Rob Lott

There are strong headwinds facing the captivity industry in Europe. The number of dolphin parks in Spain has reduced from 12 to eight in just five years, and recent legislation in countries such as France and Belgium shows that ending the commercial exploitation and breeding of captive whales and dolphins is possible.

Over the past few months, we’ve been preparing for a series of moments that felt both daunting and full of possibility. Opportunities to speak truth to power don’t come around often, and when they do, we want to be ready - clear in our message, confident in our purpose, and backed by the thousands of supporters like you who make our work possible. Our goal is simple: keep pushing for a world where whales and dolphins are no longer kept for entertainment. But the route there isn’t straightforward.

TUI is lagging behind Over the years, I have witnessed the incredible suffering and tragedy of captive whales and dolphins, and sadly, it is major tour operators pushing out discounted tickets that keep this machine running - and few, if any, are bigger than TUI. Thanks to years of pressure from you, our supporters, and the wider public, most UK travel companies have cut ties with facilities that use whales and dolphins as entertainment. TUI remains the holdout.