NS, the largest passenger rail transport company in the Netherlands is cutting ties with Dolfinarium Harderwijk. At the end of September 2023, passengers will no longer be able to purchase a combination ticket, including entry to the Dolfinarium, which displays marine mammals including bottlenose dolphins.
Following an investigation in 2015 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Nature, a report found that the dolphins at the facility were being used for performances that were deemed entertainment having no educational value and although the dolphins no longer perform tricks as such for the paying public, they are still made to perform in shows. In late 2021, a Netherlands judge blocked the Dolphinarium from moving eight of its dolphins, two walruses and two sea lions to a marine park in China.