In September 2001 -- despite numerous protests from animal welfare organizations worldwide -- the captive dolphin facility 'Dolphins Plus' of Florida, USA, sent four dolphins (Isla, Jessica, Tracey and Kimbit) to the island of Tortola to be used in a captive dolphin swim program at Prospect Reef Resort. The export took place with the permission of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the US Department of Commerce. Several members of the animal welfare community objected to the transfer, referring to the highly questionable water quality of the dolphin holding pen in Tortola. A letter describing the problems connected with the water quality was sent to both NMFS and Rick Borguss of Dolphins Plus before the dolphins were sent from Dolphins Plus to Tortola. The letter was written on behalf of the BVI Dive Operators Association and the Association Reef Keepers and gives this description of the water quality of the Tortola facility:
“A large water desalination plant located on the backshore of the lagoon generates constant noise and vibration into the ground. With that and street traffic, the background noise will be high. () Recent weather demonstrated how much silt, trash and dirty water washes into the lagoon with even moderate rainfall from the hillside just across the road, which is a boundary to the property. Spokesmen for Prospect Reef have said that Public Works is responsible for putting in proper drainage, and as far as we know, Public Works are showing no signs of agreeing to do this and moving ahead with the drain.
The busy coast road runs alongside the lagoon and the opening and there is no protection from curious passers-by, who will throw cans and bottles and perhaps worse into the pool. Fuel and oil from these vehicles will run off into the pool from the surface of the road.
The lagoon itself is misnamed. It’s more the size of a small pond approximately 30 x 150 feet which was dredged out of a quiet shallow mangrove lagoon, with a very fine, silty bottom. Action of the dolphin themselves, will continue to stir up the water and make it murky. The water is quite warm with insufficient depth to allow these creatures to reach any cooler water. This fact, plus the boisterous action of large animals, will weaken the mangrove roots causing infilling of the lagoon and killing of the mangroves. This would mean that whatever protection is offered them by the mangroves would be lost.
() There are no local regulations in place regarding conditions or treatment of animals, and concern for animal welfare is generally known to be lacking. This applies to a most of the developing world and the BVI is no exception.
There is occasional overflow from the hotel's sewage plant across the street during heavy rains that need rerouting. Continuous construction on the hill above causing more runoff from rain storms and possible runoff from septic tanks.”
The letters concludes:
“We believe this site warrants inspection before approval is given to transfer dolphins beyond the reach of United States Authority, to Prospect Reef. Surely, when the United States authorities approve the export of zoo animals to foreign zoos, they satisfy themselves that the facilities and level of care in the destination country will be up to US Standards.”
Despite this comprehensible forewarning, NMFS did not wish to carry out any inspection of the dolphin pen in Tortola, and Dolphins Plus was granted a permit to export Isla and her three companions to the Prospect Reef captive dolphin swim progam, where they remained for one year.
In October 2002, much to the surprise of Prospect Reef, Dolphins Plus relocated their dolphins to Salisbury, Dominica, to be used in a commercial dolphin swim program there.
Just about one week later, Isla was dead. One of Isla’s companions -- Tracey – was seriously ill and was being force-fed several times a day.
To the newspaper BVI Beacon, Rick Borguss blames, guess what: the polluted water at the Tortola facility.
'Sometimes you could smell the raw sewage,' he is quoted as saying.
The BVI Beacon published this article about Isla’s death:
PROSPECT DOLPHIN DIES
By James Osborne
BVI BEACON
November 15, 2002
Isla, who along with three other dolphins was transported out of Prospect Reef last month, died in Dominica Nov. 3 from unknown causes. It will be at least three weeks until an autopsy report is issued. Rick Borguss, owner of Dolphins Plus, who brought the dolphins to Tortola in September 2001, said the 20-year-old female was sick for several months before being relocated.
'Sometimes you could smell the raw sewage,' Mr. Borguss said. 'Then, five months ago, we realised we had to get them out of there.'
