Dolphins Found Abandoned at Cancún’s Ventura Park

Cancún, Mexico — The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) and the Secretariat of Ecology and Environment of the Quintana Roo government conducted an inspection operation at the facilities of what was once a water park in Cancún.

This action follows a video circulating on social media showing dolphins in the pools.

Óscar Rébora, head of the Secretariat of Ecology and Environment (SEMA), reported that he attended the procedure, during which veterinarians and other representatives from both agencies entered to check how many and in what condition the cetaceans were found, following what is presumed to be an abandonment of nearly a year after the closure of this water park at kilometer 26 of Cancún’s hotel zone.

The video that prompted the operation was shared on TikTok, where aerial shots show the abandoned state of the park, as well as the pools with stagnant water, where at least five dolphins are visible.

Regardless of this complaint, federal authorities were supposed to be conducting verification operations in these types of establishments following the reform to the General Wildlife Law that in mid-2025 prohibited the reproduction of marine mammals in captivity and their use in shows.

In early January, the closure of Ventura Park was announced, along with the dolphinarium inside.

Many dolphinariums have even filed injunctions against the reform that prohibits reproduction in captivity and the use of mammals in shows, claiming that dolphinariums are safe spaces for the conservation of marine mammals.