Dolphin Project

No dolphin deserves a life, motionless on a concrete floor. With your support Dolphin Project continues to expose the dark reality of dolphin captivity. Every share, every voice, every donation and every person standing with us helps keep global pressure on the captive industry to change its business model. Together, we can make sure the world never looks away from what is happening in captivity. Join our plight to protect dolphins. 🔗 DolphinProject.org #dolphins #dolphinproject #emptythetanks

Taiji: Most people don’t know this but despite captive breeding in aquariums, dolphins are still captured from the wild and sold to aquariums. Take the pledge NOT to buy a ticket to a dolphin show: dolphin.fyi/DolphinPledge

A dolphin's smile is nature's greatest deception." - @RichardOBarry Behind that smile, the dolphin trafficking continues. Every year, dolphins are being driven into Taiji's cove, selected, sold into captivity, and shipped dolphinariums in select parts the world. But there is resistance. @dolphin_project is on the ground in Taiji, documenting the hunts, exposing the trafficking, the exploitation and the dark reality behind captivity. They are working alongside courageous Japanese activists who are tirelessly trying to raise awareness and push for legal change from within Japan. This isn't just about bearing witness, it's about dismantling the system that profits from captivity. Through international pressure, education, policy advocacy, and relentless documentation, real change is being fought for every single day. Don't buy a ticket to a dolphin show. Dolphin trafficking is happening right now. Join the fight to protect the dolphins passing through Taiji. dolphin.fyi/HelpJapanDolph…

If you truly love the ocean, don’t do this. Whale sharks are gentle giants — but when tourists crowd them, touch them, or block their movement, it causes stress and can alter their natural behavior. Marine wildlife should never feel trapped for our content. The rule is simple: No chasing. No touching. No surrounding. No flash. Keep your distance. The ocean is their home. We are just visitors. 🎥 Lombok, captured by atravellingjoey on TikTok and joey.travels on Instagram. #JAANIndonesia #DolphinProject #ThanksButNoTanks #UmahLumba #animals

Taiji: This is one of the hardest moments to witness. The moment a wild dolphin is turned into an attraction. A wild dolphin being taken from everything it knows… its home, its family, the ocean. It’s unacceptable that we are able to exploit dolphins in this way for entertainment. The demand fuels the supply. *images from Feb 17, 2026 Feb 27, 2026 Take action : dolphinproject.org/campaigns/save…

I just took the @Dolphin_Project pledge NOT to buy a ticket to a dolphin show. Sign here dolphin.fyi/DolphinPledge #ThanksButNoTanks 🐬

Taiji: The dolphin hunters drove in a pod of striped dolphins, a deep water species. As the dolphins were pushed into shallow water, they panicked. Dolphins could be seen tangled in nets, pressed up against concrete and rocks in desperate attempts to escape. The divers grabbed and manhandled them as they forced them under the tarps where their lives were extinguished. Feb 22, 2026 TAKE ACTION: (🔗 in BIO) dolphinproject.org/campaigns/save…

Wild caught orcas are still living the consequences of captivity, decades after being torn from their families and oceans.⁠ ⁠ From Corky and Ulises to Naya, now alone after loss upon loss, their stories reveal a legacy of trauma that did not end with capture. It continues in tanks around the world.⁠ ⁠ Read their full story and why it still matters.: dolphinproject.org/blog/wild-caug…

Decades after dolphins were first dumped into tanks and taught tricks to amuse paying customers – what have we really learned from their captivity?⁠ What is there left to learn? Full story at: bit.ly/3M9cu9L (🔗 in our bio!)⁠ ⁠ #dolphinproject #dolphin #animals #aquarium #thanksbutnotanks

Taiji: Although the dolphin hunting boats stayed in the harbor today, dolphin exploitation continued. 3 bottlenose dolphins were wrestled into slings and carried across the harbor. The dolphins were then hoisted up and out of the water, lifted, then dropped into crates and loaded into a large truck. During the process, one dolphin sustained an injury as blood could seen on its pectoral fin. The truck then carried the dolphins away to an unknown destination. The captive industry is only profitable because of the demand for captive dolphins. We can help end this by choosing not to go to dolphin shows, not to “swim” with captive dolphins and not to support any facility that holds dolphins captive. Feb. 17, 2026 dolphinproject.org/campaigns/save…

A day in the life of Farida, Umah Lumba’s vet 🤍🐾 Every day is different, because no one ever knows which animals will come through our gates. From emergency rescues to daily treatments, each case brings new responsibilities Check our website for more ways you can support us!

