thing and to join the increasing number of travel companies that are removing these venues and experiences from their travel offering.”