Ocean Embassy & Local Developer Comment On Dolphinarium Plans

Robin Levy of Europa Point Marine Village yet refused to comment to the Gibraltar Chronicle regarding details of the proposed dolphinarium. Mr Levy - whose company is understood to be responsible for the proposal - however told the newspaper that his Gibraltar based company "is negotiating with the Gibraltar Government in connection with certain proposals".

The statement of Mr Levy comes as a response to a comment of Ocean Embassy: After Ocean Embassy has accused our sister charity GONHS to be "intentionally misleading" in saying that Ocean Embassy was part of the scheme, the Gibraltar Chronicle spoke to Ocean Embassy's executive vice president, Mark Simmons. He told the paper that so far Ocean Embassy has only provided "information and expert guidance" to the company of Mr Levy.
However, Mr Simmons was quoted in the Chronicle saying "should the project move ahead, we [Ocean Embassy] would welcome formal involvement, contractually or otherwise, as we believe the modern mission of quality zoological display and engaging mainstream public in emotional motivation is one of the most critical conservation objectives of our time."

As highlighted in the Gibraltar Chronicle, the project "has yet to be presented publicly or approved by planners. Despite the controversy it has generated, very little is known publicly about what the project actually entails."

Our sister charity GONHS meanwhile is determined to continue the campaign to protest against the proposal. So far it is known, that the project entails to capture 18 bottle nose dolphins and nine sealions from Asian waters and build a dolphinarium in Rosia Bay seating 3,000 people. The site is a designated area of special interest, part of it forms one of Gibraltar's last remaining beaches.

Almost 3,000 people have joined the facebook group in opposition to the plans; the Gibraltar Federation of Sea Anglers (GFSA) and political party PDP likewise publicly stated their dismay.