Dolphin Discovery (Cayman) Ltd. is pressing ahead with plans for its swim-with-dolphins facility for Grand Cayman and is hoping to have the tourist attraction operational within one year.
Plans are being drawn up preparation for submission to the Planning Board.
The dolphin facility is to be built independently, but as part of the Boatswain’s Beach attraction. The facility will be in the abandoned turtle ponds at the Cayman Turtle Farm site in North West Point, West Bay.
An animal import license was issued to Dolphin Discovery (Cayman) Ltd. run by Gene Thompson and Dale Crighton on 7 March . An import licence for eight bottlenose dolphins is subject to health requirements at the time of importation, and was issued following more than two years due diligence by the Department of Agriculture.
The licence is subject to all requirements being met prior to the importation of the animals., including health, transportation, water-quality tests, quarantine, housing and husbandry.
DoA requirements have been scrutinised to the highest possible standards by Chief Agricultural and Veterinary Officer Dr. Alfred Benjamin, Mr. Crighton said.
‘Technically speaking, this facility has to be built and equipped prior to the dolphins’ arrival,’ said Dr. Benjamin.
Many of the proposals on the dolphin facility submitted to the DoA have been deemed acceptable on paper, including storm-ccontingency plans. These will include the movement of the dolphins to holding tanks or — in a worst-case scenario — flying the dolphins to another Dolphin Discovery site.
The Water Authority requires a discharge permit and an anti-degradation study is ongoing in conjunction with the Department of Environment.
Mr. Crighton said the facility would deal with 6.5 million gallons of water per day and 32 gallons of dolphin faeces which will run through the discharge and filtering system of Cayman Turtle Farm/Boatswain’s Beach.
Plans for housing the dolphins include a lagoon with coves measuring about 120 feet by 200-plus feet. Mr. Crighton said the lagoon is much bigger than eight dolphins require.
Mr. Crighton said that, according to cruise-ship reports, this represents one of the most popular passenger activities and would blend with the Turtle Farm’s new Boatswain’s Beach development.
However, the Keep Dolphins Free in the Cayman Islands group strongly opposes keeping captive dolphins, based on environmental and compassionate reasons.
‘We welcome any and all international assistance and participation to prevent the expansion of the copycat Caribbean-wide cruise ship industry-encouraged captive-dolphin entertainment facilities in the Cayman Islands,’ said spokesperson Billy Adam in an e-mail to The Caymanian Compass.
Mr. Adam said it was understood that two additional applications for similar facilities will be made if the first is granted.
When asked to answer critics of the park, Mr. Crighton said: ‘What can I say? That’s just Cayman and people like to voice an opinion.’
In May 2003 the DoA received and reviewed the formal application for the importation of the dolphins.
Dr. Benjamin explained that the due diligence conducted by the DoA was aimed at establishing that the applicant could meet the standards of animal welfare and health.
This also involved a visit to the parent Dolphin Discovery facilities in Mexico by Dr. Benjamin who found housing, nutrition, health, water quality, the physical nature of enclosures and management was satisfactory and within the parameters required under Cayman conditions.
‘The DoA is satisfied that Dolphin Discovery Cayman working in concert with the parent Dolphin Discovery Mexico can implement the proposals agreed and ought to be in a position, closer to time of importation, to meet the requirements for handling, transporting and caring for these animals which they wish to import.
‘The department is also convinced that sufficient provision existed at the parent facility for the conduct of health examinations, other screening tests and certification, prior to importation for the animals into the Cayman Islands. An independent laboratory has been identified, in the USA, which is approved for conducting the health tests that would be required,’ Dr. Benjamin said.
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