Author Archives: MojaveDolphins

Upcoming: 3rd Annual ‘Thanks but No Tanks!’

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Category : protests & events

Thanks but No Tanks 2014

The Las Vegas activist pod will be coming together once again this holiday season to convince tourists that there is nothing cheery about visiting the Mirage Hotel and Casino as long as animals are used as an entertainment attraction. We will be meeting for our 3rd Annual “Thanks but No Tanks!” protest that happens the Saturday following Thanksgiving.

Tourism is slow for our city during Thanksgiving holiday weekend, but Las Vegas is a popular destination for those who are seeking to travel away for the holidays due to cheap hotel rooms. According to the LA Times, it is especially common for Asian tourists from Southern California.

Our goals for this protest are to engage with the tourists and passersby in conversation about the horrors behind the captive dolphin industry and convince them to not purchase a ticket to any facility that holds dolphins. We will be displaying posters to motorists and pedestrians, and handing out educational brochures regarding the local #MojaveDolphins campaign.

Empty the Tanks 2014

We are speaking out on behalf of the 13 dolphins that have been documented to have died prematurely within the Mirage Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. We are the voices of Beetle, Sgt Pepper, Sage, Squirt, Rascal, Picabo, Banjo, Sigma, Darla, Bugsy, Merlin, and the calves of both Darla and Sigma. We will continue splashing for Duchess, Lightning, Huf-N-Puf, Maverick, Osbourne, Sophie, Bella, K2, Miramar, and Coco. We will never be silent.

Making a Splash on the Las Vegas Strip

Category : protests & events

There’s a new mobile billboard truck running down the Las Vegas strip this week, have you seen it?

On October 21st 2017, Compassionworks International hosted an event outside of the Mirage Hotel to raise awareness about both the dolphins and the wild cats confined within the Secret Garden attraction. There were other “Freedom Matters” events held around the country: Franklin Park Zoo (Boston, MA), Los Angeles Zoo (Los Angeles, CA), and Brookfield Zoo (Brookfield, IL).

The protest outside of the Mirage Hotel included something special… a mobile billboard truck rolling down the always populated Las Vegas strip for a week of advertising. The sides of the truck display messages such as “MY HOME IS IN THE OCEAN”, and “JAILED WITHOUT A CRIME”, “CONFINED FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT”, and “CAPTIVITY IS CRUELTY”.

The City of Las Vegas sees an average of over 800,000 tourist visitors a week… that is nearly one million people who have the potential to see the mobile billboard! Let us know if you see it.  Click this link to watch our video of the truck in action!

The dolphin habitat in Las Vegas has been operational for 27 years as of this month. Duchess has been held in these same pools for nearly 3 decades. Her offspring are now having to raise their offspring in the filthy, uncovered, man-made habitats. This is unacceptable, and we are outraged. Continue to phone your messages to the hotel at (702) 791-7111. You can also use the pre-written tweet below:

TWEET THIS MESSAGE: I am disgusted that it’s been 27 years and has yet to provide their with a shade structure.

We will continue to document the conditions these animals are held in, raise awareness on how it’s wrong to purchase tickets to view their suffering, and hold events outside of the Mirage Hotel. Our next event will be our 3rd annual “Thanks But No Tanks” protest held the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Thank you to Compassionworks International for the mobile billboard truck.

Coco and the Corporate Shill

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Category : marine parks park updates

During Spring of 2017, I started to receive reports that at least one of the dolphins at the Mirage was pregnant.

 

On July 17th 2017, local news reported that Huf-N-Puf gave birth to a female dolphin calf at the Mirage. The father was Lightning. This is their third calf together. Her siblings are Bella (born 2008) and Miramar (born 2011). The name was released to the public in September 2017; “Coco”. She is being kept with Huf, Duchess, and Bella in the birthing and research pool. This is the large pool in the rear.

Back Tank “Birthing and Research Pool” April 2014

Coco was named after MGM’s employee philosophy which is “One Company, One Culture”. This is the same company that keeps her and the rest of the Mojave pod confined under extreme temperatures with absolutely no escape from the sun. The foliage around the pools provides very little shade, and only during certain times of the day. Las Vegas had nearly 60 days this summer where we reached at least 105f or higher. In the wild, dolphins have the ability to swim deep beneath the surface, protecting their skin from being sunburned. Dolphins at the Mirage spend the majority of their time lagging at the surface, chewing at the gates, and waiting for food.

