Close all Dolphin Petting Pools

Members of Congress

Captive dolphins are kept intentionally hungry, at facilities with petting pools so that they are forced to interact with park visitors. The fish portions are very small, to keep the dolphins constantly coming back for more. The animals endure poking and prodding from thousands of guests everyday. 

Sometimes the dolphins are touched in a rough or painful way by well-meaning tourists. Inevitably, garbage is dropped in the pools, creating choking hazards for dolphins. Visitors can also be injured by the dolphins, putting them both at risk.

Regulation of dolphin interactions can be difficult even when it involves experienced professionals. The death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau demonstrates that cetaceans don’t always follow the rules – especially when they are stressed, frustrated and demoralized, as captives tend to be. Expecting children and adults to follow the rules in an uncontrolled chaotic environment like petting pools is a recipe for disaster.

It’s important to note that very few, if any cases exist of wild dolphins harming humans. Quite the contrary – there are thousands of stories and accounts of dolphins actually helping people. We are not returning the favor by keeping dolphins in these captive situations.

Dolphin interactions and petting pools nationwide are not only cruel and unfair to dolphins, but are also dangerous for people. Join us in asking congress to please close all dolphin petting pool's in captive facilities. You should never buy a ticket to a captive dolphin show or experience. 

Petition by
Ric O'Barry
Miami, Florida
Sponsored by

To: Members of Congress
From: [Your Name]

I am writing to you to express my concern about dolphin petting pools at captive facilities. Captive dolphins are kept intentionally hungry and are forced to interact with park visitors. The fish portions that are fed to them are very small, to keep the dolphins constantly coming back for more. The animals endure poking and prodding from thousands of guests everyday.

Sometimes these dolphins are touched in a rough or painful way by well-meaning tourists. Inevitably, garbage is dropped into the pools, creating choking hazards for the dolphins. Visitors can also be injured by the dolphins, putting them both at risk. Expecting children and adults to follow the facilities rules in an uncontrolled and chaotic environment is a recipe for disaster.

It is also important to note that very few, if any, cases exist of wild dolphins harming humans. Quite the contrary – there are thousands of stories and accounts of dolphins actually helping people. We are not returning the favor by keeping dolphins in these captive situations.

Dolphin interactions and petting pools nationwide are not only cruel and unfair to dolphins, but are also very dangerous for people. Please close all dolphin petting pools in U.S. captive facilities for the safety of animals and tourists alike.

Thank you for your time,