In a symbolic demonstration, a group of Maltese activists recently gathered to impersonate dolphins stuck in captivity, outside of the Mediterraneo Park in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq.

Animal Liberation Malta and Moviment Graffitti jointly organised a symbolic protest in front of Mediterraneo Park on Saturday 28th October, with the intention of shedding light on the suffering endured by animals held in captivity.

One of the activists creatively portrayed a dolphin inside a children’s pool, symbolising the severe space constraints that captive dolphins face.

This aimed to put in perspective the fact that a pod of dolphins can travel up to 100 kilometres in one day when they are living in their natural habitat – however, they are constrained to just a few metres when kept in captivity.

During the protest, an activist was wearing a wetsuit to mimic a trainer prompting the “dolphin” to perform tricks like clapping or jumping in exchange for a treat.

“This served to illustrate the conditional training methods to which these animals are subjected, effectively transforming them into performing animals, akin to those found in circuses, albeit under the façade of a licensed zoo,” the activists group explained in the statement. 

“At certain points, the dolphin activist withdrew, and the dolphin stayed at the edge of the pool, symbolising the extended periods during which these social animals are left alone in a confined space when they are not performing – sometimes for hours on end.”

This practice constitutes a form of animal cruelty.

Animal Liberation Malta and Moviment Graffitti emphasise that “the first step in assisting these animals is to refrain from supporting such shows. Purchasing a ticket effectively endorses these exploitative actions towards dolphins”.

They further urge the authorities not to grant permits to Mediterraneo for the importation of new animals, including sea lions, dolphins, or any other creatures, even if they are captive-bred.

“Additionally, we want to remind the public that there are numerous ethical and educational alternatives to appreciating animals that do not involve visiting zoos,” they concluded.

Lovin Malta has written extensively on the subject, be it how the dolphins are affected by captivity, to why they should be in the wild.

What do you make of this demonstration?