Animal lovers in the Turkish resort town of Alanya held a picket called "Protest against dolphinariums" as part of the global "Freedom for Dolphins" campaign.
Protests in defense of dolphins and against the construction of dolphinariums took place simultaneously in many cities around the world. Turkey was represented by the city of Alanya, where animal lovers held a picket called "Protest against dolphinariums."
Several dozen people holding signs held a four-hour picket at Government Square. As one of the protesters, Gökçe Nihan Doğan, explained, their goal is to stop the horrors happening behind the dolphinarium's doors: the animals are forced to eat dead fish and give birth in closed enclosures. All of this affects their lifespan; while dolphins can live up to 4 years in the wild, in captivity they barely make it to 45.
According to Gökçe Nihan, in the open sea, dolphins travel over 100 km per day and can descend to depths of up to 300 meters to hunt for fish. They live in large family groups and have strong social bonds. In cramped pools, dolphins become extremely stressed and aggressive. To calm them down, they are injected with powerful medications whose safety has not been confirmed by relevant studies or veterinarians.
A picketer called on city residents and visitors to avoid visiting dolphinariums, lest they support this cruel entertainment industry. She stated that the goal of the protest was to close all such establishments on the coast.
