Dubai Dolphinarium is a fully air-conditioned indoor dolphinarium in the Middle East, providing habitat to dolphins and seals, allowing the public to watch and interact with them through live shows and photo sessions. It is located at Creek Park near the Children's City within the vicinity of Oud Metha and Bur Dubai. Dubai Dolphinarium was opened on May 21, 2008 in partnership with Dubai Municipality, and is sponsored and supported by Dubai government to provide the general public with entertainment and also educate them regarding dolphins, seals and other marine organisms.[1] It was also reflected that interacting with such friendly mammals like dolphins will motivate young generation to protect marine life and the environment.
Facilities
Dubai Dolphinarium is a 5,000-square-meter (54,000 sq ft) modern indoor facility with around 1250 seating capacity for Dolphin & Seal Show. The Dolphins have their own private habitat area with 600 cubic metres (160,000 US gal) of sea water connected to the main arena pool. There is a separate medical pool and seal pool constructed considering well-being of these marine mammals.[2]
The dolphinarium complex also features group and kids activities, birthday parties for kids, school field trips, group events, swim with dolphins, mirror maze, bird show, a restaurant providing quick and fun meals for kids and a mini 5-D cinema theater.
Various activities like kids summer camp and Dubai Summer Surprises are held at the Dubai Dolphinarium every year during summer holidays.
Dubai Dolphinarium in association with Dubai Municipality organized an Autism Awareness Day from various autism care centres and training centres for children with special needs on April 28, 2011.[5]
Dubai Dolphinarium welcomed its one millionth visitor during March, 2012 and various promotional activities were featured during this period.[6]
Management
This establishment is managed by a staff of 60 including mammal trainers and customer supporting staff.
Criticisms
Dubai Dolphinarium had come under criticism from various animal welfare campaigners in the beginning saying, it would lead to suffering and high dolphin mortality. Activists also questioned the source of its black seabottlenose dolphins, claiming that one of them was not born in captivity but rescued from fishermen's nets, and therefore should have been re-released.[7]
However the management has countered these criticisms stating that the dolphins in Dubai Dolphinarium are third generation dolphins who were born in artificial conditions and are perfectly happy in their current environment and role, and are healthier all year round than their wild counterparts.[8][9]
In 2019, Dubai Dolphinarium came under heavy waves of criticism after a trainer posted on Instagram a video of them sitting on one of the dolphins,[10][11] which caused Instagram to issue a warning to whoever had searched “#dubaidolphinarium” on the app.[12]
