Young Dolphin Dead at Key Largo Marine Park; PETA Blasts ‘Swim-With’ Encounters, Wants Survivors Sent to Sanctuary

For Immediate Release:
May 1, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Dolphins can live to be at least 40 years of age, but 15-year-old dolphin Zoe died far short of her natural lifespan at Dolphin Life marine park in Key Largo on Wednesday, causing PETA to send an urgent letter today to Founder and Director Art Cooper, calling on him to send those dolphins still alive to seaside sanctuaries before any more die. Zoe—who was used for swim-with-dolphins encounters—reportedly suffered from a gastrointestinal infection and pancreatitis that progressed to an immune-mediated condition, which causes anemia. Gastrointestinal disease is extremely common in captive dolphins due to chronic stress, poor diet, and ingestion of foreign material.

“For a dolphin, a tiny enclosure filled with inescapable and possibly dirty, grabbing hands and who-knows-what is a recipe for sickness and death,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is urging Dolphin Life to stop these dangerous encounters and send the surviving dolphins to sanctuaries before another one suffers and dies on its watch.”

In nature, dolphins swim up to 60 miles a day and dive deep beneath the ocean’s surface while exploring vast territories with their pods. At marine parks, they’re confined to small tanks or shallow lagoons and often forced into stressful and risky interactions such as swim-with encounters. Dolphin Life was cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2023 after a guest sustained bites during a swim-with encounter with two dolphins. Reputable animal-care facilities, such as those accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, never force animals into hands-on encounters or allow visitors to touch or ride them.

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.

PETA’s letter to Cooper follows.

May 1, 2026

Art Cooper

Founder & Director

Dolphin Life

Dear Mr. Cooper:

I’m writing on behalf of PETA and our millions of members and supporters worldwide with an urgent request following the premature death of Zoe at Dolphin Life this week. Before another dolphin suffers and dies after a lifetime of being forced into stressful, dangerous encounters with humans, denied everything that’s natural and important to them, we urge you to send the remaining dolphins to seaside sanctuaries.

Nearly every major travel company, including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, and TripAdvisor, prohibits ticket sales to venues that offer swim-with-dolphin encounters, interactions, and performances. Companies and consumers alike are recognizing that dolphins’ complex physical and psychological needs simply can’t be met when they’re used for entertainment, and experts agree that these animals exhibit a range of welfare problems, including stress, disease, health issues, and behavioral abnormalities due to conditions of confinement. Gastrointestinal disease—which Zoe suffered from prior to her death—is commonly seen in captive dolphins and is often related to their chronic stress, diet, or ingestion of foreign material.

The world now recognizes that dolphins deserve freedom. Canada, France, and Mexico have banned dolphin captivity, and that list will only grow. Two belugas were transferred from a marine park in China to a sanctuary in Iceland, three dolphins confined to tiny pools in Indonesia were rehabilitated and released into the sea, and the Whale Sanctuary Project is creating a sanctuary for orcas and belugas in Nova Scotia.

Dolphin Life has the opportunity to become a leader in marine animal welfare rather than a relic of a fading industry. May we please hear that you’ll immediately end all swim-with-dolphin encounters, and commit now to sending the dolphins to seaside sanctuaries?

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Tracy Reiman

President