The science of dolphin welfare in captivity has advanced significantly, revealing the inadequacy of most aquarium and dolphinarium environments for meeting the needs of these highly intelligent animals.
No captive facility can replicate the space, social complexity, and environmental richness of the open ocean for dolphins. The best captive facilities provide cognitive enrichment, appropriate social groupings, and avoid performance shows that compromise natural behavior - but these represent damage limitation rather than genuinely positive welfare. The trend toward phase-out of new captures and focus on sanctuary retirement is the most welfare-positive direction.