Starving dolphins rescued from abandoned amusement park in the Bahamas, group says

Five starving dolphins were rescued from an abandoned amusement park in the Bahamas, following the deaths of eight others, an animal welfare group said.

The park, located on Blackbeard Cay, once held 13 captive dolphins for visitors to swim with, according to a May 6 news release from the Dolphin Project, a non-profit that advocates for dolphin protection.

But since 2018, eight of the animals have died — three of whom starved, the group said.

And during the COVID-19 pandemic, the park shuttered, leaving the remaining five without adequate care.

Ric O’Barry, founder of the Dolphin Project, recently inspected the park, where he witnessed the animals’ deteriorating conditions, which “could be considered animal abuse,” the group said.

“The dolphins are all seriously underweight, suffering from malnutrition and dehydration,” the group said.

The animals were also kept in “extremely shallow water” in a pen with multiple “large holes.” The site also has no running water or electricity.

While the site has one full-time caretaker, there were no veterinarians or security personnel, the group said.

The caretaker “has been with these dolphins for eight years,” O’Barry told Yahoo News. “He has no electricity whatsoever, he’s like a homeless guy living on the island.”

Due to the “horrific” conditions, the group asked the Bahamian government to step in and rescue the remaining dolphins.

In a May 10 update, the group said the government had provided notice that the five dolphins named Fiona, Harry, Diamond, Justice and Pigeon were removed from the park.

They were transported to an animal care facility at Atlantis, a resort in the Bahamas, where they will be observed and given medical care.

“The five survivors are in a world of trouble from everything I have seen,” O’Barry said in the release.

“From critical food (and water) deprivation to lack of critically needed shade, and electricity, from potential hazards within the dolphins’ enclosures to lack of proper medical care, it would be more appropriate to state that survivors are living a nightmare,” O’Barry said.

McClatchy News has reached out to the Bahamian Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources for comment.

This story was originally published May 16, 2024 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Starving dolphins rescued from abandoned amusement park in the Bahamas, group says."