Saving the Dolphins: Or, Personal Impressions of a Public Demonstration

Animals, whom we have made our slaves, we do not like to consider our equals.
Charles Darwin

Some people are uncomfortable with the idea that humans belong to the same class of animals and cats and cows and raccoons. They’re like people who become successful and they don’t want to be reminded of the old neighborhood.
Phil Donahue

On Thursday, March 29, an estimated one thousand protesters lined both sides of Calle 50—just before the street reaches Vía Brasil—to voice their opposition to Ocean Embassy’s plan to open an aquarium where people can swim with dolphins. La Fundación San Francisco de Asís—a local animal rights group sponsored by the Catholic Church—organized the protest.

The demonstrators, wearing blue and white t-shirts, and holding blue and white balloons, came from all walks of life and they represented the spectrum of Panama’s social classes. Several US citizens, who reside full-time in Panama, were also there. One American couple had traveled all the way from Bocas del Toro to denounce a persistent rumor that Embassy Ocean also plans to build a similar aquarium in their province.

The controversy surrounding the project has drawn considerable public attention. In a poll commissioned by La Prensa, more than 80% of the respondents were opposed to the aquarium. In specific, those interviewed cite their objection to the capture of dolphins—a proposed 80 over five years.

When asked why she had attended the protest, Natasha Risseeuw, a high school senior, said, “Because I simply don’t want dolphins to be captured. It’s inhumane.” Her words echoed the sentiments of the majority of protesters. And many others also expressed their suspicion that some people, likely in government, are attempting to profit from Embassy Ocean’s enterprise.

But at least one protester stated that the demonstration could have been better organized. “Although I believe our cause is just, the leaflets being handed out contain misinformation,” said Brandon Poll, who also is a high school senior. “It’s important to increase public awareness about the capture of dolphins, but it’s also important to base the protest on the truth.”

Regardless of the young man’s misgivings, most of the protesters are determined to fight the plans to build an aquarium that would curtail the freedom of dolphins, and they’re confident that, in the end, they will win.

In the last year of Mireya Moscoso’s presidency, the environmentalists of Panama won a major battle when the government was forced to abandon the construction of a highway linking the communities of Boquete and Volcán through the highlands of Chiriquí.

Karen Dertien, a high school biology teacher was also a part of that protest.

“We learned many important lessons from that victory,” Karen said. “In particular we learned the importance of not letting up—even for a second. And this time we also plan to continue protesting until the folks behind the Embassy Ocean project close up shop and go home.”

And judging by the resolve of the protesters, as well as by the supportive waves and the friendly honking of horns that came from passing vehicles on that balmy Calle 50 afternoon, Embassy Ocean has a long, uphill battle ahead.