The show stadium at Kobe Suma SeaWorld has been built right next to the Pacific Ocean, within the orcas’ view when they jump on command. Stella was captured from the wild, taken from her mother off the coast of Iceland when she was about 1 year old. Ran is Stella's 19-year-old daughter who was born in captivity- the only one of her offspring that lives with her: bit.ly/43ep24a (🔗 in our bio)⁠ ⁠ Footage: @life_investigation_agency and Dolphin Project⁠ #orca #killerwhale #animals #thanksbutnotanks #emptythetanks #cetacean

Every year in Taiji, Japan, entire pods of dolphins are chased, trapped, and driven into the infamous cove. Over 1,800 dolphins can be captured or killed throughout the drive hunt season. Some are selected for captivity torn from their families and sold for profit. The biggest profit comes from the trafficking of bottlenose dolphins. These hunts are not cultural tradition. They are driven by supply and demand from the global captive dolphin industry. @dolphin_project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare and protection of dolphins worldwide. Since 2003, Dolphin Project has been on the ground in Taiji, documenting the drive hunts, exposing the reality of captivity, and pushing for legal change to protect the dolphins who pass these shores and are subjected to these brutal hunts. This is what happens when profit outweighs compassion. And this is why the world needs to keep watching. Support dolphin projects ongoing campaign by visiting dolphinproject.org and take action.

BREAKING: Eduardo Albor has been arrested in Cancun, Mexico. The reasons of the arrest are currently not known, but we will update as more information becomes available. ⁠ ⁠ From Empty The Tanks Mexico: “Eduardo Albor is founder and CEO of The Dolphin Company, the company behind a multitude of captive dolphin parks in Mexico and other countries. ⁠ ⁠ Their company has been heavily criticized by animal welfare organizations due to the captivity of dolphins and sea wolves, as well as investigations and public reports related to animal treatment, money laundering and acts of corruption.”⁠ ⁠ #dolphins #emptythetanks #animals #thanksbutnotanks

I just took the @Dolphin_Project pledge NOT to buy a ticket to a dolphin show. Sign here dolphin.fyi/DolphinPledge #ThanksButNoTanks 🐬

Taiji: Dolphin hunters drove a pod of approximately 23 striped dolphins into the Cove this morning. As the nets closed in, many dolphins became entangled, some never able to surface for air again. In panic and fear, some threw themselves against the rocks, desperately trying to escape. There is nothing humane about these hunts. They are violent, traumatic, and deeply intertwined with the captive dolphin industry. Dolphin Project is on the ground, bearing witness, documenting the reality, pushing for legal change and advocating for the dolphins who pass by Taiji and are subjected to this cruelty. Please don’t look away. Help us take action: dolphinproject.org/campaigns/save…

❤️ @Umah_Lumba

Do you remember Bubu? 🤍🐦 We shared her story with you when she first came to us — weak, exhausted, and unable to even stand. Bubu, a Brown Booby bird (Sula leucogaster), arrived on 23rd January from Legian in critical condition. She was lethargic, didn’t want to fly, and couldn’t support her own body. Every day after that, she was closely monitored, supported, and rehabilitated by our team. Slowly, she regained her strength. By February 9th, Bubu was flying again and eating independently. By February 10th, she was in tip-top condition and officially declared ready to return home. Her release was carried out at Pantai Keresek, Gerogak, Buleleng. Under Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, four booby species are protected: • Papasula abbotti (Abbott’s booby) • Sula dactylatra (Masked booby) • Sula leucogaster (Brown booby) • Sula sula (Red-footed booby) We thank BKSDA Bali for their constant support and trust in our work. This collaboration allows more animals like Bubu to get a second chance at life. Fly free, Bubu. #JAANIndonesia #DolphinProject #ThanksButNoTanks #UmahLumba #animals