14th dolphin dies at the Mirage! RIP Bella!

14th dolphin dies at the Mirage! RIP Bella!

The ‘dolphin death pool’ in Las Vegas has claimed its 14th victim. Bella died at the Mirage Dolphin Habitat in the Mojave Desert on April 14th, 2022 after undergoing treatment for gastroenteritis for several weeks, according to a press release sent out to local news stations.

Bella was born on September 6th, 2008 to Huf-N-Puf and Lightning. She lived 13 years, 7 months and 8 days in captivity while dolphins in the wild live to be 40-60 years old. Bella spent 4,968 days without protection from the sun’s harsh UV rays as she sat at the surface, chewing at the gates between the three pools. She gave birth on August 16th, 2019 to her daughter Lady Aces who is still languishing within the hotel’s backyard swimming pool.

Bella’s early death is a dreadful example of the reasons we need MGM and Hard Rock to end the display of captive dolphins at the Mirage Hotel and Casino. If you would like to make a splash in this movement, then join grassroots activist organizations Free the Mojave Dolphins from the Mirage Las Vegas and CompassionWorks International on April 30th at the Mirage volcano from 11am to 12:30pm. We will be urging locals and tourists alike to place pressure on the Hard Rock to shut down the animal exhibits once and for all and move the dolphins and big cats to properly accredited sanctuaries.


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

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

#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

Contact Local Vegas Media

NBC My News 3 @News3LV

Fox 5 Vegas @fox5vegas

CBS 8 News Now@8newsnow

ABC Action 13 News@ktnv

Krystal Allen @KrystalNews3LV

  1. Tweet 1
  2. Tweet 2
  3. Tweet 3
  4. Tweet 4
 John Huck @VegasAnchor

George Knapp @G_Knapp

 Bryan Callahan @BCallahanKTNV

 Christine Kim @ChristineKSNV

 Christine Maddela @ChristineMaddela

 Michelle Mortensen @Michelle_8News

Rikki Cheese @LasVegasRikkiC

Reed Cowan @ReedCowanTV

 Jason Feinberg @FeinbergFox5

Dave Courvoisier @Gr8Anchor

 Elizabeth Gadley @EGadleyKTNV

 Kim Wagner @KimNews3LV

 Monica Jackson @MonicaFox5

Brian Loftus @BrianLoftus8

 Jacqui Heinrich @JacquiHeinrich

 Marie Mortera @MarieNews3LV

Elizabeth Watts @ElizabethWatts5

Denise Valdez @DeniseValdez

 Jessica Janner @JessicaJanner

 Dana Wagner @DanaNews3LV

Les Krifaton @LVWeatherGuy

Michael Stevens @8NewsNowMichael

 Tricia Kean @TriciaKean

 Jim Snyder @JimNews3LV

Shannon Moore @ShannonMFox5

 Vanessa Murphy @Vanessa_Murphy

 Micah Manalo @MicahTrafficGuy

 Jessica Moore @JessicaNews3LV

Ophelia Young @OpheliaFox5Vegas

Mauricio Marin @MauricioMarinTV

 Darcy Spears @DSpinV13

Gerard Ramalho @GerardNews3LV

Kevin Bolinger @KevinFox5Vegas

Scott Daniels @Scott_8NewsNow

Michelle Velez @MichelleNews3LV

 Sean McAllister @SeanFox5

 Sharie Johnson @SharieJohnson_

Kelsey Thomas @KelseyNews3LV

Rachel Smith @RachelFox5

 Karen Castro @Karen8NewsNow

Sergio Avila @SergioNews3LV

 Lindsey Simon @SimonSaysMORE

 Brian Brennan @bbrennan8news

Denise Rosch @DRoschNews3LV

Rachel Moore @Rachelann_MOORE

 Patranya Bhoolsuwan @Patranya

Sandra Gonzalez @SandraGonzalez2

 Maggie Krol @MaggieKrol

Nathan O’Neal @NateNews3LV

 Nick LaGrange @NickFox5Vegas

Antonio Castelan @AntonioNews3LV

 Karl Man @KarlManTV

 John Treanor @NewsTreanor

 Vicki Gonzalez @VickiNews3LV


Rascal’s 10 Year Secret.

IMG_4368Picabo gave birth to a male dolphin at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on May 15th 2001. Less than 4 years later, that dolphin calf had passed away from unknown reasons. His name was Rascal, or as Steve Wynn affectionately referred to him, Wizard, named after the dolphin’s father and original mojave dolphin, Merlin. His death rounded off 2004 with 4 cetacean fatalities within the Mojave desert.

IMG_4354Sigma was captured in 1975 from the waters of Texas, and she lived for almost 30 years in captivity. Her final swim was on March 21st 2004. Picabo was captive born, one of the first to take place at the Mirage habitat. Named after the US Olympic skiier, Picabo Street, she was born March 14th 1994. She only lived to be about 10 years old, passing away from acture septic peritonitis on July 6th 2004. Bugsy was born two weeks after Picabo on March 31st 1994. He passed away from a pulmonary abcess on July 2nd 2004, 4 days before Picabo. Picabo’s son, Rascal, passed away from a cause yet to be determined on December 3rd 2004.  What happened within those pools in the year of 2004?????????

IMG_4416Protesters took to the Las Vegas strip on December 6th 2014 to alert the public that their money being spent at the Mirage is funding the abuse of cetaceans. Thirty activists lined themselves up along the gate in front of the iconic exploding volcano outside of the Mirage hotel. As the volcano erupted, tourists eyes were drawn as if by a magnet, to our signs in front of the action. Many people are completely shocked to find out that this hotel is keeping aquatic animals.

IMG_4315If this group existed a decade ago, we could of shut the dolphin habitat down. Four deaths in one year is outrageous. Mirage needs to feel the heat. Jim Murren, the CEO of MGM resorts, has told Free the Mojave Dolphins and Ric O’Barry that he plans to get shade up for the dolphins in 2015. Temperatures are currently frosty, but summer is fast approaching. These dolphins cannot go another year without any protection from the harsh environment.

IMG_4380Continue to contact the Mirage with your questions and complaints about the way they are choosing to make their money in a desert environment. Voice your concerns over the telephone at 702-791-7111. You can email Jim Murren, the CEO of MGM resorts at [email protected] or you can direct your emails to the person in charge of public relations Yvette Monet [email protected]Push for them to arrange a meeting between Ric O’Barry and Jim Murren. We keep being declined.

IMG_4393