Is Discovery Cove Ethical? Animal Breeding, Dolphin Deaths, and More
Is Discovery Cove ethical? And how does this marine park really treat the dolphins and other animals it imprisons there? Read on to learn how Discovery Cove acquires dolphins and about animal deaths and other disgraceful incidents there that are raising serious concerns.
What Is Discovery Cove?
Discovery Cove is owned and operated by the same company that owns SeaWorld and is SeaWorld Orlando’s sister park. The two parks are just across the street from each other and even sell combined visitor pass packages.
Discovery Cove markets itself as a day resort but sells opportunities for customers to touch and interact with its animal prisoners, including dolphins, tropical fish, sharks, birds, and “exotic” mammals.
Animal Deaths at Discovery Cove
Just like SeaWorld, Discovery Cove has a troubling history of animal deaths. Almost half the dolphins who have died there were babies.
Dolphin Scarlet died due to the park’s breeding program. Her uterus ruptured during a pregnancy, and her unborn calf was released into her body cavity, killing both animals.
Sharky, a dolphin forced to perform at Discovery Cove, died after he collided with another dolphin. Staff were forcing him to do tricks during an interaction with customers—even though performing tricks and interacting with humans are completely unnatural for dolphins—when the collision broke his spine.
Over 400 dolphins have died at SeaWorld parks and Discovery Cove combined.
Where Do the Dolphins at Discovery Cove Come From?
Discovery Cove has a dolphin-breeding program and, like SeaWorld, has a history of sexually abusing and forcibly impregnating dolphins.
In marine parks’ artificial insemination programs, dolphins are typically torn out of the water, sometimes drugged, and inseminated while they have no opportunity to resist.
Discovery Cove forced Dixie, a repeat victim of its impregnation program, to endure a traumatic stillbirth alone and without proper care. Park staff knew she was approaching her expected delivery date, but when she went into labor, they didn’t even have a veterinarian oversee the birth.
How Are Animals Treated at Discovery Cove?
When dolphins, sharks, stingrays, birds, and other animals grow up with their families in their natural environments, they flourish. That’s why it’s despicable that Discovery Cove keeps them trapped in shoddy tanks and enclosures and forces them into uncomfortable, dangerous encounters for its visitors’ entertainment.
Marketing images used by Discovery Cove on its website highlight human-animal interactions.
Discovery Cove’s business is built on the promise that its customers will get to touch and interact with animals. And just like any other animal attraction, the park puts its profits before the comfort and safety of the animals it imprisons.
No credible animal care facility would ever use wild animals for dangerous hands-on encounters with humans, allow the public into the animals’ tanks or enclosures, or force animals to do tricks for customers’ entertainment.
Swimming With Dolphins at Discovery Cove Isn’t Ethical
Swimming with dolphins isn’t safe, educational, or ethical. These interactions risk serious injury to dolphins and humans alike and teach the harmful lesson that these animals enjoy being imprisoned and used to entertain customers.
Our Day-Trip Advice? Skip Discovery Cove
Instead of paying a fortune to visit a park that’s connected to SeaWorld and keeps animals in miserable conditions, you can admire them in their natural habitats in Central Florida’s abundant state parks.
Whatever you do, don’t visit Discovery Cove or any other marine park. And please urge SeaWorld to stop breeding dolphins.
