UK Dolphinaria Archive

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Cetacean (whale and dolphin) keeping in the UK actually goes back considerably further than one might imagine with historical references to porpoises being held at The Brighton Aquarium and beluga whale being display at the Westminster Aquarium.

In contemporary times the first two purpose built aquaria for cetaceans where built in 1963 at Flamingo Park Zoo in Yorkshire and at Marineland built in the northern sea-side resort of Morecambe.
 
Dolphin keeping ceased in the UK in 1993 with the last three female dolphins at Flamingoland being relocated to European facilities.
 
It is popularly promoted by animal-rights groups is that cetacean keeping has be banned and is illegal in the UK. This is not correct.
 

In 1985 - after concerns raised about the care of cetaceans in the UK by various animal and environmental groups - the then Department of the Environment (now part of DEFRA) commissioned biologists Dr Margaret Klinowska and Dr Susan Brown to research and review the keeping of these animals in UK zoos and aquaria (see below note regarding the UK's Zoo Licensing Act).  Klinowska and Brown's report 'A Review Of Dolphinaria' was published in 1986 with various recommendations to be implemented by those holding captive cetaceans by no later than 1993. The authors did have the authority to recommend that cetaceans should not be held in captive care if their research supported such a position. However they did not and  maintained that these animals could be successfully kept in animal collections provided they were given the right conditions.  They stated:

“...No substantial contra-indications to the keeping of cetaceans have been found which would not apply equally to the keeping of any other wild-caught animal...This is not to say that there are no problems with cetacean keeping, only that the problems are not dissimilar to those encountered in wild-caught animal husbandry in general, and could be solved...”

 
One of the conditions in A Review of Dolphinaria was related to pool dimensions. Whilst some facilities complied with pool size and area none reached or exceeded the suggested minimum depth standards for the species held; for bottle-nose dolphins this depth of at least a third of the pools size should be 7 metres (23 feet). Ironically Marineland Morecambe one of the first facilities to display these animals had a main pool which was 5.53 metres (18 feet) deep with Flamingoland's main pool having a depth of 4.6 metres (15 feet).

However by this time only three dolphinaria remained and all would have to rebuild and/or extend their existing facilities to be able to publicly display animals after 1993.

Windsor's holding company had financial problems and went into receivership in 1992. The site was acquired by Legoland Theme Parks and the animals in the park where rehoused; the dolphins going to Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park.

Brighton Aquarium's lease was sold to the Sealife Centres group in 1990 and the two dolphins and the dolphin 'Rocky' from Morecambe's Marineland became part of a dolphin release project called 'IntoThe Blue'.

Flamingoland was the last facility to house dolphins and did plan to build an extension to the existing dolphinarium to comply with the new keeping regulations but this did not come to fruition and the dolphins were moved to aquaria in Europe.





Dolphins: Kings of the Sea.  A popular book sold at many dolphinariums in the 1970s. It was written by zoo vet Dr David Taylor and and Tommy Hansen the manager of Scarborough Marineland and Zoo.


 









Woburn Dolphinarium: 1972 - 1983


BACKGROUND

Woburn dolphinarium was one of a number of dolphinariums constructed and operated by Entam  (Trust Houses Forte Leisure). Etam's original dolphinarium was opened in 1972 in the Welsh seaside town of Rhyl. Later that year it opened a dolphinarium at the Knowsley Safari Park and Woburn Wild Animal Kingdom.

Whipsnade Zoo - Zoological Society of London: 1972 - 1988





 




BACKGROUND

Whipsnade dolphin exhibit was constructed in 1972 as The Water Mammal Exhibit and displayed bottle-nosed dolphins. It was designed by the then curator veterinarian Victor Manton. The original concept was that the exhibit would first be an experimental facility that would later be expanded with the aims of a dolphin research and breeding center.

Windsor Safari Park: 1970 - 1992








BACKGROUND

The the park was founded in 1969 by the Billy Smart's circus family who opened the dolphinarium in 1970. The park was sold by Smarts in 1977 and had various owners until it closed in October 1992. The dolphins were relocated to Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park in The Netherlands. 

Durley Chine and Weymouth Dolphinariums: 1970 - 1971




The photograph on the front page of the souvenir programme was taken at
the Queen Hotel Dolphinarium in Margate, Kent,


In 1970 a dolphinarium was constructed located on Durley Chine, Bournemouth and operated by a company called Orca International Ltd. The show listed four dolphins on display: Chipper, Mickey, Adonis and Nero. The show producer, compere and director of training was Douglas Muir with Godren Panitzke also credited as a trainer. The show ran for one season.

West Midlands Safari Park Dolphinarium: 1976


Queen's Entertainment Centre, Cliftonville, Margate operated this seasonal dolphinarium which  only ran for one season in 1976. One of the dolphins was Speedy who was one of the original dolphins imported at the opening of Queens Hotel Dolphinarium.

South Elmsall Animal Training School And Dolphinarium : 1972 - 1974




BACKGROUND

The training school was a deused public swimming pool built in 1932. It was operated by Jervale Ltd a company owned by filtration engineer John Nolan and his wife. The pool was mainly used as a centre for holding and training dolphins from March 1972 until around 1974. See an article and picture from the Wakefield Express.

Southsea Dolphinarium - Portsmouth: 1973



BACKGROUND

Two dolphins Patsy and Lulu were transported from Flamingoland for this summer season show. The animals were then sold to Windsor Safari Park.

Southend Dolphinarium's - 1969 - 1975



The were in fact three facilities that displayed dolphins in Southend between 1969 and 1974.

Skegness Dolphinarium: 1972 - 1975


Aerial view of the Skegness dolphinarium which can be seen on the right-hand side as a  blue circle. This is now the site of the Skegness Aquarium.


BACKGROUND

Skegness dolphinarium was a summer season facility operated by the Queens Motel and Entertainment Ltd (Margate Dolphinarium) in conjunction with Skegness Urban Council. 

Scarborough Marineland & Zoo: 1969 - 1984



  



BACKGROUND


The zoo was developed by businessman Don Robinson who was also involved with Scotia Leisure one time owners of Flamingo Park Zoo and it's satellites. Scarborough also supplied dolphins for Blair Drummond Safari Park and had associations with the directors of Margate dolphinarium and others involved in dolphin displays at the time such as Gwrych Castle.

During two winter seasons it supplied dolphins for shows in swimming pools in Bolton and Belfast.