In 1999, economists at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society determined whale and dolphin watching to have a worldwide economic value nearing $800 million. Clearly people all around the world enjoy watching these incredible animals in their natural habitat. In fact marine-focused tourism helps brings our Hawaiian Islands millions of dollars each year.  

However, the Atlantis Resorts has announced their plans to build one of their world class resorts in Ko’Olina on the west side of Oahu. Regrettably, their attempt to capture  a percentage of whale/dolphin revenue is both sad and wrongheaded. That’s because they plan on including an exclusive on-site tank for captive dolphin encounters meaning even more of these incredible creatures will be forced to spend a lifetime in an unnatural environment just for our entertainment.

Friendly wild dolphins are abundant and accessible we don’t need to condemn anymore to a life of captivity. Please join me and Tell Governor Ige, and Oahu officials we do not want another captive dolphin resort on the island!

Oahu already has two places where tourists can have dolphin encounters on the Eastern side of the island (Sea Life Park and Dolphin Quest). Both facilities are a prime example of what captivity can do to these magnificent animals. The tanks are small, sun-exposed, and filled with algae. The dolphins are there for people’s amusement more than as an ambassador for their species. These captives are exploited day after day, show after show, and forced to perform ‘natural’ behaviors that their oceanic counterparts never partake in. All this in the name of greed disguised as conservation.

Hawaii hosts 18 different species of toothed whales/dolphins, along with 6 species of baleen whales. Some Native Hawaiians respect humpback whales as a form of the deity Kanaloa, while giving dolphins the distinction of being an oceanic counterpart tribe in their own right.  

Within sight from the shores of the proposed Atlantis mega-structure, exists a resident population of the Hawaiian spinner dolphins. They should be viewed as equals, not subservient to humankind, and allowed to interact with humans on their own terms in their own natural habitat.

Their acrobats can be even more appreciated while narrated aboard existing marine-wildlife focused charters docked at the nearby Ko Olina Marina and Waianae Boat Harbor. If history repeats itself, Atlantis’ intentions are purely exploitation for profit with minimal, if any, actual conservation education.

Now it is time, before building begins, to tell Hawaiian Governor Ige, the Hawaii Board of Agriculture and NOAA that Hawaii does not want or need another captive dolphin facility. We want to have the wild population be the representation for the species where they can interact with humans on their terms in their natural habitat. Join me and say no to more captive dolphins and whales in Hawaii.

Recently this petition gained the attention and endorsement of Wild Dolphin Foundation, Empty the Tanks, Hawaii, Keiko Conservation, and Beneath the Blue

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/candace-calloway-whiting/adfasdf_b_4851026.html

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/public_display.htm

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/captive_marine/?referrer=https://www.google.com/

http://us.whales.org/wdc-in-action/captivity

The oahu revenue numbers came from here http://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/default/assets/File/reports/visitor-statistics/2014%20Annual%20Visitor%20Reseach%20Report(4).pdf

The whale/dolphin watching numbers from here http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/documents/pdfs_science/whalewatch_benefits.pdf