The Hotel Los Delfines

In 1995 conservation NGOs alarmed the national press about plans to construct a hotel with an inbuilt dolphin pool. Responsible for this plan was the development group GREMCO, represented by Jaques Levy. Even though the publications caused protests the hotel finally was constructed and opened in 1997.

In June 1997 Peruvian NGOs denounced plans o import three dolphins, previously being caught in Cuba and then transported to Mexico. From these finally two, Wayra and Yaku, arrived 1997 in Lima.

This is the version ofthe hotels own smoke screen NGO CILDE about the origin of the dolphins and the importation:

“In 1997 they were rescued from a dolphinarium and brought to Peru, passing via Mexico, since than hey have been an example of communication excellence, harmonic coexistence and – why not say it? – Example of love o others.

It is very hard, if not impossible, to love what one does not know, which is why we present Yaku and Wayra. The time before their arrival was painful; they were caught from their habitat in the waters of Cuba, when they were approximately one to tour years old.”

This is what really happened:

The Hotel Los Delfines was not built in order to serve as a rescue center for captive dolphins, but he same hotel has been planed with the intention to match dolphins from the wild and import them. It was not something that happened anyway to Wayra and Yaku, but both dolphins were caught because there are people constructing hotels like the one in Lima.

By the end of October 1997, a few days after the import of two dolphins from Cuba via Mexico national and international conservation organizations sent an open letter to the Minister of fisheries declaring:

“As you might know the owner of the Hotel Los Delfines, Mr. Levy. Has imported on October 23, 1997, two dolphins of the species Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). According to our knowledge this importation was in clear violation of Peruvian law.

The introduction of the dolphins to Peru didn’t have the necessary documentation that the national law requires. According to the Peruvian Law No. 26585, D.S. No. 002-96-PE Title V, Article No. 20: “The importation, exportation, temporal introduction and exit of cetaceans that are kept in captivity requires of the favorable opinion from the Ministry of Fisheries.” In the present case the Ministry of Fisheries rejected their proposal.

Additionally the conditions under which the dolphins are being kept now do not satisfy the minimal requirements for keeping cetaceans in Peru. The hotel does not comply with the Articles 11, 13, 16, and Art. 18 of the Peruvian Ministerial Resolution No.588-96-PE under the Peruvian Law No. 26585. These articles refer to the pool dimensions.

Following are some of the measures requiered by law in contrast to the measures of the Hotels pool:

Required by law:         Present pool size:
Volume 1600 m3        Hotel: 956 m3
DHM 400 m2                 Hotel: 196 m2
Depth 7 m                        Hotel: 4.5 m
Law: auxiliary pool       Hotel: does not have an auxiliary pool

Apart of this the administration of the Hotel says that the dolphins are under the care of the company “Marine Animal Productions Inc.” (MAP), from the United States. This enterprise has as far as we know a continuously poor reputation on the catch, care and maintenance of dolphins in captivity, and has a high rate of mortality during capture and keeping of dolphins in captivity (68%). Because of this several parks/aquariums in USA and Canada decided to not longer work with Marine Animals Productions Inc. (For example: Canada’s Wonderland theme park, Great America park and Six Flags). This is why MAP is now searching for new markets, and takes the opportunity to work with Latin American countries, where people are not aware of the companies bad reputation.

Apart of all this facts we would like to state that the continued and unregulated catch-operations at the cost of Cuba are a serious danger to local Bottlenose dolphin populations. Bottlenose Dolphins are listed under CITES Annex II and in Europe they are completely protected from any commercial trade or extraction.”

According to representatives of the Peruvian NGO Cruzada por la Vida, the Peruvian Fisheries Ministry a few days later in November 1997 declared the defense of the Hotel Los Delfines to be unsatisfactory and issued a declaration stating that the action committed by the Hotel Los Delfines (illegal importation, and conditions of the facility, etc) have violated the domestic laws. The Ministry of Fisheries imposed a fine on the hotel, and requested the Customs Office to order a re-export of the dolphins.

In the end however the hotel won an appeal and stayed with the dolphins.

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Hotel Los Delfines – Dolphin jail or conservation project?

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Page author: Stefan Austermühle

Read more about dolphin captivity and the Hotel Los Delfines at: