Disney Relocates Dolphins To Controversial Theme Park; Activists Outraged

in Featured, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World

A young girl and an older man in wetsuits interact joyfully with a smiling dolphin. It is a promotional image for the Disney EPCOT Seas Adventures – Dolphins in Depth animal exhibit, which has been confrontational.

Credit: Disney

Walt Disney World Resort has recently announced the retirement of the three dolphins that have long been part of the Seas with Nemo and Friends attraction at EPCOT. This decision marks a significant shift in Disney’s approach to animal-based entertainment, especially as public sentiment increasingly turns against the use of animals for human amusement.

However, while the retirement of these dolphins—Rainier, Calvin, and Malabar—seems like a positive move, concerns have emerged about their future. In a new statement made by In Defense of Animals, activists are urging Disney to reverse its decision altogether.

Related: Allegations of Animal Brutality Uncovered at Disney and Beyond, “16 Charges” of Cruelty Registered

A vibrant outdoor scene at a Disney theme park, featuring a colorful mural with aquatic imagery on the curved exterior of a building. A lighted walkway leads towards a large geodesic sphere in the background, surrounded by lush greenery and animal residents under a twilight sky.
Credit: Disney

Introduction to Dolphins at Walt Disney World Resort

EPCOT’s dolphins, all Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, have been a fixture in the theme park’s marine life exhibit for years, drawing crowds eager to witness their interactions with trainers and learn about ocean conservation. Guests have also been able to interact and swim with these animals as well.

Disney’s announcement signals an intention to step back from human-dolphin interactions as entertainment, a decision that reflects a broader cultural shift toward more ethical treatment of animals in captivity. Disney emphasized its commitment to the well-being of these dolphins, expressing that their transfer was part of the company’s larger focus on animal care and responsible stewardship. At the time, many commended Disney for this bold step towards a more ethical theme park future.

The seas with nemo and friends guests
Credit: Disney

Relocation to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park

The dolphins are scheduled to be relocated to the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, located in Florida’s panhandle, in late October. Gulfarium describes itself as a facility that offers top-tier care and a safe environment for marine mammals. However, while the park claims to prioritize animal welfare, it also continues to use dolphins in shows and interactive programs for visitors—a point of contention for many animal rights advocates.

Critics argue that simply moving the dolphins to another facility where they will still be featured in entertainment capacities does little to improve their welfare. Animal welfare organizations are calling attention to the fact that while Disney’s move distances the dolphins from its theme parks, it fails to fully remove them from environments where they are used for profit.

The seas with nemo and friends viewing area
Credit: Disney

Ethical Concerns Over the Dolphins’ Future

Animal rights groups have pointed out that, despite Disney’s claims of concern for the dolphins’ well-being, transferring them to another facility where they will continue to be exploited for commercial gain raises ethical questions.

Dolphins are highly intelligent, sensitive creatures that can suffer from the stresses of captivity, and advocates believe that a true commitment to their welfare would involve releasing them to a sanctuary where they would not be subjected to public displays. In Defense of Animals says:

“Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, like many marine parks, has captive dolphins forced to perform in dolphin shows and has dolphin encounter attractions where people interact with captive dolphins. These are not natural behaviors and the dolphins are kept hungry so that they will comply with orders and endure the forced interactions in the shows in order to be fed. This is not the future the Epcot dolphins deserve.

The dolphins at Epcot should be retired and allowed to live out their lives in a sanctuary where they can be in the ocean and be able to perform their natural behaviors, not performing for humans. Tell Disney to let its dolphins go to a sanctuary by calling, speaking out on social media, and sending our letter!”

Disney’s Animal Care Legacy

Disney has long prided itself on its contributions to animal welfare and conservation, and The Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion at EPCOT has served as an educational resource for guests about the importance of marine life conservation. In Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Disney hosts thousands of animals in a way that many in the industry deem ethical.

The decision to retire the dolphins reflects an acknowledgment of the evolving public mindset regarding animal ethics. However, the details surrounding their relocation have sparked debate about whether this change goes far enough.

While Disney’s move may reduce direct dolphin-related activities in its own parks, the underlying issue of captivity for profit remains. As more people advocate for the ethical treatment of animals, corporations like Disney are being called upon to take more meaningful steps in ensuring animals used in their attractions are given appropriate care and, where possible, released into environments that promote their long-term well-being.

Friends at The Sea with Nemo and Friends
Credit: Disney

What’s Next for Rainier, Calvin, and Malabar?

As Rainier, Calvin, and Malabar prepare for their transfer to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, the spotlight remains on their care and treatment. For many, the ultimate goal is to see a future where these animals can live out their lives in conditions that prioritize their health, happiness, and natural behaviors without the pressures of human entertainment. Idausa urges supporters to do the following:

“1. Make Calls. Please make calls to Walt Disney World Resort asking it to retire its dolphins to a sanctuary. Leave a message if you call after hours.

Executive Correspondence Office
Walt Disney World Resort
407-939-7818

You can say:

“Hi, I am calling to ask that Disney properly retire the dolphins at Epcot to a proper sanctuary instead of another marine park. Dolphins are exploited and abused in captivity and they deserve to live out the rest of their lives in a seaside sanctuary where they can be in the ocean and participate in their natural behaviors. Thank you.”

2. Comment on Social Media. Please make comments on Walt Disney World Resort’s Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

You can say:
Please let the dolphins at Epcot retire to a sanctuary instead of moving to a marine park where they will continue to be exploited! #EmptyTheTanks

For X/Twitter, you can use something like this: Let the Disney Dolphins go to a sanctuary! #EmptyTheTanks

3. Send a Letter. Send a letter to Walt Disney World Resort leadership by filling out the form on this page.

Sign our letter to immediately deliver your comments to:

Jeff Vahle — President, Walt Disney World Resort
Thomas Mazloum — President, Disney Signature Experiences
Josh D’Amaro — Chairman, Disney Experiences, The Walt Disney Company”

For now, their relocation may mark the end of one chapter at Walt Disney World Resort, but it is only the beginning of broader conversations about the ethics of keeping animals in captivity and how best to care for them in a world where profit and entertainment often come at their expense.

in Featured, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World

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