Caretaker Explains Death Of Dolphins   
To the public, as well as government officials.

BY DAVID FLORES

Following the death of dolphins Quinta, Concha and Ricky at the controversial La Paz swim with the dolphins facility early this month, many conservationists are demanding the release of the remaining dolphins. The animals died choking on debris and sewage flowing into their pen during hurricane Marty. Profepa, Mexico’s federal environmental watchdogs, and Semarnat, the Mexican natural resources and fisheries ministry, has launched an investigation into the exact cause of their death.

At press time the four remainingdolphins are reported healthy and happy by both Profepa and Semarnatofficials as well as by caretaker Javier Aedo. The dolphinarium, as it is commonly called, has been the center of a storm of controversy since the original capture in December of 2000. At that time a female dolphin died and a postmortem examination found ulcers in her tummy. Environmentalists charged that her death had been caused by stress during her capture, transportation and later confinement in a pen 180 feet by 90 feet. Opponents to the exhibit claim the water is too shallow and the dolphins can’t escape to cooler, deeper ocean waters. But the conservationists are really in a snit now, charging that the dolphins should have been set free when the hurricane was bearing down on their pen, so they could ride
the storm out in their natural habitat. They were sitting ducks, the conservationists claim.

Caretaker Javier Aedo, stating that he was “devastated” by the loss of the three animals, defended his decisions regarding their safety, saying “the dolphins were impounded by the federal government early in 2001, when Profepa shut down our facility. Therefore, legally the dolphins belong to the Mexican government, and I cannot make the decision to set them free.”Further defending actions", he continues, “Nobody expected hurricane Marty to hit La Paz so hard until Sunday night, only a few hours before it hit. And the dolphins rode out hurricane Julietta two years ago just fine, and then hurricane Ignacio a couple of weeks before Marty hit La Paz didn’t faze them.“

But in the previous storms the waves did not come over the pen, and never before had the water being so contaminated. In addition to flotsam and jetsam washing down the hills, into the bay, and then into the dolphin pen, the wheels came off the city’s archaic, two thirds finished sewer system, and raw sewage swept into the pen. “We were watching the pen hour by hour, and as soon as we could, we dove into the sewage infested water, scooping up as much trash as we could, and the government officials present were our witnesses,” said Aedo. They also called their in-house vet who gave them antibiotics to fight off the sewage. “It’s not like we were not on top of this desperate situation, or were not aware of the seriousness of the animal’s plight. We were working furiously to save them from the moment the waves came over the pen,” he added.

Profepa officials’ first suggestion after the deaths was to transfer the four remaining dolphins to the Six Flags amusement park in Mexico City, cautioning, however, that their office had no money to pay for the expensive trip. But Javier Aedo balked at the cost of shipping and noted that 12 dolphins have died at Six Flags since its founding
in June 2000.

The debate about what to do with the remaining dolphins reached the lower chamber of congress and an order was issued to shut down the facility and release the dolphins. Then Governor Cota stated that he wants the dolphins to stay in La Paz and their release was stalled. Governor Cota is trying to get congress to approve the sale of federal land adjacent to the La Concha beach resort and to the dolphin center in order to make the center part of the state government’s projected aquarium. However, Caretaker Aedo has no funds to invest in this plan, and has been looking for someone to buy the project.

A couple of months ago a group of Mexicans expressed interest, and have held meetings with state authorities, but so far no deal has been struck. The dolphin center is a Mexican corporation but is currently legally under the control of the federal government, which appointment the state government as the dolphin’s “holder” and Javier Aedo as their caretaker. “So I am with no salary and no budget to support the smiling critters, and can not charge admission,” said Aedo. Neither the federal or state governments are pitching in any money to support the four remaining dolphins.

Javier is grateful that the La Paz community is concerned and giving donations in cash and in fish to feed his charges. At press time, Cappuccino, who had presented some infection symptoms earlier, is healthy again, as are Salsita and Nachito. Aqua, a female dolphin, although healthy, appears to be pregnant.

Three Dolphins Die in La Paz Center .....Killed by debris washed into their pens by the hurricane.

BY DAVID FLORES

Quinta, a 20 year old alpha male, Concha, a six month pregnant 19 year old female, and Ricky, a seven or eight year old male died last week at the La Paz swim with the dolphins facility. The dolphin center has been at the center of controversy since December 2000, when eight bottlenose dolphins were captured in the Lopez Mateos Lagoon, near Magdalena Bay on the Baja Peninsula by Dr. Javier Enriquez, at the time the owner and developer of the dolphin center. On February 3rd , 2001, the first eight year old female dolphin named Luna died.

