The Quintana Roo State Secretariat of Ecology and Environment (SEMA), in conjunction with the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA), conducted an operation at the Ventura Park water park in Cancún’s hotel zone, following a report of the neglect of at least five dolphins.
This action came after a video went viral on social media, showing the park’s deterioration, including the pools that, as recently as December 2024, attracted tourists to witness acrobatic displays by marine mammals.
The images show the pools with mossy water where five dolphins swim, while the rest of the park appears completely abandoned.
The park announced its closure in January 2025, but until then, the dolphin show was one of its main attractions.
The head of the Ministry of Environment (SEMA), Óscar Rébora, personally attended the inspection, during which veterinarians and other representatives from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) entered the premises to assess the number and condition of the cetaceans.
Environmental authorities announced raids on these establishments just this past August, following the reform to the General Wildlife Law, which, by mid-2025, prohibited the breeding of marine mammals in captivity and their use in shows.
If the social media reports are confirmed, nearly a year would have passed without the authorities noticing the abandonment of these animals, even after the reform that was supposed to protect their well-being and guarantee the transition to conservation sanctuaries for the cetaceans that had been exploited in these types of establishments.
Following the reform last June, several injunctions have been filed by the owners of many dolphinariums, alleging that the reform condemns them to closure and deprives the specimens in captivity of safe habitats for their survival.
Source: eleconomista
