Dolphin Discovery is the world’s largest swim with dolphins company, founded in 1994 in Cancun, Mexico. Our first dolphinarium opened in Isla Mujeres with 3 dolphins and 15 staff. Since those humble beginnings, Grupo Dolphin Discovery has grown to 9 locations, 1000 employees and 120 dolphins in our care, more than 50 of which were born through our successful reproduction program. With the majority of our dolphinariums set in completely natural environments, Dolphin Discovery offers an authentic experience with dolphins, manatees and sea lions.
Dolphin Discovery takes great pride in providing our guests with the ultimate marine mammal interactions. In order to meet this goal, it is essential to maintain strict standards at all our dolphinariums. Dolphin Discovery’s dedication to providing the highest quality animal care, safety standards, and customer experience while continuing education programs and scientific investigations has once again been recognized by AMMPA, the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, for the 7th consecutive year.
alliance logo
“The Alliance administers a stringent accreditation process for its members. Accredited members must uphold Alliance Standards and Guidelines to optimize the psychological and physical health of, and environmental conditions for, individual marine mammals under their care, and to maximize the educational and scientific value of their collections as a whole.”
Dolphin Discovery is the ONLY swim with dolphins company in Mexico to merit this certification. In fact, there are only 41 AMMPA certified parks in the entire world, 7 of those are Dolphin Discovery parks and 2 more certifications are expected for the company in 2013. Other parks around the world that have earned this distinction are Sea World, Alaska Sea Life Center, Discovery Cove, Dolphin Explorer, Zoo Marine, Sea Marine Park and Dolphin Quest in Hawaii, among others.
Top quality veterinary care
The stringent guidelines of AMMPA include 12 standards that must be met in order to receive certification. Parks must provide documentation proving their adherence to these guidelines, including records of the dolphins’ origins showing they were obtained in a humane, legal manner and did not come from conflictive areas (preference is given to parks such as Dolphin Discovery with excellent reproduction programs). Daily records of medical analyses, detailed plans and programs for education of staff, guests and the community outside of the dolphinarium, and evidence of continuing scientific investigation must be provided. Parks must be equipped with adequately sized areas for the animals, security measures for guests, animals and staff and show records of regular analysis of water quality. A long list of criteria must be met if the parks are to pass the intense inspections.
Newborn dolphin & mom Dec. 2011
Thanks to the dedication of each and every member of the Dolphin Discovery team, we are exceptionally proud to have met and exceeded the standards set by AMMPA. In addition to this prestigious recognition, Dolphin Discovery is also certified by IMATA (International Marine Animal Trainers Association) and ESR (Empresa Socialmente Responsable, “Socially Responsible Company” in English). We strive to be not only the largest dolphin company in the world, but to be the best, providing the highest quality care to our animals, our community and of course, to you, our guests. We hope you’ll join us soon for the experience of a lifetime!