the return of captive dolphins to the waters of Bahrain

The facility that illegally captured these endangered dolphins in 2021 is located by the sea. They were barely five minutes away from their natural habitat, yet they were living a very different life. Rather than thriving in the coastal waters of Bahrain, these endangered dolphins—named Jojo, Jory, and Danny—were kept in a pool and forced to perform multiple times a day in shows for the public.

teamwork and patience

When the Bahraini Supreme Council for Environment (SCE) contacted IFAW to support the rescue, we promptly assembled a diverse team united by a common mission: to return these dolphins to their home for a chance at a natural life. Our plan was to safely restrain the dolphins, conduct health examinations, carefully transport them to a boat, and release them back to the waters where they came from. For months prior to the release, we worked with one of our partners, Tails Veterinary Centre in Bahrain, to conduct the necessary tests and coordinated with SCE and the Coast Guard to identify release sites.

After incredibly patient, several-day effort to safely restrain each dolphin, and one last health examination, we attached temporary satellite tags (thanks to a contribution from the Dutch Postcode Lottery) to the dolphins before releasing them back to the sea. It was cloudy and raining, which is unusual for Bahrain, but that rain worked in our favour as it helped to keep the dolphins cool and protect their skin from sunlight while they were out of the water during transport to the release site.

return to the sea

We had many concerns before releasing them. We were worried Jojo, Jory, and Danny had become too habituated and would reach out to people on boats. We considered solutions in the event that they reached back to our boat or followed us to shore. We were concerned they wouldn’t be able to adapt to life in the wild. But our initial fears began to wash away when each one immediately dove after release and quickly swam away, without looking back.

We scanned the area for one last sighting and saw no fewer than a dozen other dolphins in the area. It drove home for us the fact that these dolphins were back home, where they belonged.

Every time I check their satellite trackers, I get the same feeling of hope I got on the boat the minute we released them. But I remind myself that the work is not over. These dolphins will encounter challenges as they readjust back to their natural environment after spending over a year in illegal captivity. We will continue to monitor them for the coming weeks.

people spoke up for wildlife

This path to release all started because people saw something wrong and spoke up. Locals and tourists alike saw what was happening and reported it to local authorities. The public prosecutors in Bahrain were eventually able to prove that the dolphins had been illegally captured in the fall of 2021 and that they should be returned to their natural habitat, per the national legislation and international treaties Bahrain is signed to concerning the protection of wildlife.

Bahrain is an island country that is rich in marine wildlife such as dugongs, rays, dolphins, and sharks, among many others. Sustainable eco-tourism allows people to see these incredible animals in their natural habitat where they can survive and thrive. I for one can guarantee that nothing beats watching an animal thrive where it belongs.