Empty the Tanks Mexico advances the creation of the country's first seaside sanctuary for dolphins

Empty the Tanks Mexico is working to advance the creation of Mexico's first Wildlife Conservation and Research Center (CIVS) dedicated to marine mammals, a proposal designed to offer a responsible transition for dolphins who remain in captivity.

Following the amendment to Article 60 Bis of the General Wildlife Law, approved in 2025, Mexico entered a new phase for marine mammals used by the entertainment industry. Hundreds of animals still live in dolphinariums, however, and the country must now build meaningful alternatives for their future.

Empty the Tanks Mexico proposes a model grounded in science, animal wellbeing, and collaboration among authorities, specialists, academic institutions, and civil-society organizations. Its aim is to enable the animals' transition into rehabilitation spaces and, eventually, seaside sanctuaries.

The organization is currently working with national and international specialists to develop the initiative, identify suitable sites, and promote scientific and ethical standards that safeguard marine-mammal wellbeing throughout the transition.

“For years, we have exposed the problems within the dolphinarium industry. Today, we also want to build the solutions capable of transforming that reality.”

— Empty the Tanks Mexico

The organization believes this project is an opportunity for Mexico to become an international leader in the ethical transition of marine mammals by demonstrating that an entertainment-based model can be replaced with one centered on conservation, rehabilitation, and animal wellbeing.