TripAdvisor Have Stopped Selling Dolphin Swim Tours

Captive Dolphin Industry Losing Support...

After years of negative press and public pressure TripAdvisor have shifted their stance on profiting from animal captivity by ceasing to sell “swim with dolphin” tours on their website.

Now that doesn’t mean that TripAdvisor users will no longer be able to leave reviews about their experiences at dolphinariums such as those owned by companies such as Dolphin Discovery, and Delphinus World, but it does mean people will no longer be able to buy a tour online through their website.

In the past TripAdvisor has come under fire for removing forum posts, and reviews that spoke negatively about swim-with-dolphin tours and the poor treatment of captive dolphins within these facilities. A number of readers of this blog have personally had their comments and/or negative experiences permanently removed from TripAdvisor. Which many people believed was an effort by the American travel website to protect one of their revenue streams… though TripAdvisor claimed the content was removed due to violations of their content guidelines the motives behind the mass removal of negative content will never be clear. 

Now what is clear is that the latest decision by the American travel site is the first drop of good news for captive dolphins in what has been an otherwise barren couple of years.

What does this mean for the Mexican Dolphin Industry?

More than likely there will be a direct impact on revenue generation as Online Tour Operators (OTO´s) represent a substantial source of income for the captive dolphin industry. 

 It is important to remember that the captive dolphin industry was thriving long before OTO´s were selling tours online therefore more than likely it will be “business as usual” for many. That being said less prosperous facilities may be forced to close (fingers crossed) or at least considerably cut back on overhead expenditure. 

Dolphinariums are already spinning the topic negatively claiming that they will have to reduce expenditure or cut back on dolphin care, rather than reducing the huge annual bonuses directors dish out to themselves, or monumental company expense accounts. This is yet another example of the pathetic mentality that spawned completely inaccurate and false marketing campaigns to entice tourists to swim with dolphins in Mexico.

"The big question is whether or not TripAdvisor will stick to their guns in the long term, or reverse their stance and revert back to selling tours that promote animal captivity"

Why the change of heart?

Like many big businesses “heart” isn´t taken into account when making decisions, but profits are.

More than likely a change in public attitude towards swimming with dolphins in captivity led to a plateau or slight decline in revenue on an already ethically dubious source of revenue (swimming with dolphins in captivity) which led to the decision to stop selling tours online in an attempt to affirm the business as environmentally conscientious.

Protest against captivity in Playa del Carmen

Speculations aside, and motives ignored this is good news for people who love dolphins, and lost ground for the Captive Dolphin Industry. 

Documentaries such as The Cove, and Blackfish have shed light on the fundamental horror and unveiled the dangers of interacting with captive cetaceans that corporations such as Dolphin Discover have invested so many marketing dollars into hiding and/or misrepresenting. Enthusiastic anti-captivity organizations such as Delfines en Libertad have organized many protests throughout the Playa del Carmen, and Cancun to raise awareness about the need of further education in this area. Even resorts such as Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya, and Bahia Principe in Tulum that have an in-house dolphinariums have received a large amount of blowback from guests many of which have stated that they will never return to the resort.

Now TripAdvisor albeit late in the game so to speak have delivered an additional blow to the industry, and now the end of dolphin captivity in Mexico seems an obtainable goal for the not so distant future.

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