Sewage is discharged into the ocean off Slaney Point, which is near Prospect Reef.
Mr. Borguss' statement, however, is contrary to what another Dolphins Plus representative said shortly before the dolphins departed Oct. 6.At that time, the company said the new facility in Dominica had been finished a year ahead of schedule. But Mr. Borguss said the facility is still a year away from completion.
According to Mr. Borguss, Isla was in poor health throughout her stay at Prospect Reef and had to be placed on antibiotics several times. Another dolphin, Tracey, also became sick shortly after arriving in Dominica, but the owner said that was related to eating a toxic fish that swam into her enclosure.
One local critic of the dolphin programme, Ken Dennison, pointed out that the dolphin pen is next to a public highway.
'There was all that wash off the road. Anytime there was a heavy rain it would run right into the pool. So, it doesn't surprise me (the dolphin died),' he said.
The dolphin programme ignited a wave of protests that started in the spring of 2001 when it was first announced. But in response to protestors, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour was adamant that the dolphins' safety was a priority.
'The departments of agriculture and conservation and fisheries are working with Prospect Reef Resort to ensure that all standards required ... are achieved,' Mr. Willock said in September 2001.
He did not return phone calls in relation to this story.
Mr. Borguss stated that this was the first time he had lost a dolphin in 22 years.
But Ric O'Barry, who used to capture and train dolphins but now works as a wildlife consultant with the World Society for the Protection of Animals, recalls a time when he was working in the industry and one of his animals died.
'A reporter came up, asking where Candy was, and I myself just pointed at another dolphin and said there she is. You can't tell the difference. There's a lot of lying to the public,' he said.
Cyril Romney, owner of Prospect Reef, did not return phone calls in relation to this story.
END
Who and What is Dolphins Plus?
Dolphins Plus was one of the first captive dolphin facilities in the United States to advertise dolphin interaction programs. The facility boasts to have pioneered captive dolphin swim programs; a profitable business that has caused a dramatic increase in the violent captures of dolphins in Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and the Caribbean. Hundreds of dolphins have suffered miserable deaths in captive dolphin facilities all over the world to facilitate the public’s desire to swim with captive dolphins. At Dolphins Plus alone, ten dolphin calves have died since 1990.
Several incidents of dolphins having caused injuries to human swimmers have occurred at Dolphins Plus. If you would like to read an excerpt of the report “Injuries, Violations, Complaint,” written by two former Dolphins Plus employees, please go to “Frequently Asked Questions.” (Scroll down to “Have human swimmers ever been injured in captive dolphin swim programs?”)
Based on a phone conversation with Rick Borguss, Gwen McKenna of Dolphin Freedom Coalition confirms that Dolphins Plus suspects that Isla’s death and Tracey’s illness were caused by poor water quality at the captive dolphin holding pen in Tortola where the dolphins spent one year prior to their arrival in Dominica.
Dolphins Plus is currently awaiting the pathology reports from the United States. The cause of Isla’s death will become available through the Marine Mammal Inventory Report next year.
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) it is not required that NMFS, before granting an export permit, inspects the foreign facility. When Dolphins Plus applied for a permit to export dolphins to Tortola, McKenna called a NMFS representative, inquiring as to why they were allowing US dolphins to be exported to a facility with questionable water quality.
“I was told that all the necessary paperwork had been filled out, and that the authorities in Tortola had assured NMFS that the water quality had been checked and was fine,” says McKenna.
What you can do
We need to let Dolphins Plus, NMFS and the authorities of Dominica know that the public no longer tolerates the kind of animal cruelty that Isla's death represents.
Please send a letter to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Tourism, informing them that the captive dolphin swim program is incompatible with your idea of a nature-friendly vacation destination. Let them know that you will not visit Dominica as long as the island supports the confinement and exploitation of dolphins.
