| This report is based on a September 1997 paper by Lic. Hugo P. Castello, Jefè Laboratorio, Mamiferos Marinos, Museo Argentino de Ciencas Naturales, Av. Angel Gallardo 470, 1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina. Dr. Castello is an accomplished, experienced, well-respected scientist with a deep concern for conservation issues. CSI is fortunate that he is also our Representative in Argentina. The information presented here is intended to be the most comprehensive available on facilities displaying marine mammals for commercial profit, but there is a constant need for updated and verified facts. Each country has different laws and regulations regarding reporting, transporting, maintenance, and display of marine mammals, and because of political and economic pressures environmental concerns and actions may be suppressed. There are also many temporary or traveling international displays of marine mammals in South America that are difficult to track. Other than CITES records there are few general sources available to locate and describe marine mammal displays. Therefore, this is only a working document; additional information from other sources will be added when available and verified, and comments from readers are welcome. |
The biggest permanent facility displaying marine mammals in South America is Mundo Marino, S.A., Av. Décima Nº 157 San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, ph / fx: +54-252-30261. Manager: Jose David Mendez. Scientific Advisors: Lic. Ricardo Bastida and Dr. Lorenzo Von Fersen. Veterinarian of record is Dr. Julio Lloureiro. Mundo Marino was started in 1978 by David Mendez (since retired). There are two orcas, Orcinus orca, two bottlenose dolphins Tursiops gephyreus, four elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, two South American sea lions, Otaria flavescens, and Magallanes pengüins. The first orca was exhibited in 1986. Bahia Aventura is an associated theme park near the oceanarium. The two orcas, Belen, female, and Kshamenk, male, both approximately nine years old in 1997, were captured by forced stranding in the Samborombon Bay coast (see legislation below). Belen was caught in 1988, and Kshamenk in 1991. They are displayed in the main pool, 6 m deep, that holds 3 million liters of water taken from an aquifer that contains more salt than San Clemente coastal water. Another orca, Milagro (male), died in 1990 after four years of captivity, reportedly from a lung infection. Seven bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops gephyreus, include two born in captivity (Estrellita, female, and her son Kime). Mundo Marino is the only oceanarium in the world that holds a surviving La Plata River dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, a female named Lolita. In 1997 their request for a permit from the Argentine Natural Resources Secretary (ARNS) to capture another for breeding was rejected. The dolphins are held in 3 different pools: 3 in one show tank, another three (including mother and calf above) are held in a sort of underwater tunnel. A big male, Bocon, is held in one of the small holding tanks at the orcas' stadium, participates in the orcas' show, but is generally isolated from Belen and Kshamenk.
Mundo Marino is sponsored by VISA, BANCO PROVINCIA, KODAK, ADES (Soya milk and natural juices), YPF (Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, a fuel company), OMEGA Insurance, HELLMANS, MOVICOM and QUACKER (sic). Open everyday, with a general admission price equivalent to US$18, Mundo Marino has been declared of National Educative Interest by the Ministry of Culture and Education, of Municipal Interest (Ordenanza Nº 559 14/9/84), of Provincial Interest (Resolución Nº 4, 24/2/1988), and of National Interest (Resolución Nº 164, 18/9/89) by Presidencia de la Nación, Secretaría de Turismo.
Mar del Plata Aquarium, owned by Sr. Tutundjian, has six bottlenose dolphins, and a dusky dolphin, Lagenorynchus obscurus. The Mar del Plata Aquarium kept one young La Plata river dolphin alive for more than six months in 1996, but it died shortly after a special pool was inaugurated. This facility has also started a "swim-with the dolphin" attraction. In 1996 the Aquarium's request to capture an orca for their 8 meter deep pool was rejected, in part due to changing public perceptions concerning previous orca captures. A holding pool out of public view usually holds four dolphins.