Environmentalists around the world claimed that Luna had died from stress during her capture and transportation almost two months earlier. The autopsy, performed by a certified veterinarian and witnessed by federal authorities, revealed that Luna died of liver problems similar to those of cirrhosis in human beings. Since Luna had left behind a two year old dolphin, environmentalists warned that the little orphan was still dependent on the mother and would die within weeks, but that didn’t happen.

In the intervening two and a half years of captivity the dolphins have enjoyed good health and many people have been delighted to swim with them. At one point, bending to pressure from environmentalists the world over, the federal government shut down the facility. Dr. Enriquez didn’t have the energy for the fight so he left the center in the hands of Javier and Andrea Ahedo. Javier has been a dolphin trainer for 18 years and made the decision to fight for the dolphin center

Although the center was officially closed by the government, making it impossible to charge an entry fee, the Ahedo’s have been allowing visitors to swim with the dolphins for free. Ahedo and his family supported the seven remaining dolphins themselves, while fighting in court. It was a very hand to mouth and precarious existence. Eventually the authorities allowed them to operate more openly but still, no fees could be charged. So they switched to asking for donations, which many people pitched responded too.

After the state governor finally voiced his support for the center last year, negotiations to relocate it to a less shallow area began. But, because the government won’t allow an entry fee, funds are needed to improve the facilities. So, once again, environmentalists have done nothing but make the situation worse: they have not shut the facility down, but have starved it for money to care for the creatures.

Investors were approached, and just a few months ago a Mexican group expressed their interest in a partnership or full ownership, retaining Javier and Andrea Ahedo and their team of trainers and veterinarian. But nature has its own timing. La Paz was hit twice in one month by hurricanes, Ignacio and Marty. Although there was no visible damage to the dolphin pens, the water was contaminated by the hurricanes.

Last week, three of the dolphins died – one
Friday, one Saturday and the third the following Monday. Trainer Javier Ahedo told this reporter that the deaths “are the result of high levels of contamination due to the large amount of trash and debris washed down by hurricanes, along with over flowing of the city’s waste treatment plants.”

An autopsy on Quinta was performed by veterinarian Amaury Cordero with the help of Javier Ahedo himself, who told us, “Quinta’s death was caused by obstruction of the esophagus by a foreign object he swallowed,” adding that “The amount of trash that came down on the dolphins’ pen is unbelievable. The waves caused by hurricane Marty went over the fences and deposited lots of debris in them.”

The second death took place the next day. “This time it was Concha, who was carrying Quinta’s baby in her tummy,” Ahedo said, “Dolphins don’t get pregnant if they are not healthy.” And adds that “Concha was very stressed during and after the hurricane, possibly because of her pregnancy. The fact that her mate died was too much for her to handle. She died of liver complications.”

The third death occurred Monday night when Ricky passed away. At press time, the autopsy had not been done but Ahedo presumes that it was caused by contamination of the water.

“People in La Paz are suffering from respiratory problems, intestinal problems and eye infections, even dengue fever due to the contamination caused by hurricane Marty. Dolphins have no anti-bodies for this kind of bacteria.” Officials at the Semarnat, the ministry of the environment, and at Profepa, the federal government’s environmental watchdogs, are watching closely. They have taken samples of the deceased dolphins’ body tissue and organs and have sent them both to the Technological Institute and the National Autonomous University in Mexico City as well as to a lab in the U. S. to confirm the results male and one of the four remaining dolphins showed some stressed Monday and refused to eat. The next day however, he was eating normally again.

Nachito, Aqua and Salsita seem to be in good health. The vet is on top of the situation, and watching closely. We asked Javier how these deaths be avoided, and he said that just like with humans, “evacuation is the answer. Or an enclosed salt water pool. But the nearest facility is in Puerto Vallarta and we just don’t have the money to build one here because we can’t charge an entry fee.”

The Ahedo family has struggled to support the dolphins, feeding them hundreds of pounds of live mullet a month. The need to relocate and improve the facility is obvious. Javier will ask the state government for support, and donations are welcome. Also the lost dolphins need to be replaced, but under heavy pressure from environmental activists from other countries, the Mexican government has prohibited the capture of dolphins in Mexican waters. But a request from the state governor, who fully realizes the positive economic impact well built dolphin facility can have on our tourist destination can lift the ban temporarily, if he can stand the heat politically and stand up to these activists.

A second option would be to import new dolphins from Japan, at a cost of $60,000 each. Those interested in supporting the dolphin center in any possible way are welcome to call Javier or Andrea Ahedo at the center’s phone # (612) 103-1682. Andrea speaks English.

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