Petition to Move Nine Dolphins From Ventura Park Tops 43,000 Signatures

Cancun, Quintana Roo — A petition to relocate nine dolphins from the closed Ventura Park to sea pens has passed 43,000 signatures on Change.org just three weeks after it was launched by the animal welfare group Empty The Tanks Mexico.

The campaign calls for moving Solei, Oceania, Mincho, Diego, Squalo, Flex, Apolo, Solomon and Satu to ocean enclosures in Isla Mujeres or Chankanaab, Cozumel. The dolphins remain in the former Dolphin Discovery facilities at Ventura Park, which has shut down.

Empty The Tanks Mexico said the nine animals suffer from chronic conditions affecting multiple body systems, including gastrointestinal, respiratory, hematological, oral, ocular, metabolic and dermatological disorders. The group also reported dental injuries and behavior it says could indicate compromised welfare.

The effort follows a July 2025 reform to Article 60 Bis of Mexico’s General Wildlife Law, which set out measures to end the breeding of marine mammals in captivity and move toward a phase-out of dolphinariums. The organization said alternatives must also be defined for animals still kept in such facilities.

The proposal does not involve releasing the dolphins directly into the ocean. Instead, it urges moving them to sea pens where they would have access to natural seawater, currents and tides, and a larger environment, while continuing to receive specialized veterinary care.

Empty The Tanks Mexico cited scientific research on the benefits of relocating dolphins from closed facilities to marine environments, including a study by specialists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

The petition asks the federal environmental agencies Semarnat and Profepa, the government of Quintana Roo, and Dolphin Discovery to establish a transfer plan and provide individual clinical follow-up for the nine dolphins. It also proposes creating a Center for Wildlife Research for Dolphins and calls for its technical team to take part in a project aimed at improving the animals’ conditions.

The campaign has collected 43,217 signatures and aims to move the dolphins from concrete tanks to a marine setting that, according to organizers, would offer better welfare.