In Spain, dolphins smile for the cameras, but their reality is far from idyllic. Eight dolphinariums house 75 bottlenose dolphins, four orcas, and four belugas in daily shows that attract thousands of tourists. According to the FAADA Foundation, these places do not guarantee their welfare nor meet the educational and conservation objectives required by law.
The research, conducted between 2023 and 2025, reveals that the animals are forced to perform jumps, greetings, and pirouettes accompanied by music that can exceed 80 decibels. In several centers, visitors can even touch them or swim with them.
Although Spain banned the use of wild animals in circuses in 2023, marine parks were excluded from the rule. For FAADA, these places are aquatic circuses that disguise entertainment as education, prioritizing business over animal respect.
The facilities lack natural spaces. Some pools are barely 5 meters deep and 28 meters long. In the wild, a dolphin can travel more than 100 kilometers a day, while an orca can move up to 150.
The price of captivity
The effects of confinement on cetaceans are devastating. Living in confined spaces, they suffer from stress, frustration, and repetitive behaviors known as stereotypies. These constant circular movements are clear signs of mental suffering.
The lack of stimuli, noise, and inability to escape human contact cause anxiety and depression. Many specimens show loss of appetite, skin wounds, or infections from chlorine and artificial light.
Orcas and belugas are especially vulnerable. Accustomed to deep, cold waters, their physiology is altered in small, warm pools. Their sensitive hearing is damaged by constant music, and their immune system weakens.
In captivity, they also lose their natural social structure. Dolphins live in cooperative groups with defined roles, but in parks, they are separated or mixed arbitrarily. This generates aggression, isolation, and loss of family bonds. Additionally, their life expectancy is drastically reduced. In the sea, they can live between 40 and 50 years, while in captivity they often do not reach 20. Life behind the glass is short and silent.
A spectacle that loses meaning
Dolphinariums claim to promote conservation, but the shows dedicate only 16% of the time to educational content. The rest are jumps, applause, and choreographies. The image of trainers “playing” with the animals reinforces a false idea of happiness and complicity.
Internationally, Spain has fallen behind. Fourteen European countries no longer have dolphinariums, and France will ban shows with cetaceans starting in 2026. In contrast, Spain continues to authorize their reproduction and the opening of new facilities.
FAADA and activist Olivia Mandle propose replacing the shows with educational exhibitions without direct contact or acrobatics. They also advocate for the creation of marine sanctuaries where cetaceans can live in a more natural and peaceful environment.
Towards a new awareness
Responsible tourism and ecological awareness are transforming the public’s perspective. More and more people are rejecting entertainment based on animal suffering. Science supports this change, demonstrating the intelligence and emotional complexity of cetaceans.
Protecting them also means protecting the oceans. Dolphins, orcas, and belugas are essential for the health of marine ecosystems. Their conservation should not be limited to a tank but extended to their natural habitat.
The future of dolphinariums depends on an ethical and political decision. Turning the shows into spaces of education and respect would be a decisive step towards a fairer relationship between humans and animals. The sea, their true home, cannot continue to be replaced by a pool.
