Tell Carnival to stop exploiting dolphins

Carnival claims to be 'The World's Most Popular Cruise Line ®'. But it's no carnival for dolphins.

Passengers on Carnival's cruise ships are offered a variety of 'shore excursions' including dolphin theme parks where holidaymakers can hug, kiss and swim with captive dolphins.

Hug and kiss dolphins... seriously?

Can you believe that dolphins are put through this... over and over, day after day... for our amusement?

The tide is turning against imprisoning dolphins for human 'entertainment'. There is no place for cruelty like this in the 21st century.

Dolphins should not be held captive to be kissed by tourists every day. Dolphins should be free to live with their families making their own choices about how they spend their days.

Carnival is the largest cruise operator in the world. It owns big names like P&O Cruises, Cunard and others. It's time for them to sail the cruise industry out of the dark ages and stop exploiting dolphins.

If Carnival takes a stand, others may follow. Urge Carnival to be the leader they claim to be and stop profiting from dolphin exploitation.

Dear Mr. Donald,


I understand the Carnival Corporation and its subsidiary companies currently sell shore excursions to passengers giving them the opportunity to 'swim with dolphins' on several of its itineraries. Carnival also organises tours to marine parks where whales and dolphins are held in tanks to provide entertainment for paying visitors.


Carnival is a leader in the cruise industry and I ask you to demonstrate progressive leadership and take a stand against this cruel outdated practice and end your company's support for all attractions that keep whales and dolphins captive. Please issue a policy against promoting shore excursions to such attractions across all Carnival's brands and remove these attractions from all their portfolios. 


The practice of holding dolphins in captivity for tourists' entertainment is increasingly controversial and continues to be questioned as the public becomes more aware of the harmful effects of captivity. Scientific experts have long expressed concerns about the treatment and exploitation of dolphins and whales held in captive facilities, and have called into question the educational, scientific, and conservation value of such places. As a result of the growing public outcry, major travel companies are revising their policies with regard to the promotion of facilities that hold these sentient, highly mobile creatures captive. TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, announced last year that it will discontinue selling tickets for specific tourism experiences where tourists come into physical contact with captive wild animals or endangered species, which includes dolphin 'swim with' attractions. Virgin Holidays has also recently announced that it won't be signing up any new attractions that feature captive whales and dolphins for entertainment purposes, again including 'swim-with' programmes and Thomas Cook is carrying out a major audit of all the captive facilities on its books.


In captivity, whales and dolphins suffer mental and physical stress, boredom, and a lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality than in the wild. Handling, restraint, confinement, transport, social disruption, isolation and/or crowding, exhaustion, unfamiliar diets, injury, potential exposure to pathogens, and more stressors unique to captive setting can all lead to a reduction in life expectancy and the ability to reproduce, grow, or fend off diseases. Additionally, exposure to loud and unfamiliar sounds can cause stress to dolphins. Dolphin 'swim with' programmes and other encounters, where members of the public enter the water with the dolphins, only add to the stress experienced by these sensitive creatures.


[Your comments]


Sincerely,
[Your name]

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