Know the risks before swimming with Flipper!

See also our FAQs about dolphins in captivity and in swim-with-the-dolphin programs >>

When was the last time you heard of someone who was attacked by a dolphin? Probably never. And if all those swim-with-the-dolphin programs have their way, you never will. Sadly, this doesn't mean that attacks by captive dolphins don't happen. It simply means that the captive dolphin industry answers to no one and is not required to report incidents where people have been injured by dolphins.

"They're big, wild animals and people should respect them as such." - Dr. Andrew Read, Duke University

Don't let their "smile" fool you. Dolphins are not the happy, smiling clowns that the captivity industry would have you believe. Though at times they may be curious about people, they are also vulnerable to stress and are capable of acting out when provoked. Given their size, strength and agility in the water, it's easy to understand how unprepared swimmers have been head butted, knocked aside and dragged under water by captive dolphins stressed to the breaking point.

"Dolphins can be aggressive, especially if they don't want you in their tank… They are so strong and so fast; they might want to send you a mild message and you could get hurt." - Dr. Lori Marino, Marine Biologist, Emory University

Pet or predator?

Dolphins are wild animals. It's that simple. Thanks to television programs like "Flipper" and places like Sea World, the natural caution most of us use around wild animals is lost when it comes to dolphins. We want to dive right in and hug them! Would you ever think of jumping into a tank filled with sharks? Would you let your child "play" with a tiger or rattlesnake? Of course not-- because you respect the fact that wild animals are strong, unpredictable and potentially deadly.

If you think that swimming with dolphins is a "natural" experience that will give you insights into the true nature of dolphins, think again. Government assessments of swim programs clearly state that dolphins are least likely to be aggressive and dangerous only when the MOST controls are put on them and their natural behaviors are suppressed.

"Dolphins have not been domesticated. They are wild animals, even if they are in captivity and have been trained to be around people. Dolphins are large, powerful animals that can inflict serious harm on people."

"Wildlife can be dangerous… There's this misconception that [dolphins are] friendly; that they're Flipper; that they want to play with people." - Trevor Spradlin, National Marine Fisheries Service

How Do Dolphins Show Aggression?

• Raking their teeth along your limbs.
  "Dolphins have a hundred very sharp, cone-shaped teeth, designed for grasping. I would not recommend putting my hand near them." - Randy Wells, Chicago Zoological Society
  
  
• Pushing, bumping or head butting.
  A Brazilian man was head-butted in the chest so hard that he died of internal injuries. "Tiao the dolphin sent one man to the hospital and the other to the grave, and head-butted several more bathers for good measure." - BBC report concerning this incident.
  
  
• Approaching with an open mouth, pulling you under or not letting you leave the water. "People have been bitten by dolphins, pulled under the water, rammed… They are at the top of their food chain, they're wild animals and they're predators." - Randy Wells, Chicago Zoological Society

Know the risks:

• Your safety is not guaranteed.
  Most swim-with-the-dolphin programs accept no liability for the actions of the animals they keep. This is a virtually unregulated industry that has experienced phenomenal growth. APHIS (Animal Plant Health Inspection Service), the government agency that oversees the operation of these facilities, does not require injury reports. Outside of the United States, regulations are even more lax. Your safety is assured by no one."Dolphins Plus has no control of the dolphins…in the facility and the [participant] assumes all risk of injury, damage or loss." Release form, Dolphins Plus (Florida dolphin interaction program)
  
  
• Women and children are most often the targets for aggressive dolphin behaviors.
  "Out of the 24 reported cases of dolphin aggression in the last 5 years, 22 were directed toward females and the other two were young boys." - Sea World Ohio research data
  
  
• Accidents happen.
  It is important to recognize that though some aggressive acts are intentional, many injuries are accidental. Yet another reason to stay out of the water! Dolphins can weigh from 300 to 1200 pounds-that's more than some horses weigh! At times, these big guys don't know their own strength or they just can't get out of the way in time to avoid a collision.

  In Florida, a man suffered broken ribs and a woman broke her arm when a dolphin that was approaching for an interaction passed too quickly between them.

• Dolphins get hurt, too.
  Swim programs are harmful to the dolphins themselves. When forced to constantly submit to people's desires to be near and touch them, dolphins experience great levels of stress, which can then lead to significant health problems.
  

Please note that all quotes used in compiling this fact sheet were taken from public statements made by the individuals and is in no way meant to serve as an endorsement of WSPA or the content of this fact sheet.