Whale and Dolphin Sanctuaries—Smaller, Smarter, and Built for the Future
Op-Ed
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By James Styers
Nov. 28, 2025
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There is a growing global movement to “empty the tanks”—a call to retire captive whales and dolphins to natural sanctuaries and end the era of trick shows, concrete pools, and profit-driven captivity. Public sentiment has changed. Laws are tightening. Economies built on captive cetaceans are crumbling.
And yet—despite the urgency—we have almost nowhere for these animals to go.
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Countries across the world are phasing out dolphinariums and marine parks. As a result, more than 3,000 cetaceans—mostly dolphins—now need lifelong, humane housing. A smaller number of belugas and a handful of orcas also require permanent retirement.
But here is the uncomfortable truth: the global sanctuary movement is paralyzed, not because the vision is wrong, but because the financial model is.
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The Failure of the “Mega-Sanctuary” Concept
For years, proposals have focused on massive, multimillion-dollar complexes intended to house large whales. These plans look impressive on paper—but their price tags are overwhelming, and they rely almost entirely on donations, grants, and unstable philanthropy.
It’s no surprise most of these projects never reach construction.
Chasing donations is not a business model—it’s a stall tactic.
And while the world waits, the animals wait too.
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The Reality: Most Animals Don’t Need a Giant Sanctuary
This is where the conversation must change.
The overwhelming majority of cetaceans needing placement are dolphins—animals that can thrive in smaller, species-specific, carefully designed coastal sanctuaries. These don’t require hundreds of acres or budgets rivaling national aquariums.
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Many dolphins do better in tight-knit pods of 3 to 6. They are social, bonded, and often unable to be released due to medical or behavioral histories. Small sanctuaries actually mirror their natural group structure—and are far more financially viable.
Smaller sanctuaries mean:
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Lower construction costs
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Easier environmental permitting
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Faster development timelines
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More geographic diversity
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Reduced staffing overhead
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More animals placed sooner
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Instead of one giant sanctuary every decade—we could have dozens of smaller ones within a few years.
A New Model: For-Profit, Multi-Site Sanctuaries
It’s time to stop treating sanctuaries like charities and start building them like mission-driven businesses.
The animals don’t care whether a nonprofit or a hotel builds their retirement home. What matters is seawater, space, and humane care.
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A sustainable sanctuary model can—and should—include:
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Small, protected coastal sites housing bonded dolphin groups
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Ethical ecotourism, strictly limited and educational
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Underwater observatories and VR experiences that generate revenue without exploiting animals
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Research partnerships with universities and marine veterinarians
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Corporate retreats and sustainability conferences that subsidize operations
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ESG-aligned investment opportunities for hospitality groups and mission-driven corporations
This is not exploitation—it’s the only financially realistic pathway to give these animals dignified lives.
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Why Hospitality Groups Are the Key
Large hotel brands, eco-resorts, and marine tourism operators already have:
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Waterfront land
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Built-in guest demand
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Operational infrastructure
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Experience in sustainable tourism
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Access to investment capital
For them, a small marine mammal sanctuary is not a burden—it’s a unique asset, a brand differentiator, and a long-term, revenue-generating contribution to sustainability.
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A single corporate partnership could support multiple small sanctuaries—each housing a handful of dolphins previously destined for lifelong tank confinement.
Stop the Politics. Stop the Waiting. Start Building.
The sanctuary movement has been stuck in a cycle of:
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Overbuilding
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Underspending
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Overpromising
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Underperforming
And all the while, animals continue circling the same small tanks where they have lived for 20, 30, even 40 years.
It’s time to break the cycle.
It’s time to embrace a model that actually works.
It’s time to build many small sanctuaries, not one impossible mega-complex.
This Isn’t Just Philosophy—It’s Urgent
Thousands of dolphins worldwide cannot be released. They cannot return to the wild. What they need is retirement, not rehabilitation. Sanctuary, not spectacle.
And we can give them that—if we rethink the system.
A network of small, financially sustainable, for-profit sanctuaries could change everything:
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Faster placement for more animals
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More geographic options
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Lower risks
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Lower costs
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Higher welfare
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Real investor interest
The path is clear.
The need is enormous.
The moment is now.
Let’s stop dreaming of the perfect sanctuary and start building the practical ones—many of them. For the dolphins, for the whales, and for the future.