F*CKDolphins.
Big Dolphin has spent years selling us the smile. We looked at what happens behind it, and we would like our aquarium money back.
The truth
about dolphins.
S** W**** has a marketing budget. The porpoises do not.
S** W**** and its friends have spent decades selling dolphin shows to families. The films and theme parks all tell the same story. Dolphins are clever, friendly animals who would love to meet you. It sells tickets.
That permanent smile is the shape of their face. They look just as pleased when they bite something. They also pass pufferfish around for what appears to be a recreational high. You paid to clap at this animal.
We think the attacks on other animals deserve at least as much attention as the tricks. Big Dolphin would prefer another slow-motion jump through a hoop.
Six reasons
we object.
Pufferfish abuse
The BBC filmed dolphins passing a pufferfish around. The filmmakers suggested they were getting high on its toxin, but the footage does not prove that. The pufferfish did not volunteer. BBC, "Spy in the Pod", 2014 ↗
Killing porpoises
Bottlenose dolphins have attacked and killed porpoises without eating them. Researchers have not established why. We would like the aquarium gift shop to put that on a mug. SIMoN, Monterey Bay, 2009 ↗
Gang violence
Bottlenose dolphins leave tooth-rake scars on each other during aggressive encounters. Being good at synchronised swimming does not excuse any of this. Scott et al., aggression in bottlenose dolphins, 2005 ↗
Absent from the flight logs
Dolphins have been spotted around St. John and St. Thomas. We have questions about the financier's island. You won't find them in the flight logs. They swam. Island Roots, regional dolphin sightings ↗
The smug grin
A dolphin cannot stop looking pleased with itself. It can bite you and keep the same expression. We find this difficult to forgive.
There are 8 million of them
Our projection puts common dolphins at about 8 million, up from the six-million estimate cited for 2008. That is one species. They gather in groups of tens to thousands. Imagine meeting a thousand of them at once. NAMMCO, common dolphin population ↗
By the
numbers.
Common dolphins, projected
Unfortunately, they're breeding.
Projected from 2008. Population ↗ · 2.1% growth ↗.
The
pledge.
- I. I will not believe Big Dolphin or its agents.
- II. I will not applaud a dolphin show, even if they call it "enrichment".
- III. I will not call a dolphin "cute", "friendly", or "harmless".
- IV. I will not give money or support to dolphins, their organisations, or S** W****.
- V. I will tell at least one person a day why dolphins are awful.
- VI. I swear that dolphins are the worst animals in the sea. If they learn to walk, I will extend that judgment to the land.
Put your name
to it.
Sign the pledge and get a membership certificate. It will not stop a dolphin, but you can show people that you object.