Dolphins held captive at Hotel in Hawaii by Kevin Nguyen

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Dolphins held captive at Hotel in Hawaii by Kevin Nguyen

Posted on August 23, 2011 under

Ahh Hawaii. Nice beaches, high mountains, cold Pina Coladas, and… captured dolphins?

Yes, dolphins imprisoned for the entertainment of others. The location? Kona Hotel, Hilton Waikoloa Village. Here I was, at the largest hotel on the big island, so big that you will need a train or boat just to get across the entire Hilton. It is here that I discovered a dolphin lagoon run and owned by the Hilton.

At the lagoon there are approximately 7 dolphins kept there for visitors to play and swim with. You can pick from 9 different programs to have a “once in a lifetime” experience with the dolphins. You can even have a professional cameraman film you while you play with the dolphins.

Here’s a quick link showing all the special packages you can pay for to be with the dolphins. The lagoon is such a big attraction in the hotel, there is even an entire channel in the hotel’s television dedicated to those 7 dolphins owned by the Hilton.

“WOW”, I said, “People will go this far to make lots of money?” Exploiting life, second to humans, just to make lots of “moolah”. Well I will just leave at here for now. Here are some pictures and videos(videos not owned by me) to give you a visual of what I saw in Hawaii. ~ Kevin Nguyen

Kevin Nguyen took these photos during a stay at the Kona Hotel, Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii. You can click on any one of these photos to visit the hotel’s website and voice your disapproval of their contribution to the dolphin trade, which is inescapably, also connected to their slaughter. We have included the videos that Kevin recommended, below.

Posted by Alana Roy on August 23rd, 2011, 12:13 (Reply to this comment)
so this is committing to the preservation of dolphins. just a shame the dolphins would prefer to be preserved in their own home, the oceans, instead of a motel pool! ok, so it’s for their good, oh, and not bad money either!
Posted by cj on August 27th, 2011, 12:41 (Reply to this comment)
guess i would need more info before assuming the worst. did you talk to anyone in the dolphin area that knows their history? as someone who has worked in a facility that does interactive programs with dolphins, many were stranded, rescued animals who were unable to be released back in the wild. having people interaction isnt always as horrific as you make it seem. this is an animal that often chooses to be around people, which makes it way more social than i am most of the time. no one wants to see them left alone in the sea more than i do, but some do not get that option after rescue due to strict regulations and rules set for release.