TUI promotes dolphin shows as a fun activity for the whole family,but our“Stories of Suffering”report paints a far different picture.Take a closer look at what really goes on behind those performances.

Even though the global travel giant claims to prioritize animal welfare,it keeps making money from facilities that breed dolphins for commercial gain—and that’s a clear breach of the company’s own policies.

The TUI Group presents itself as a responsible,animal-loving brand,offering“family-friendly”dolphin shows and experiences.But if you dig a little deeper into what they’re actually selling,you’ll uncover a much darker truth.

The Captive Dolphin Entertainment Industry

This is an industry where dolphins are locked away in painfully small tanks—tanks built to make them visible to tourists,not to keep the animals healthy.These smooth,sterile enclosures rob dolphins of any semblance of their natural habitat.

Exposed to harmful chemicals and infections,many dolphins are given drugs to deal with the trauma of being captive.Forced to repeat the same tricks over and over again for crowds,they endure terrible psychological stress.This stress often leads to self-harm,aggression,and a lifetime of suffering.

Our report reveals that TUI still sells tickets to venues where dolphins are bred and kept in conditions that no one could ever call“humane”or“educational.”Their claims about caring for animal welfare are nothing more than a front.

Key findings from the report include:

-Many venues are breeding dolphins,which goes against TUI Group’s official policy.

-Dolphins suffer physical harm,including eye damage,skin scratches,and self-mutilation.

-Older dolphins have been made to perform for tourists for decades on end.

-Pregnant dolphins are forced to perform,even though it puts a huge strain on their health.

-Mothers and their calves are separated during interactions,causing even more distress.

Kanab:One Story of Suffering

Kanab is a 32-year-old dolphin living at Delphinus Puerto Morelos in Mexico.His teeth are worn down,and he’s missing one tooth entirely.

Dolphins often wear their teeth down by biting concrete walls,gates,or other structures.But the loss of color on the front of his rostrum(snout)shows that he’s been injured repeatedly.

When researchers visited the venue in 2024,Kanab was living in a sea pen that was less than 2 meters deep.That means the average dolphin can’t even dive more than one full body length in that space.

TUI’s Practices Aren’t Going Unnoticed

Across five different countries,83%of TUI customers care about animal welfare when they’re choosing travel experiences.

Eighty-four percent of people surveyed believe TUI should stop selling tickets to marine parks that breed dolphins—especially since it goes against the company’s own animal welfare policy.

Other travel companies—like Booking.com,Expedia Group,Tripadvisor,Jet2Holidays,Virgin Holidays,easyJet Holidays,Airbnb,Thomas Cook,and Spies—refuse to make money from captive dolphin entertainment.

Countries such as Canada,France,Belgium,and most recently Mexico have banned the captive breeding of dolphins.The last venue with captive dolphins in the UK closed 30 years ago.

Yet,the TUI Group keeps selling more than 400 different offers for captive dolphin entertainment venues—feeding an industry that traps dolphins for their entire lives.