Dolphin Spotting In Bahrain: A Guide To Their Presence

Bahrain is an island country rich in marine wildlife, including dugongs, rays, dolphins, and sharks. The shallow seas around Bahrain provide the perfect habitat for dolphins, and the country is home to a variety of dolphin species, including the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and the common bottlenose dolphin. While dolphins can be found in the wild in Bahrain, there are also captive dolphins held in resorts and used for entertainment and tourist attractions.

Dolphins in Bahrain are wild or captive

Bahrain is an island country rich in marine wildlife, including dolphins. While the country offers sustainable eco-tourism opportunities to see these animals in their natural habitat, there have been recent instances of dolphins being held in captivity and exploited for financial gain.

In January 2023, three Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, named Jojo, Jory, and Danny, were rescued from illegal captivity in a Bahrain tourist resort. They were illegally captured and sold to the resort, where they were forced to perform in shows for public entertainment. This incident sparked a collaborative effort between various state agencies and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to release the dolphins back into their natural habitat.

The Bahraini Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) played a crucial role in detecting the illegal capture of the dolphins and initiated the rescue operation. The SCE contacted IFAW for support, and a diverse team was assembled to ensure the safe release of the dolphins. Health examinations were conducted, and the dolphins were carefully transported to a boat and released back into the ocean. Temporary satellite tags were attached to monitor their re-adjustment to their natural environment.

The Dolphin Resort in Bahrain is a place where people can swim with dolphins and watch them perform tricks. Reviews of the resort mention interactions with two bottlenose dolphins and a sea horse, as well as seals and sea lions. While some visitors enjoyed the experience, others expressed concerns about the conditions and treatment of the animals, as well as the need for better facilities and maintenance.

The contrast between captive dolphins in resorts and those thriving in their natural habitat highlights the importance of wildlife protection and sustainable tourism practices in Bahrain. The successful release of the three humpback dolphins demonstrates the country's commitment to upholding environmental legislation and international treaties for the preservation of its marine wildlife.

Captive dolphins are used for entertainment

Dolphins are highly intelligent and social creatures, and in the wild, they interact with hundreds of other dolphins, hunt together, and have vast coastlines to explore. In captivity, they are often kept in small tanks or pools, with limited space and stimulation. They are fed dead fish instead of being able to hunt, and they are forced to perform tricks for entertainment. The capture and training processes can be extremely traumatic for dolphins, and they often suffer from stress and psychological issues in captivity.

In Bahrain, there is a place called the Dolphin Resort, where people can swim with dolphins and watch them perform tricks. The resort has received mixed reviews, with some people enjoying the interaction with the dolphins and sea lions, while others have criticised the poor maintenance and lack of professionalism. In 2023, an illegal facility in Bahrain captured and forced three endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins to perform multiple times a day. However, they were eventually rescued and released back into the wild.

The use of captive dolphins for entertainment is controversial due to concerns about animal welfare and ethics. While some argue that dolphinariums provide educational value and contribute to conservation efforts, others believe that keeping dolphins in captivity is a form of animal abuse. The debate centres around the balance between human entertainment and the well-being of these intelligent and social creatures.

Dolphins are intelligent, social mammals

Dolphins are highly intelligent mammals. They are quick to learn tricks in captivity and to communicate with their human handlers. They are also very cunning hunters, using their teeth as antennae to receive incoming sound and to pinpoint the exact location of their prey.

Dolphins are social animals that often live in pods of up to 1,000 individuals. They establish strong social bonds and will even stay with injured pod members, helping them to breathe. The moko dolphin in New Zealand has been observed guiding a female whale and her calf out of shallow water, and they have also been seen protecting swimmers from sharks.

The shallow seas around Bahrain are the perfect habitat for dolphins. In 2023, three captive Indian Ocean humpback dolphins were returned to their natural habitat in the country.

Dolphin resorts and tourist attractions are common in Bahrain, with people travelling from all over to swim with dolphins and watch them perform tricks. However, some people are uncomfortable with the idea of dolphins being tamed and trained for entertainment.

Dolphins in Bahrain are protected by law

The Bahraini Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) is responsible for the protection of dolphins in Bahrain. When locals and tourists reported the illegal capture of the three dolphins, the SCE contacted the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to support the rescue. The IFAW, together with the SCE and other partners, worked to safely release the dolphins back into their natural habitat. The public prosecutors in Bahrain proved that the dolphins had been illegally captured and that they should be returned to their natural habitat, as per national legislation and international treaties that Bahrain has signed regarding the protection of wildlife.

Bahrain is an island country rich in marine wildlife, including dolphins, dugongs, rays, and sharks. Sustainable eco-tourism allows people to see these incredible animals in their natural habitat, where they can survive and thrive. There are also dolphin resorts in Bahrain, where people can swim with dolphins and watch them perform tricks. While these resorts provide entertainment and educational opportunities for visitors, it is important to ensure that the dolphins are well-cared for and not exploited.

To protect dolphins in Bahrain, strict laws and regulations must be enforced, and public awareness and reporting of any illegal activities are crucial. By working together, we can ensure that dolphins and other marine wildlife in Bahrain are protected and able to thrive in their natural environment.

Dolphins are not fishes

Dolphins give birth to live young, whereas most fish lay eggs. They feed their young with milk, and they have hair around their blowholes, unlike the scales of a fish. Dolphins evolved from land mammals, and fossils discovered in Pakistan confirm that dolphins transitioned to sea mammals due to a rapidly changing environment.

Dolphins have collapsible lungs, which allow them to breathe more quickly than humans and avoid decompression sickness when they dive deep. They can exchange 80% of the air in their lungs with each breath, compared to only 17% for humans. This unique lung function may help researchers develop technologies to protect humans in similar situations.

Dolphin calves have hair on their rostrum when born, which falls out soon after, but hair follicles remain visible into adulthood. Dolphins do not need hair to maintain body temperature, as they have blubber to keep their organs warm.

Dolphins are highly social and intelligent, with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins displaying cognitive and social features similar to other large-brained mammals. They are the only mammals, besides manatees, that spend their entire lives in the water.

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