Coco’s life will be no different than the rest of the animals here in Las Vegas. She will spend her days swimming around the tiny pool with artificial coral awhile tourists point and smile at how “cute and happy” she must be because they can see the rather unfortunate way her anatomy forms her mouth. Overtime she may pick up one or more stereotypical behaviors of captive dolphins; waiting at the gates, biting the gates, or beaching herself.

You can call MGM corporate at 1-(702)-891-1844 directly to tell them you will boycott until they shut down the dolphin exhibit. You can also contact the Mirage Hotel to voice your concerns at 1-(702)-791-7111.

Join us in October as we protest outside of the Mirage Hotel for ALL animals held within their backyard. October 21st 10am-12pm. Freedom Matters: Protest captivity at the Mirage Las Vegas!

 

The Cards Are In Your Hands, Bill Maher

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Category : call to action celebrities

BillMaherIt has been brought to our attention that comedian Bill Maher is set to perform at the Mirage in just a few days. This is a big deal because Bill Maher is an animal rights activist, and a celebrity PETA supporter. PETA actively condemns The Mirage and their use of dolphins as aquatic circus entertainers in the middle of the Mojave Desert. How did the controversey surrounding this venue and their use of animals for profit manage to slip through the cracks at the hands of Bill Mahers management team?

BillMaherBill Maher has said that he is a “big animal rights guy”, and has been an outspoken animal rights activist for decades. He has worked with groups such as PETA, Best Friends Animal Society, and Farm Animal Rights Movement. His show “Real Time with Bill Maher” has seen guests such as John Hargrove and Paul Watson, two outspoken cetacean rights advocates. Bill Maher once told McLean’s manazine that he finds “any form of animal destruction” to be the saddest thing in the world.

BillMaher2

The 9 remaining dolphins at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas are just weeks away from scorching summer temperatures here in the Mojave Desert where their captors, MGM Resorts International, refuse to build them a shade structure. Animal Welfare Act regulations state under 9CFR Section 3.103(b) Facilities, Outdoor, Shelter: Natural or artificial shelter which is appropriate for the species concerned, when local climatic conditions are taken into consideration, shall be provided for all marine mammals kept outdoors to afford them protection from the weather or from direct sunlight.

ROGAN3Fellow comedian Joe Rogan pledged last year to not perform at the Mirage Hotel, due to the request of his fans who understood his love of dolphins. Nick Swardson said he was going to look into the case of MGM Resorts and the Fuzzy Dolphin Math but has apparently gone back on his word. He is scheduled to perform on April 2nd 2016. Matt Sorum, of Guns N’ Roses fame, had this to say about the dolphin prison in the desert: “I was offered to do my wedding with my wife, Ace, at The Mirage three years ago, but turned them down due to the suffering of the dolphins kept there. To think about these magical creatures in the middle of the desert forced to perform and swim with humans for entertainment…It didn’t feel like a place we wanted to celebrate our most special day. The Mirage needs to close this dolphin abusement facility immediately. The desert and/or a swimming pool is no place for dolphins. Please boycott The Mirage Hotel.”

We urge Bill Maher to please be the celebrity voice that these dolphins desperately deserve. 25 years is far too long for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins to be held prisoner in the middle of the Mojave desert. What happens in Las Vegas in the backyard at the Mirage Casino needs to be shown to the world.

  1. .@billmaher How can you be playing @TheMirageLV where 9 #mojavedolphins are held captive in the DESERT? pic.twitter.com/hyzztjbRWW (Tweet This)
  2. .@billmaher Cruelty is not entertainment. Please be a voice for the #MojaveDolphins trapped at @TheMirageLV pic.twitter.com/xHWlsGWJeR (Tweet This)
  3. .@billmaher, @joerogan took a stand for #MojaveDolphins, WILL YOU? bit.ly/1SjWQn8 Dolphins in the desert? pic.twitter.com/VzZuuk5RYI (Tweet This)

Seaworld’s “Beetle” Dolphin Dies in Casino Swimming Pool

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Category : health issues marine parks park updates seaworld

In a press statement from MGM, a 12-year old bottlenose dolphin named Beetle died on Oct. 27 of unknown causes. Beetle was the 13th dolphin to die at The Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Historically, this facility has had 22 dolphins — now with a 59 percent mortality rate and an average age of death of 10-years old. Wild dolphins can live to be 50 years or more, concluding that this facility, even with up-to-date filtration systems and temperature-controlled water, restaurant-quality frozen dead fish and a full-time vet, the dolphins in Las Vegas are dying 30 years younger in their captive environment in the desert.

