Sea sanctuaries in coastal bays offer captive dolphins access to natural seawater, increased space, and environmental complexity as a welfare improvement over traditional pools.
Sea sanctuaries represent a genuine welfare improvement over traditional pool facilities for captive dolphins that cannot be returned to the wild. Natural seawater provides the thermal, acoustic, and chemical environment to which dolphins are adapted, replacing the alien conditions of concrete pools. Increased space allows more natural swimming patterns and reduces stereotypic behaviour. The acclimatisation process requires careful management as animals adjust to natural prey and conditions after years in managed facilities. While not equivalent to wild life, sea sanctuaries substantially reduce the welfare deficit inherent in captive dolphin keeping.