World’s Leading Dolphin NGO Calls Out Malta’s Mediterraneo Over Murky Tank Conditions
The world’s leading dolphin welfare charity, Dolphin Project, has weighed in on Malta’s Mediterraneo Marine Park and shared footage showing dolphins confined to murky tanks with no access to shade.
The organisation, known as the World’s Leading Charity Dedicated to the Welfare and Protection of Dolphins, highlighted growing concerns about the welfare of the animals in the heat, noting that with Maltese temperatures soaring past 30°C, the lack of shade can pose serious risks like sunburn, something wild dolphins naturally avoid by diving deep.The footage, which was received by Dolphin Project on an anonymous submission, shows dolphins circling a small tank under the scorching sun. It also raises questions about whether the park’s filtration system is functioning properly.
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“What will it take for someone to intervene and help these dolphins?” The post also references a 2021 incident, when three dolphins – Onda, Mar and Melita – died in the span of two months. An investigation by Malta’s Commissioner for Animal Welfare later stated that “the most likely cause of death was lead poisoning.”
Cherryanne Xaxa Borg, a Maltese videographer captured the shocking drone footage of the conditions within the dolphin tanks at the park. After capturing this devastating sight, the footage was shared online and a petition calling for the dolphins to be sent to a coastal conservation facility where their intelligent and social nature can flourish, was launched.Local activists have long been calling on authorities to take action, and this renewed international spotlight is now putting further pressure.
Lovin Malta has reached out to the Animal Welfare Department for comment last week and is still awaiting a response.
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