Group Alleges Dolphin Semen Extraction at Cozumel’s Dolphinaris

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — An environmental group has accused a veterinarian at the Dolphinaris dolphin park in Cozumel of repeatedly manipulating a captive dolphin’s genital area, allegedly to obtain semen for artificial insemination, and is demanding that federal environmental prosecutors investigate.

The organization VEELEAF said it recorded the images in September and published them on Instagram, where the post drew more than 4,000 likes and over 1,100 comments. The group identified the person in the footage as a Dolphinaris veterinarian.

VEELEAF said the handling may have been intended to collect reproductive material to inseminate females held in captivity, describing it as “one of the darkest faces of the captivity industry.”

Group asks Profepa to step in

The organization called on the Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) to establish what procedure was performed, what its purpose was and whether animal welfare rules were followed. It also asked Dolphinaris to explain the activities documented inside its facilities.

“It is outrageous that an industry that strips them of their freedom also disposes of their genitals and their reproduction as if they owned them,” the group wrote, adding that “no animal should spend its life subjected to what others decide to do with its body.”

What Mexican law says

A 2025 reform to Article 60 Bis of Mexico’s General Wildlife Law, published on July 16, 2025, bans the reproduction of marine mammals except when it is intended for conservation through the recovery, reintroduction or repopulation of threatened or endangered species.

The legislation also requires that authorized interaction activities with cetaceans be carried out without touching the animals’ eyes, blowhole or genitals. It further sets obligations aimed at preventing captive animals from reproducing, along with specific rules for handling accidental births.

Earlier complaints at the park

The allegation adds to previous scrutiny of captive dolphin conditions in Quintana Roo. In October 2025, the group Empty the Tanks México said dolphin mothers and calves were confined in small pools at Dolphinaris Cozumel, releasing drone footage filmed on September 27 and saying it had filed a third formal complaint with environmental authorities.

Industry representatives said at the time that the births in question resulted from pregnancies that began before the reform took effect.

In its new complaint, VEELEAF is asking authorities to clarify what was done to the dolphin and to determine whether the handling is tied to reproductive activities the law now prohibits.