Local NGOs in the southern province of Antalya’s Kaş started their fight against the dolphin park with a protest in April, and they are continuing by teaching schoolchildren about the habitat of wild dolphins.
The dolphin park facility in Kaş had been deserted for a few years since Tom and Misha were transferred to Hisarönü where, in a small inland pool, they had the most difficult period of their life, until they were rescued by Born Free and taken to a rehabilitation facility in Gökova. Now they are back in the blue, swimming freely in the Mediterranean.
Last December, four more dolphins were transferred from Bodrum to the Kaş facility. Kaş NGOs and the Freedom for Dolphins Platform came together and organized two meetings for public awareness and a protest in April against the dolphin parks.
When the facility started to accept customers without legal permission to operate, the public pressure grew and the Kaş Municipality stopped the activity last week by putting a legal seal on their entrance gate. This may not be permanent, since facilities that are located in the sea must apply for their permission to operate from the Ministry of Maritime, Transport and Communication.
While putting pressure on the ministry, Kaş NGOs and the Freedom for Dolphins Platform have come together again to promote public awareness. This time they are targeting the schoolchildren in Kaş.
The NGOs gave seminars at three high schools and two primary schools in Kaş. The seminars were prepared according to the age groups and gave information about the life of sea mammals, specifically dolphins, in the wild and then compared the welfare of dolphins in the wild and in captivity.
The seminars ended with an invitation to a free dolphin-watch diving boat tour with binoculars, suggesting that the children watch dolphins in the wild instead of paying for an artificial show. The schools in the villages surrounding Kaş will also be invited to the diving boats this summer and the same seminar will be given on the boat before the trip.
In July, there will be a photo exhibition in Kaş with pictures taken at the seminars and on the boats.
