For most of their lives, dolphins Johnny, Rocky and Rambo lived in a tiny swimming pool. Captured from the wild when they were young, they spent years performing in a traveling circus and then at a hotel.
When they were living in captivity, the dolphins were deprived of food, socialization and open water, and were forced to do tricks in front of tourists every single day. As a result, they suffered from anxiety, depression and physical health problems.
In 2019, Dolphin Project worked with the Indonesian government to rescue the three dolphins and bring them to the Bali-based Umah Lumba Rehabilitation, Release and Retirement Center. The Umah Lumba staff would nurse the dolphins back to health, with the goal of releasing them into the ocean if they regained enough strength.
“People are often led to believe that dolphins in aquariums can ‘never’ return to the ocean,” Dolphin Project wrote in a TikTok. “But in reality, captive dolphins can be retired from performing in ocean sanctuaries, where they are able to live naturally and independently.”
When Johnny, Rocky and Rambo first arrived at Umah Lumba, they needed a lot of support.
“[They] were underweight, malnourished and were suffering from a number of serious physical injuries,” Umah Lumba wrote in a press release.
Once they were treated for their health conditions, the rescuers began reacclimating the dolphins to their natural way of life. They were placed in a large, netted pen in a secluded bay, where they could safely readjust to “the natural sounds, sights and rhythms of the sea.”
“They regained their weight, strength and color, displaying their wild characteristics as nature intended it to be,” Umah Lumba wrote.
While at the rehabilitation center, Johnny, Rocky and Rambo had to relearn the most important wild dolphin survival skill: catching fish. It took some time getting used to it, but even after years in captivity, the dolphins hadn’t lost their natural instincts and were able to get their confidence back.
After three years of rehabilitation, the rescued dolphins finally became strong and self-sufficient enough to return to the ocean.
“90% of their time had been spent underwater, as opposed to captive dolphins who spend 90% of their time on the surface of the water,” Umah Lumba wrote.
The day of their release, the dolphins’ enclosure was left open, giving them the option to either stay at the rehabilitation center or venture off on their own. If they wanted to, they could stay at Umah Lumba, where the staff would continue to care for them. But all three chose to swim into the wild.
Alexandra Johnston, Umah Lumba staff member, broke down in tears when she saw the dolphins swim in the ocean for the first time in years.
After a few months out in the open water, Johnny passed away from old age. Still, his rescuers were grateful that he got to experience even just a few months of freedom after years of confinement.
The other two dolphins, Rocky and Rambo, have been thriving. For the past few years, they’ve roamed freely in and around the bay where they were rehabilitated. Now, instead of spending their days confined in a pool and performing tricks, they play in the surf, blow bubbles and go wherever they please.
To support Dolphin Project, you can make a donation here.
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