A proposed Killer whale Protection Law, prepared by Miss Elsa Melogno, National Deputy from Chubut province, forbids Killer whale captures by forced stranding or netting and also proposes the rehabilitation and liberation of the two killer whales in captivity at Mundo Marino Oceanarium (San Clemente del Tuyu, Buenos Aires Prov.). This Law is strongly supported by the Marine Mammal Laboratory-MACN (Buenos Aires), Project Orca (Juan.C.Lopez, Pto.Madryn), and Grupo Rescate (Puerto Madryn). It is now under study by the Natural Resources Commission of the Deputies National Chamber. Because of strong opposition from the owners of Mundo Marino with the support of numerous Peronist party deputies from Buenos Aires Province, the liberation article was suppressed. Even though there seems to be wide support for this project among the deputies of the ruling party it is still a long way until the law project passes into the Senators chamber. PROJECT ORCA has obtained thousands of signatures requesting the Pto.Madryn Council and the Federal deputies of Chubut province to protect the Punta Norte (Valdes Pla.) killer whale, a well known population. Together with Grupo Rescate (Pto.Madryn) they have increased local awareness about marine mammals conservation needs. Their effort moved authorities of the Puerto Madryn Council to recently declare the city "Free of Oceanaria".
Convimar, a producer of portable marine mammal displays, (see Mexico, below) recently requested permission through Argentine customs to operate a show beginning in two poor provinces in northwest Argentina. In compliance with the "Oceanaria Regulation" they filled a request with the Argentine Natural Resources Secretary (ARNS) to legally import two bottlenose dolphins and four South American sea lions, but provided very limited information relating to veterinary care, pool facilities, water filtration, water quality, etc. The Fauna and Flora Directorate (ARNS) requested the opinion of the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences (MACN), as Scientific CITES authority, in relation to the CITES importation permit request and the information supplied by CONVIMAR. Because CONVIMAR is using fresh water with ClNa addition, uses only temporary portable pools or swimming pools when available, and the marine mammals are only cared for by Mexican trainers (no veterinarian), and because of serious discrepancies between the estimated ages of the dolphins in different documents and the number of sea lions requested for temporary importation into Argentina, the MACN Marine Mammal Laboratory recommended denial of the importation permits.
When the "Serra da Mesa" artificial lake was completed and the dam's locks were closed several tucuxis (Sotalia fluviatilis) and botos (Inia geoffrensis) were trapped. In response to international concern the General Attorney of the Republic (Dra.Rosangela Pophal) caused the government to send technicians and inspectors from the INPA (Amazon National Research Institute) to study the problem of the trapped dolphins. In the opinion of many the biggest conservation problem for the Amazon dolphins (Sotalia and Inia) are the hydroelectric plants under construction or constructed, because they stop normal migration of the dolphins and their fish prey. Unfortunately some Brazilian scientists do not involve themselves on this conservation problem because of convenience or lack of interest. The Sete Lagoas tucuxi, Sotalia brasiliensis, the last tucuxi dolphin in captivity in Brazil was returned to the Amazon river in the area of Santarem by a team from INPA in 1997.
According to information provided by Oceanologist Alexandre Zerbini, a Dolphinarium was proposed to the Mayor of the city port of Santos by the Brazilian entrepreneur Beto Carreiro and a Russian. At this coastal city several years ago the only Brazilian dolphinarium was closed by authorities, and the bottlenose dolphin "Flipper" was liberated by Rick O'Barry. Using the documents provided by Zerbini, Marcio Augelli denounced the situation to the General Attorney, who forced the Mayor of Santos to reject the dolphinarium proposal. Mr.Beto Carreiro has also imported Russian sea lions with the permission of the IBAMA, using them for a show.
The Portuguese firm ZOOMARINE made contact with the Brazilian authorities of IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of the Environment) to import up to six bottlenose dolphins. Ocean. Ricardo Soavisnky, the IBAMA officer in charge of Marine mammals called for a technical meeting at Brasilia for the discussion of the Brazilian Marine Mammal Action Plan. From a total of ten marine mammal researchers present at that meeting, Eng. Augelli was the only one to vote against the ZOOMARINE proposal, all the others were in favor under the arguments that ZOOMARINE gives grants for research and assists autistic children with their "swim with the dolphin" programs. So far no application has been received by IBAMA and it may as well be that they found the process too cumbersome to deal with, though they still have the legal right to apply for a license.
Beto Carrero World, located in Santa Catarina, is the fifth largest amusement park in the world, and already has a zoo of its own. They have declared interest in bringing orcas, but no application has been made so far. Beto Carrero is a wealthy man said to have ties to the powerful GLOBO TV Network.