Prime Minister
Government Headquarters
Roseau
Commonwealth of Dominica
Tel: 767 448 2401
Fax: 767 448 5200
Email: Pmoffice@cwdom.dm
The Honorable Charles Savarin
Government Headquarters
Roseau
Commonwealth of Dominica
Tel: 767 448 2401
Fax: 767 448 5200
Email: mintour@cwdom.dm
Finally, please ask NMFS to stop exporting dolphins since their well-being cannot be guaranteed once they leave the United States.
Mr. Gene Nitta
Permits Specialist
NOAA
Office of Protected Resources
Permits Division
1315 East-West Highway
Room 13822
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: 301 713 2289 ext. 107
Fax: 301 713 0376
Email: Gene.nitta@noaa.gov
Update on the Tortola facility, February 2003
Despite the controversy surrounding the water quality of the dolphin holding pen in Tortola, a new captive dolphin swim program has been set up in this location. Please see article below:
The BVI Beacon
Thursday January 16 2003
MORE DOLPHINS COMING TO BVI
Animals expected to arrive in February
By James Osbourne
Four male dolphins are expected to arrive in the BVI next month when the interactive programme at Prospect Reef Resort is revived.
The programme will be operated by Cancun-based Dolphin Discovery. The firm will operate a programme akin to the one run by Dolphins Plus that left the resort in November.
That arrangement came to a bitter end when Dolphins Plus pulled its animals out of Prospect Reef and transported them to a facility in Dominica.
When one of the dolphins subsequently died, owner Rick Borgus blamed the water quality here. But according to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the water quality was tested regularly during the course of the animals' stay and they were regularly checked by a veterinarian. () Before the dolphins arrive, Dolphin Discovery will install a pumping system to improve water circulation in the lagoon at an estimated cost of $40,000, according to the company.
'The water quality met with government standards, just not our personal standards!” said Mike Wood, director of operations at Dolphin Discovery.
Other areas of water quality improvement the company is looking into include diverting runoff from the adjacent road away from the lagoon.
Dophin Discovery has been in business since 1994. This is its first time operating outside of Mexico.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour approved the new dolphin outfit following Executive Council's okay.
'We have no objection whatsoever to dolphins returning to the BVI...The project was approved by Executive Council (EXCO), and it’s our duty to execute the decisions of EXCO. It’s simply replacing some dolphins,' said Assistant Permanent Secretary at the Ministry Julian Willock.
END
February 14th, 2003 Dolphin Discovery exported four dolphins from Mexico to Tortola.
After a long, delayed trip Renata Lenzi, head of Dolphin Discovery research, animal care and veterinary care, is quoted as saying: “The dolphins were not stressed, and it's actually a relaxing experience for them.'
On Saturday afternoon paying tourists were seen swimming with the dolphins.
Who and What is Dolphin Discovery?
We have received the following information from our contact in Mexico:
- Dolphin Discovery owns 62 dolphins.
- The company is owned by three Americans: John Olson, Donna Brewer Kassewitz, and Mike Wood.
- 22 of the 62 dolphins owned by Dolphin Discovery originally came from Cuba. This possibly includes the four dolphins that that were sent to Prospect Reef, Tortola.
We are currently seeking documentation to verify the dolphins’ origin and the exact number of dolphins owned by Dolphin Discovery.
Dolphin Discovery, too, has been warned of the questionable water quality at Prospect Reef. McKenna sent Mike Wood, co-owner of Dolphin Discovery, a copy of the above-mentioned letter that was sent to Dolphins Plus and NMFS. In her letter to Mike Wood, McKenna points out:
“Borguss disputed there were any problems with the water prior to the facility opening. Six months later he admitted to me that everything those of us warned him about was true. The water was so stagnant, Rick had to bring in very expensive pumps to circulate it. The water readings were so bad, due to the nearby Marina, that Rick had to build a concrete wall to prevent the pollution from entering the lagoon. However, nothing he did seemed to improve the water conditions there.'
Together with Dolphin Freedom Coalition, we continue to monitor the situation in Dominica and Tortola.
