Drone footage has ignited concerns over captive dolphins at a luxury Mexican hotel, with campaigners alleging the animals are distressed, and unable to display their natural behaviour
A marine animal rights group has launched a boycott campaign over dolphins kept at a luxury hotel.
Drone footage has emerged showing six dolphins swimming in what campaigners describe as a “shallow” concrete tank at a luxury hotel in Mexico, prompting calls for a global boycott.
The Hyatt Ziva Cancún resort, in Cancún, has rented the former swimming pool to dolphin experience company Delphinus since 2015. Footage filmed in May 2026 by marine animal rights group TideBreakers appears to show the dolphins swimming in endless circles or floating motionless near a gate.
TideBreakers claimed the animals are also subjected to repeated interactions with hotel guests throughout the day, leaving little opportunity to display their natural social behaviour. The group is now calling for a worldwide boycott of Hyatt hotels until the resort stops renting the pool to Delphinus.
Marketa Schusterova, TideBreaker’s co-founder, visited the resort in May and said the dolphins were being kept in “poor conditions.”
She said: “These dolphins are in shallow tanks, have no escape, no shade, suffer from a constant barrage of disco music and then at night a laser show keeps them awake. They are not medically looked after well, appear thin, have damage and scars on their bodies and they are clearly distressed. There is zero possibility of any kind of normal social behaviour as they might experience it in the wild.”
Responding to the claims, a spokesperson for Hyatt Ziva Cancún said: “We understand the concerns raised regarding the dolphins at the resort.”
“While the dolphin habitat and program at the resort are operated and managed by a third party, Delphinus, we want all services and experiences offered at our hotel to meet our high standards.
“Delphinus is an organisation accredited by Mexican authorities and international agencies and is responsible for the care of the dolphins, including support from trained animal care and veterinary professionals.”