Beetle came to The Mirage in 2010 from SeaWorld Orlando on a long-term breeding loan. Though he never fathered any offspring, The Habitat emphasized in September they would begin breeding all the sexually-mature males. Beetle made news in Orlando for biting a child.

Beetle has been documented on multiple occasions by Free The Mojave Dolphins and Martyn Stewart logging motionless at the gates, chewing on the gates and piping and being aggressive toward other male dolphins.

Because of this behavior, the facility put a plastic kayak in front of the gate to deter Beetle from chewing. The kayak has been chewed as well.

Photo by Terran Baylor
Photo by Terran Baylor

Beetle was also used as one of the main dolphins in the “Paint with a Dolphin Program” where patrons pay to have a dolphin paint on a piece of canvas.

beetle15

Beetle was mainly kept in one of the three pools at the Mirage with minimal shade to find refuge in under the sun. Though there is a shade regulation under the Animal Welfare Act ( § 3.127 Facilities, outdoor.(a) Shelter from sunlight. When sunlight is likely to cause overheating or discomfort of the animals, sufficient shade by natural or artificial means shall be provided to allow all animals kept outdoors to protect themselves from direct sunlight.), there have been multiple APHIS inspections, pressure from the community for constructing a structure, and even a verbal commitment from MGM to begin building in Spring 2015. No such structure was ever built.

We would like to make sure Beetle is not replaced by another dolphin. We would like for all breeding to end at The Mirage and to ban any additional importing of dolphins. Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is currently working on a dolphin sanctuary in Mexico where these dolphins have an open invitation to retire too.

You can call MGM corporate at 1-(702)-891-1844 directly to tell them you will boycott them until they shut down the dolphin exhibit. You can also contact the Dolphin Habitat to voice your concerns at 1-(702)-791-7111, 1-(702)-791-7588, 1-(702)-792-7889

Please also sign the petitions.

RIP Beetle. You are free to roam the skies now and no gate will ever keep you from freedom again.

Beetle Tweetsheets

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Category : call to action celebrities health issues marine parks media park updates seaworld Uncategorized

#AskSeaworld Campaign

#AskSeaworld @SeaWorld If you care about your animals, why did you dump your “problem” dolphin out in the desert? pic.twitter.com/sQ7gvDGChY

(click here to send tweet)

 Seaworld

#AskSeaworld @SeaWorld if you provide the best care, why are your animals in the desert w/o shade? #MojaveDolphins pic.twitter.com/NBbTbbaS66

(click here to send tweet)

 Seaworld2

#AskSeaworld Hey @SeaWorld, how do you feel about Beetle dying @TheMirageLV at the young age of 12? #MojaveDolphins pic.twitter.com/9ahmgDyh2P

(click here to send tweet)

 Seaworld3

#AskSeaworld @SeaWorld why did you send dolphins from each of your parks to pools in the desert without shade? pic.twitter.com/diOjuWT0kq

(click here to send tweet)

 Seaworld4

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Archives

Categories

Tags

audio axl rose bill maher britney spears cake boss call to action celebrities cetaceans chewing gum chicken nuggets dirk arthur dolphin death pool dolphin habitat dolphin pox dolphins dolphin safe ellen degeneres events florida guns n roses killer whales las vegas strip las vegas tourism maryland miami seaprison miami seaquarium mirage las vegas non-cetaceans orca rest in peace ric o'barry riviera hotel and casino seaside sanctuary seaworld seaworld orlando seaworld san antonio seaworld texas slash taiji the cove the mirage hotel and casino tweet sheets vegas rock dog radio videos wild illusions
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