Egypt - Red Sea : Captive dolphin shows in Sharm El Sheikh

As a charity which works hard for the protection, conservation and welfare of dolphins and whales worldwide, the Marine Connection were very concerned when, in 2004, we were alerted to three dolphins and two belugas being kept in severely detrimental conditions in a captive facility called Dolphinella in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.

In particular, the belugas, named Feel and Hook, were being kept within a painfully small tank at temperatures far above the Arctic temperatures they require (see picture). Marine Connection immediately contacted the relevant authorities within Egypt and campaign for the animals' return to their country of origin, Russia.

International laws, to which Egypt is party, state that import permits will only be granted if the receiving destination can prove they are providing 'fit and proper accommodation for the species concerned' which was certainly not the case, specifically with regards to both space and water temperature. With assistance and encouragement from our supporters and many months of correspondence with the authorities, the owners of Dolphinella were finally ordered to return the two belugas to Russia.

Disappointingly, despite the animals' removal from Dolphinella, the belugas were then 'temporarily' placed at Merryland Park facility in Cairo in late 2004. Sadly, in February 2005, 'Hook' died and the Marine Connection became even more determined to ensure that 'Feel' was returned to Russia rather than becoming a part of the performances at Merryland. Finally, in August 2006, after over a year of correspondence and campaigning, the charity can now confirm that Feel the beluga was returned to Russia.

Although the belugas of Dolphinella initially alerted the charity to the situation in Sharm el Sheikh, Marine Connection has also campaigned hard to prevent all other existing and proposed captive marine mammal facilities in the area. A facility with two dolphins and a sea lion opened in the Concorde el Salaam Hotel early in 2005, but after discovering the animals had been illegally imported and the resulting pressure from the charity, in May 2005 the facility closed and the animals returned to their country of origin. Plans to have a dolphinarium within an Aqua Park on Hilton company land were also scrapped after pressure from the Marine Connection and its supporters.

The Marine Connection is still working hard in Sharm el Sheikh with our 'See Red!' campaign which aims to ensure the closure of Dolphinella captive facility due to issues surrounding whether one or more of the dolphins was caught from the wild. This campaign also aims to educate tourists about the plight of dolphins in captivity, the risks to both human and dolphin participants in dolphin swim programmes as well as the impressive ways to enjoy the wild and diverse marine environment of Sharm el Sheikh which borders the Red Sea.

To read more about the Marine Connection's work in Sharm el Sheikh please visit http://www.marineconnection.org/news/general/sharm06main.htm

From : Wildlife Extra News

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