Team to visit US for advice on Bayworld
Trip to Sea World part of revamp research
ATRIP to Sea World in Florida will help decide the way forward for Port Elizabeth’s Bayworld. The trip, to take place in April, comes as an extensive public participation process to discuss the revamp of Bayworld reaches its final stages.
The proposed visit will see Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) planning and development manager Dorelle Sapere, along with a delegate from NMMU, jet off to Sea World as part of their research.
The agency is investigating the viability of Bayworld with or without live animals.
The revival plan came under scrutiny and received sharp criticism from animal rights groups last year when the MBDA revealed that bringing animals back to the facility was among a range of ideas that were part of Bayworld’s revival plan.
The facility last housed dolphins seven years ago, before much-loved Domino and Dumisa were moved to Ocean Park in Hong Kong.
MBDA spokesman Luvuyo Bangazi said the trip to Florida would assist the agency to make an informed decision on their stance on sea mammals in captivity.
“We have met various stakeholders with keen interest in the facility and these include proand anti-animals-in-captivity groups,” Bangazi said.
The MBDA had not yet taken a position on the matter.
“The trip to Florida is an extension of our search for best-case examples and an exploration so we too can come to an informed position before any further redevelopment is commissioned,” Bangazi said.
The MBDA went into partnership with NMMU last year and a memorandum of understanding was signed.
NMMU spokeswoman Zandile Mbabela said vice-chancellor Derrick Swartz had committed to sending a delegate on the trip.
“He has offered to ask one of our academic staff members with appropriate skills to form part of a delegation that the MBDA intends sending to the US on a factfinding tour around Bayworld options,” she said.
“This is part of NMMU’s partnership with the MBDA on reimagining the Bayworld concept [as] the university has a standing [memorandum of understanding] with Bayworld.
“Professor Andrew Leitch has been leading a team of scientists assisting the MBDA on reimagining the entire concept,” Mbabela said.
Beauty Without Cruelty spokeswoman Toni Brockhoven said, however, that the study tour sounded like a holiday and was pointless.
“Sea World has been losing money,” she said.
“There is nothing to see there. Going to see a company that is losing money and has lost its confidence smells to me like the usual South African incompetence.
“Sea mammals should not be living in captivity to amuse people. This is not negotiable, there is no logic behind this.”
Brockhoven said she believed that having live animals in captivity would, in fact, work against Bayworld becoming a tourist destination.
“An international tourist is not going to go to Bayworld if they have dolphins – they are not going to aquariums in their own countries because they have dolphins,” she said.
Brockhoven suggested that Bayworld instead reach out to Ric O’Barry for advice. O’Barry was featured in the dolphin documentary The Cove.
Bayworld senior curator Dylan Bailey could not confirm the trip and said the MBDA had last contacted them in September.
“It seems we are being kept out of the loop and we really don’t know what is happening,” Bailey said.
‘ Sea mammals should not be living in captivity to amuse people. This is not negotiable