Help the Dolphin Sanctuary Greece

The world’s 1st permanent coastal sanctuary for  dolphins is opening in 2018, but we need your support to succeed!  Join us on this historic journey to make it a reality.  Rescued & retired dolphins from the entertainment industry will be able to  live out the rest of their lives in a semi-natural environment where they will have the freedom to finally display their innate behaviours. The sanctuary located off Lipsi Island in Greece will provide a permanent home for dolphins from dolphinaria in Europe. 

We welcome you to the campaign to support the Archipelagos Institute for Marine Conservation's dream  of creating  the Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary - the first of ten (10) Sea Sanctuaries in the world.  Your contribution to this campaign earns you a place on the team making a sanctuary a reality for rescued, rehabiltating and formerly captive marine animals.

THE PROBLEM: 
Several dolphins waiting in pools after their zoo / dolphinarium closed with no better place to go. Sanctuaries exist for terrestrial animals but no such facility exists for dolphins, leaving those unsuitable for release back to the wild to live out their days in small, barren and concrete tanks. All around the world captive dolphins swim in circles in undersized tanks, spending their days performing for food. These animals belong in the wild, and yet 283 bottlenose dolphins are held captive in cramped conditions in Europe alone, unable to express their natural behaviours. As public awareness increases on how we treat animals & the negative issues of  keeping the dolphins in these small, unnatural facilities, pressure is building on facilities to end their shows leaving the dolphins no place to go.

THE NUMBERS:
~3,600 marine animals in captive facilities worldwide.
~10 sea sanctuaries being planned.

THE SOLUTION:
The  Aegean Marine Animal Sanctuary is in the final stages of approval and completion, and will be ready to accept the dolphins - possibly in only a few months from now - dependent on funding raised. 

From confinement in a concrete pool...TO THIS! 
Join this wave of a global transition to help us move the dolphins in public display to a more natural environment.

Read on to learn how you can help. Or, jump to the next page to DONATE now.

At the Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary the dolphins will have an opportunity to reconnect with their innate behaviour, such as learning to recognise and hunt live fish for food. They will never be required to beg or perform for food. This enclosed inlet of Lipsi Island will enable them to use echolocation skills and to feel the natural rhythms of the ocean. They will receive 24/7 expert veterinary care and attention from the sanctuary’s specialised staff. The sanctuary will also assist stranded dolphins, seals and seabirds and will offer rehabilitation facilities. Years of environmental surveys and logistical planning are coming to a head as the sanctuary is in its final stage of development. This sanctuary will serve as an archetype for the development of future sanctuaries.


The funds raised will support the sanctuary to open in 2018. The team is led by Anastasia Miliou, Scientific Director of Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation. 

WHAT WE ARE:  HISTORY/BACKGROUND:

In June 2017, at the World Whale Conference  hosted by the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) in South Africa, the Scientific Director of the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, Anastasia Miliou, presented on the 17 years of vital research and conservation of marine mammals of the ΝΕ Mediterranean,  and their progress undertaken for the creation of the Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary . 

The Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary, currently under final construction on the island of Lipsi in the Northern Dodecanese, Greece is an endeavor of international importance, as it is the first sanctuary of its kind in the world.


"It's time to stop talking about sea sanctuaries, and time to start creating them." ~ Anastasia Miliou

WHO WE ARE: After the presentation at the WCA's World Whale Conference, working groups composed of expert scientists and representatives from various organizations agreed the urgent need for Marine Life Refuges to be developed throughout the world, based on the standards currently being set in Greece. The international team of experts supporting the Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary   grew and was strengthened during this conference, with new members joining the endeavor. We have associated ourselves in a working group to support the sanctuary development under the banner of  Sanctuary Education Advisory Specialists (SEAS)

WHY WE ARE: Animal welfare is our first priority. We are on the leading edge of the global change in the lives of marine animals transitioning from captivity to sanctuary, and from illness or injury to rehabilitation and release (if possible).

WHAT YOU ARE SUPPORTING:

Dolphin care and transport to the sanctuary including specialist team to monitor the health, safety, transport and transitioning of the dolphins from captivity to the Sanctuary

Acquiring the remaining  licenses and permissions to operate the sanctuary 

Construction of a  rehabilitation centre and veterinary unit 

Equipment for & outfitting of the sanctuary’s operational base and veterinary clinic

Installion of  a specialised safety boundary

While there are sea sanctuaries in various stages of development around the world, the Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary is almost ready to open. But we need you! 

Your donations are needed *immediately*; anticipated the opening in early 2018.
THE DOLPHINS ARE WAITING...

A WORD FROM OUR LEADER:
"Thank you for your generous donation. Your funds will go directly to help us prepare for the opening of the first sea sanctuary in the world.  I support and endorse this GoFundMe campaign and welcome you to the Team!"
~ Anastasia Miliou