Waves of profit
Read our 'Waves of Profit' report and learn how the tourism industry profits from the Taiji dolphin killings.
Will you tell the tourism industry to stop fuelling Taiji dolphin slaughter?
Yes, I willAll images credit: Robert Gilhooly
Please raise your voice for Taiji dolphins who are violently captured and sold into a lifetime of captivity for profit.
Annually, from September to March, hundreds of wild dolphins that pass through the waters of Taiji in Japan to migrate with their family pods are violently hunted down and captured.
Many of these sentient beings are sold for thousands of dollars to entertainment venues across the globe, while some are also killed for their meat.
Shockingly, six major global travel companies including Trip.com, Groupon, Traveloka, GetYourGuide, TUI, and Klook are currently promoting and selling tickets to venues linked to the Taiji dolphin hunt.
Every ticket to a venue that buys dolphins from these gruesome hunts fuels the inherently cruel capture, trade and lifelong suffering of these highly intelligent and sensitive beings.
You can help by urgently calling on these travel companies to immediately stop promoting and selling captive dolphin entertainment and take a stand for dolphins.
Tourism’s deadly connection to the Taiji Dolphin Hunt
Our latest ‘Waves of Profit’ report lifts the lid on the dark ties between travel companies and the Taiji dolphin hunts. It found a staggering 107 dolphin entertainment venues across 17 countries linked to these horrific hunts.
The countries included China, Thailand, UAE, Vietnam, Philippines, South Korea, Mexico, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iran and Palau.
The report also found Trip.com, Groupon, Traveloka, GetYourGuide, TUI, and Klook among the top global travel companies guilty of riding the wave of cruelty by selling to Taiji linked dolphin venues.
But thanks to you the tide is turning against dolphin cruelty. Because of you, Klook is actively reviewing their Taiji-linked venue offerings and has removed some of them after being notified of our findings.
With tourists relying on travel brands for advice and recommendations, it is time for the travel industry to act responsibly and immediately stop fuelling the gruesome dolphin hunts in Taiji.
Tourists don’t want to see dolphins in captivity
Our 2022 global survey with over 20,000 participants found that 82% believe companies should not sell activities that cause suffering to wild animals and 79% would rather see a dolphin in the wild than in captivity.
Dolphin entertainment venues and the travel companies who support them are sentencing intelligent animals to a lifetime of misery in tiny, barren pools, which is a world away from their lives in the ocean.
Change within the travel industry is critical to keep up with customer expectations and to put an end to the wild capture of these sentient beings.
How can a signature help end dolphin suffering?
Thanks to pressure from over 350,000 supporters for our global Behind the Smile campaign, Expedia became the latest among travel companies to stop selling tickets that include dolphin shows.
Major travel companies like TripAdvisor, Virgin Holidays and Booking.com have also committed to stop selling tickets to captive dolphin shows and encounters. With your support today, we can move more travel companies to follow suit.
You can help end dolphin suffering
Like any industry, the dolphin entertainment industry is based on supply and demand. The cruelty will only continue as long as the travel companies continue promoting and selling dolphin entertainment venues.
By urging the travel industry to stop fuelling the brutal capture and trade of Taiji dolphins, you can help create a future where dolphins remain wild and free.
Will you be part of the reason that no dolphin ever suffers because of human greed?
For almost 30 years, we have been campaigning against the use of dolphins in entertainment. Together, we won't stop until every tank is empty.
Donate to protect dolphins
Dolphins are intelligent and sociable wild animals. They belong in the ocean, not bred in captivity for entertainment.
Pledge to defend captive dolphins
Promise to not visit attractions that use wild animals for entertainment and only see dolphins in the wild where they belong.