Dolphin "accident" at Dolphin Academy, Curacao

Participants at a swim-with-dolphins session at Dolphin Academy in Curacao on 1 January were horrified when a bottlenose dolphin landed on them.

Six people were holding a stick for the dolphin to jump across but instead the animal turned side-ways and landed on three of the people with its full weight. Unconfirmed reports state it took some time before action was taken to help the injured woman, who was taken by ambulance to hospital.

Following the incident, visitors were asked to hand over their cameras and footage was deleted. All 3 victims were refunded their entry fee, but no explanation for the incident was offered by the facility, however Dolphin Academy has since commented that this was just "a little accident".

Please click on the following link to go directly to the Marine Connection main website to get the complete story.

http://www.marineconnection.org/news/general/captivity_Curacao%20Dolphin%20Ac...

For an update on this story (2 Feb 200)and further information, please see:

http://www.marineconnection.org/news/general/captivity_Curacao%20dolphin%20Ac...

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• swim
• with
• dolphins
• captivity
• Dolphin
• Academy
• Marine
• Connection

[mhilarius]

I have been to this place. Every day these dolphins are RELEASED outside the pens and are free to leave if they choose. Wild dolphins from outside regularly show up and interact with these dolphins.

Simply put, these animals CHOOSE to be there.

[phocoenaphocoena]

If I was a dolphin and someone made me work, like these poor creatures have to, I'd get annoyed! The may have been born in captivity but they are still wild animals. there is a difference between domestication and habituation! Keep dolphins wild I say.

[jessiejolien6]

that is our grandma!!!!

[Leighxkiwi]

OMG LOLLING FOR LIKE 3 WHOLE MINUTES STRAIGHT

[OliG312]

no 0:02

[marinefish321]

hmm ok seadiver2 but there are also good dive stories and videos on the net... try the myscubastory site. type myscubastory into google and its the first one

[quelita28]

What happened to the people that were swimming in the water?

[FreedomForOrcas]

@Nirarekdan - Sorry the links aren't working. Can you message them to me please? Thanks!

[Nirarekdan]

@FreedomForOrcas watch?v=FZY6nYEq5i4

brainz . org/ 15-cute -animals- will-cause -you-hor rible-harm /

science- frontiers . com /sf10 1/sf10 1b07 . htm

outsideonline . com/ magazin e/0999/1 99909outthere. html

And here are some articles summarizing similar events happening to humans.

[FreedomForOrcas]

@Nirarekdan - I've actually searched for incidents in the wild of this and i haven't found anything. If you have any news articles or studies or whatnot.. i can't find it!

But yeah, BND's are actually more dangerous than people think...

[Nirarekdan]

@FreedomForOrcas Actually it's part of being a dolphin. Dolphins and chimps, although very intelligent, are more like humans than people believe- they rape, bully, and torture each other and other species in the wild just as much as in parks. I'd be far more worried about getting in the water with a bottlenose than an orca, actually.