The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

AGRICULTURE and Marine Resources Minister Jomo Campbell said five dolphins rescued from Blackbeard’s Cay last month remain “safe and secure” at Atlantis resort, with officials soon to decide on their fate.

Mr Campbell gave an update on the dolphin’s conditions during his contribution to the budget debate in the House of Assembly yesterday.

He said the initial 30-day assessment period ended three days ago and that officials were reviewing recommendations on the way forward. 

“I am ever so thankful to all who expressed genuine interest and offered constructive advice and/or physical assistance and wish to assure the world that all five dolphins remain safe and secure at Atlantis’ Animal Care facility, Dolphin Cay,” Mr Campbell said.  

“Dolphin Cay is one of the most sophisticated marine habitats in the world with the Caribbean’s premier marine life rescue and rehabilitation facility offering an extraordinary environment and marine mammal interaction programmes. It is a fully licensed and internationally accredited marine mammal facility, offering immediate expertise, veterinarian assistance in the interest and wellbeing of the dolphins.”

Action to save the five surviving dolphins –– Fiona, Harry, Diamond, Justice and Pigeon –– appeared to hasten only after The Bahamas was subjected to damaging media coverage over the matter.

In early May, The Tribune reported that eight dolphins had died at the facility in recent years, and the remaining five were at risk of suffering a similar fate.

Government officials were alerted to the situation in April, but Mr Campbell previously said the delay in rescuing the dolphins resulted from “vexatious litigation” and other logistical matters.

“People tend to think that dolphins are like a bottle of water where you can just pick them up and move them from point A to point B, but as I indicated earlier, these are mammals, they think and act just like us, they have their own minds and all of that had to be taken into consideration,” he said at the time. “Nobody knew what they would go into when they got there.”