Victory! Disney-Owned Resort Confirms End to Captive Dolphin Encounters

For Immediate Release:
May 19, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

After hearing from PETA about the suffering endured by dolphins exploited for “swim with” attractions, Aulani—a Disney Resort & Spa in Kapolei—has confirmed that it has stopped offering the harmful encounters. In thanks, PETA is sending the companies delicious dolphin-shaped vegan chocolates.

Aulani removed from its website an off-site excursion to a “swim with dolphins” experience at Sea Life Park—a Waimānalo marine park with a long and sordid history of animal suffering and death. The move follows parent company Walt Disney’s decision to remove dolphins from The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion at EPCOT in 2024.

“Dolphins belong in the open ocean where they can swim freely and live with their families, not imprisoned and subjected to grabbing hands from unthinking tourists,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is celebrating this compassionate move by Aulani and reminds travelers to do their part by leaving animal-exploiting activities off their itineraries.”

In nature, dolphins choose their own partners, swim up to 60 miles a day, and form long-lasting friendships within their pods. Those subjected to hands-on encounters are confined to barren concrete tanks or shallow, makeshift lagoons and are often forced into incompatible social groups, with nowhere to escape when conflicts erupt among other stressed animals. Many have been torn away from their families and ocean homes, while others are used as breeding machines to create more generations of animals who will suffer intensive confinement. 

PETA points out that the tide is turning against dolphin exploitation: Canada, Mexico, and France have now banned dolphin captivity, and major travel companies—including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, and Tripadvisor—refuse to sell tickets to “swim with dolphins” experiences. PETA is calling on The Kahala Hotel & Resort and Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii to follow Aulani’s lead and stop offering captive dolphin encounters.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.