News Archives

August, 2005

Costa Rica takes steps to protect dolphins

On July 28th the government of Costa Rica approved a law that prohibits keeping dolphins and whales in captivity. The law also bans swimming with these marine mammals in either captive or wild settings. This bold step to protect dolphins effectively stops the swim-with-the-dolphins industry, which is expanding across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Currently there are 45 whale and dolphin-watching companies operating out of Costa Rica, but none of them advertise swimming with these marine mammals, so the new legislation should not affect their business. Promar, a Costa Rican environmental group, proposed the new regulations to the government in the hopes of keeping captivity and interactive marine mammal programs out of their country.

Marine parks have learned that swim-with-dolphin programs are money-makers, and they market them to animal-loving tourists who have little idea how the dolphins are affected. Dolphins are not domesticated animals, and living in captivity is stressful and greatly decreases their life expectancy.

WSPA applauds Costa Rica's new law, which benefits both people and marine mammals.