As of 2024, 18 European Union countries keep cetaceans containing at least 37 facilities, with Spain housing 11 of them.
Should you know of any updates, please contact us so we can keep this list current. We recommend that you check out CetaBase.org a non-profit organisation which documents captive cetaceans, worldwide. They have a specific section for European Union countries, with links to each facility and details about the number of individuals held at each location.
Dolphinaria in the EU hold a reported 312 captive cetaceans. The majority, a reported 291, are bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus and Tursiops truncatus ponticus). Orcas (Orcinus orca), Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) and Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are also held.
