Born Free USA Global Field Projects
Dolphins' Release Projected This September
A Born Free Foundation team has just returned from a visit to dolphin project in Turkey where we met with our Turkish partners S.A.D. (Underwater Research Society) and caught up with how Misha and Tom’s rehabilitation is progressing.
Hisaronu Dolphins in Turkey
Two bottlenose dolphins who had been grabbed from the sea were hauled in the back of a produce van to a hillside Turkish tourist resort. They unceremoniously were dumped into a small concrete swimming pool. Their owner planned to use the mammals for “swim with” opportunities and charge tourists $80 for the “privilege.”
Rescued Dolphins Get a Larger Sea Pen
Born Free Needs Your Help To Ensure Their Rehabilitation to the Wild
Tom and Misha, the two bottlenose dolphins Born Free rescued this summer from a filthy pool in Hisaronu, Turkey, are starting to feel at home in their temporary sea pen. The picture shows a moment of joy for Tom as he leaps up into the air. Our project partners are building a bigger sea pen with the aim of introducing the dolphins to their official rehabilitation facility in a few weeks. Tom and Misha were captured off the Turkish coast five years ago. Now a dedicated team, including colleagues from the United States, are preparing them for a life back in the wild, where they belong.
Dolphins in Turkey (COMPLETED)
Following a dramatic negotiation, the Born Free Foundation® secured the release of two dolphins, Tom and Misha. Their plight made international news when they were placed in a small concrete swimming pool in the Turkish town of Hisaronu for the purpose of tourist swim-with experiences. Here, local campaign group, the Dolphin Angels, arranged a massive Facebook protest and an ongoing street presence, calling for their release. The aim was to rehabilitate the two dolphins and release them back into the ocean.