The National Foundation of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (FUNPZA) from Venezuela, together with PROFAUNA issued a valid capture permit for four "delfines rosas", Inia geoffrensis, to be sent to the Dallas World Aquarium, Texas. Great opposition appeared to this project under the argument that Inia has died in captivity after a few years with no successful breeding. Only one specimen survives in United States, several at the Acuario de Valencia, Venezuela, and two old specimens at the Duisberg Aquarium, Germany. During the last decade there have been no scientific articles published about the status of the Venezuelan Inia, considered by several authors to be a subspecies, Inia geoffrensis humboldtiana. No local Latin American author has ever published a paper on this subspecies at the last seven biannual regional meetings:" Reuniones de Trabajo de Especialistas en Mamiferos Acuaticos de America Latina 1984-1996)", although three graduate students are known to be working on this. In the Red Book of the Venezuelan Fauna (Ed.J.P.Rodriguez and F. Rojas-Suarez) published by Provita and other institutions, there is an anonymous chapter related to Inia geoffrensis, with mentions of several foreign authors, but none from Venezuela, and with outdated bibliography. This document is mentioned by FUNPZA as the most important document on which it was based the decision to authorize the exportation of the four "delfines rosas". The issue generated many negative comments to NMFS in the U.S. from professional scientists, aroused an enormous coalition of environmental groups in opposition, and attracted considerable attention in the media until the Dallas World Aquarium removed their permit request and rendered the issue moot. The Venezuelan government remains willing to capture and export from this population, pending adequate scientific proof about its vunerability. The Acuario de Valencia will continue to replace dolphins that die with more captures. This issue has resulted in the emergence of a number of Venezuelan scientists willing to be involved in conservation interests, many now linked to a world wide consortium. There is still evidence, however, that the government may react harshly to open opinion in conflict with economic policies.
The Cuban bottlenose dolphin, Meñique, had been abandoned at Iquique, Northern Chile during 1996, after a traveling public dolphin show failed financially. Another male Cuban dolphin was killed at the same facility. Meñique was restricted to a very small, filthy swimming pool at Iquique until a serious and tedious effort by environmentalists retrieved him to Cuba for rehabilitation and liberation. Menique was transported by a Chile Air force military transport from Iquique to Santiago and from there to Habana, Cuba by Aerolineas Cubanas, where Cuban authorities had promised to liberate Menique when he recuperated, primarily from a fungal infection. The dolphin remained at the Acuario Nacional de Cuba with but died from the infection in May, 1998.
Sheryll was a Russian bottlenose dolphin abandoned at a Buenos Aires swimming pool in August 1993. By decision of Argentine Federal Judge, Omar Fasciuto, she was transferred 1 July 1994 to the custody of "Mundo Marino" in Columbia. Sheryll's two companion dolphins had died of Pasteurellosis during July 1993. Another nine Russian bottlenose dolphins died in Argentina and Chile between 1991 and 1993 due to terrible housing conditions, bad management, lack of experience, fresh water, veterinarians without training in marine mammals, etc. There is a lack of information of what happened with Sheryll between 1994 and 1996; she may have lived in the swimming pool of a Colombian narcotics dealer. More recently Sheryll surfaced after traveling with Mundo Marino through Panama (Feb/March 96); Costa Rica (March/May 96); Nicaragua (May/June 96); El Salvador( June/August 96); Guatemala (August/September 96); Honduras (Sept./ Nov.96); Dominican Republic (Nov./96-May 97); and Jamaica (May/August 97). Her companion was Bilin, a Cuban bottlenose dolphin, that Mr. Nelson Castro, his owner, alleges was donated by the Cuban government. It is well known that Cuba sponsors traveling dolphin public displays throughout Pacific coast countries such as Peru and Chile, with the sponsorship of the Acuario Nacional de la Habana. It has had seemed that Cuba had the policy of selling their trained dolphins, or perhaps abandoning them when a show failed, but never donated dolphins to others. Great controversy was stirred up recently when Mr.Castro applied for a permit to enter Puerto Rico with Sheryll, Bilin and 3 South American sea-lions. It is probable that Mr.Castro prefers to present Bilin as a donation from the Cuban government in order to circumvent the trade embargo that prevents any Cuban product from getting into United States territory. After being refused entry into Puerto Rico the Mundo Marino show became Divers Land, part of an amusement park on the island of Margarita, Venezuela. Sheryll died Oct. 29, reportedly from heart failure caused by extreme stress. The names of the remaining dolphins were changed to Flipper and Sissy.
