Dolphinarium at Barceló Maya Grand Resort Has Been Shut Down—Find Out Why You Should Never Swim With Dolphins

Update (May 13, 2025): The Dolphinarium at Hotel Barceló, owned by the same company that operates the Miami Seaquarium, has been permanently closed by Mexico’s Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA). This decision follows intense pressure from local organizations like Animal Heroes, and the support of PETA Latino.

The closure was announced by the chief of PROFEPA on social media, citing multiple violations and incidents that led to this action. One of the key incidents involved a dolphin named Mincho, who suffered an injury on November 28, 2020. Despite a veterinarian’s recommendation for two weeks of rest, Mincho was put back to work just two days later.

Further investigations revealed that the Dolphinarium failed to report Mincho’s health status monthly to PROFEPA, did not have authorization for dolphin performances, and frequently exceeded the permitted number of humans in the pool with the dolphins.

These violations, along with the deaths of other dolphins, Alex and Plata, in 2024, highlighted the facility’s disregard for animal welfare. Keep reading to learn how dolphins suffered before this operation was shut down.

Originally posted on February 4, 2025:

The Barceló hotel chain is a thriving business. It does not need to exploit dolphins to make a profit. Yet, at the Barceló Maya Grand Resort near Playa del Carmen in Quintana Roo, México, that’s exactly what happens.

What Is Life Like for the Dolphins Trapped at Barceló Maya Grand Resort?

Four adult male dolphins presently are confined there, living in a small tank on the hotel’s premises. Barceló Maya Grand Resort’s “dolphinarium” is operated by Dolphinaris, which is owned by The Dolphin Company—the same company that owns the notorious Miami Seaquarium in Florida.

These animals are trained to perform unnatural tricks. In “swim with dolphins” encounters, they are forced to repeatedly push and pull human tourists around, sometimes over 50 times a day.

It is common to see captive dolphins with soft tissue lesions or other wounds on their faces and fins. They can get these from rubbing their skin on tank walls or from repeatedly ferrying humans around the tank with their bodies.

There is no species-appropriate enrichment for the dolphins trapped there. They are often observed floating listlessly at the top of the water, an unnatural behavior known as “logging”.

The Barceló Dolphin Tank Is Over 10 Times Smaller Than the Largest Dolphin Enclosure in Mexico

In fact, the hotel’s swimming pool for tourists is larger than the tank where the dolphins are confined.

The Tank at Barceló Maya Grand Resort Offers No Shade From the Bright Sun, Leaving Animals Exposed for Hours on Clear Days

UV exposure is harmful to the skin and eyes of captive dolphins who are unable to dive deep enough to escape the sun’s rays.

Have Any Dolphins Died at Barceló Maya Grand Resort Near Playa del Carmen?

Two dolphins, Plata and Alex, suffered severe injuries and died within 12 months of each other after being attacked by an incompatible tankmate at Barceló.

In their natural ocean homes, dolphins have complex social hierarchies.  However, in marine parks and roadside dolphinariums, humans force them to live in random groups. Unavoidable conflicts are inevitable.

Barceló hosts music festivals where loud music may go on for several days, putting the dolphins under even more stress.

The primary sense for dolphins and other cetaceans is hearing. Exposure to loud sounds, both airborne and underwater, has a detrimental effect on them.

At Barceló Maya Grand Resort, they are exposed to constant and often loud noise from tourists, background music, and the pumps and other equipment in their tank.

In apparent violation of Mexican law, there is no veterinarian permanently on site at the Barceló Maya Grand Resort dolphin tank.

Although captive dolphins in the United States are afforded some minimal protections, programs outside the U.S. are often governed by few, if any, laws.

Throughout the Caribbean, dolphins are kept in small pools or polluted sea pens. Debris and trash left in or near these pools, such as plastic bags, sunglasses, or the paper used to wrap the “fish food,” can be ingested by the animals, causing gastrointestinal problems or even death.

Driven by greed, many facilities operate almost continuously, giving the animals little respite from a constant stream of tourists.

You Can Help Dolphins Exploited for Entertainment—Here’s How

Dolphins are intelligent animals. In their ocean homes, they swim on average 40 miles a day and can dive to great depths. They have distinct personalities, can recognize themselves in mirrors, and can think about the future. They seek out others whose company they enjoy and avoid those they don’t.

Never pay to “swim with dolphins” or engage in any other activity that sees them exploited for profit.

Tell your friends, family, and social media followers to do the same.