The Hotel Los Delfines still has the two bottlenose dolphins, despite the official position that their import was illegal. The Ministry of Fisheries imposed a fine on the hotel, owned by Jack Levi, and requested the Customs Office to order a re-export of the dolphins. Peruvian NGOs ACOREMA and Cruzada por la Vida are lobbying authorities intensely, as are many international NGOs, but the situation is stalled.
Cruzada por la Vida (Life crusade) and ACOREMA have been fighting to reduce the consumption of dolphin meat, locally known as Muchame, or "marine pig". Cruzada por la Vida has been successful in educating the medium and high class consumers of dolphin meat and informing them about the dolphin depletion currently taking place in Peruvian Pacific coastal waters. ACOREMA has created museum and public information facilities in coastal regions for the same purpose.
The Dominican Republic, with over two million tourist a year, is now the largest tourism destination in the Caribeean, having surpassed even Puerto Rico. In February 1997 the government to produce regulations prohibiting the capture of 20 dolphins and an unknown number of manatees. But recently the situation turned because of economic and political pressures and the regulations were weakened. Cetaceans and the whole ecosystem is under attack. Decree N. 319-97 limits the Marine Mammal sanctuary, which includes the three most important reproductive areas for humpbacks in the North Atlantic, and leaves dolphins and whales without protection in Dominican Republic waters.
A "Swim with the Dolphins" attraction planned for Georgetown, Cayman Islands was halted in October, 1997 by the Cayman Islands government. The dolphin pool was to have been set up inside the state-run Cayman Turtle Farm, where endangered green turtles are bred for local consumption and others are released into the wild. Concerned Environmentalist of the Cayman Islands collected more than 800 signatures opposing the project and submitted them to the Governor. The project was modeled after the popular "Swim with the Dolphins" attraction in Cancun, Mexico.
The Ministry of Tourism and the environment (MTE) received a proposal by Grupo Ritco de Eco-Desarrollo S.A. de C.V. of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, to establish a theme park in the Ambergris Caye area in 1997. The proposed theme park was a smaller scale version of the Xcarest Eco-archaeological park located near Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The proposal is currently considering Cayo Cangrejo as one of its preferred location for this venture. While the Ministry viewed this project favorably at this conceptual stage because of its potential to promote environmental education and its economic benefits to the community of San Pedro the project will be required to go through the Environmental Clearance Process in order to ensure that all possible negative impacts are addressed. This is in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 1995. It is the Ministry's position that final approval to a project is granted only after the assurance has been given, through the revision of the EIA that the benefits derived from that project outweighs the costs associated with it.
The Mexicam firm CONVIMAR has been traveling around Chile, Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay during 1996-97 with a traveling public display show of two bottlenose dolphins and four South American sea lions. In Mexico CONVIMAR operates five fixed installations (one at Acapulco) and is one of the oldest marine mammals firms (1979). They started to operate at Viña del Mar (Chile) in the summer of 1993. According to their own released information they traveled with the show through the cities of: Santiago , Antofagasta, Iquique (Chile); Lima (Peru); and Santa Cruz (Bolivia). During the summer of 1994 they returned to Viña del Mar, Santiago and Antofagasta. During 1995 they brought down two simultaneous shows with their trainers (no veterinarians) at Viña del Mar and Concepcion (Chile), followed by Lima, Arequipa, Trujillo (Peru), and another show traveling through San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa (Honduras and Guatemala). During 1996 one show worked all year long at Peru, Viña del Mar and Santiago (Chile), while another was at San Jose de Costa Rica, San Salvador, Monterrey (Mexico) and Panama. From January to March 1997 there was a show at Viña del Mar and Santiago and during June they were at Copiaco (Chile). A new show was also started at Montevideo (Uruguay) and Asuncion del Paraguay (Paraguay). They openly state that they are aggressively looking for new show markets.
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