Introduction

We are excited to introduce our newest Pack & Leaf family member: Johnny, our new adopted dolphin!

Johnny is from a place called Umah Lumba Rehabilitation, Release and Retirement Center in Banyuwedang Bay, West Bali. He spent about three years of rehabilitation in the facility before being freed back into the ocean.

Adopting a dolphin– Johnny is one of our ways to support him and the organization that helps and protects him and his kind. And we encourage you to help save the dolphins.

Johnny’s Story

Johnny was one of the dolphins rescued by Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project from the confines of a pool in the Melka Excelsior Hotel in Bali, Indonesia where crowds of people bought tickets to swim with him (and those were the only times he had any company at all).

Johnny was in bad shape. He suffered a cornea injury as a result of years of swimming in water that contained chlorine and other chemicals that were put in to make his tank look clean and clear for paying customers.

He had no teeth and was critically underweight when the rescuers found him. At some point during his confinement, his pectoral fin got injured and infected. A piece of it was cut off to prevent the infection from spreading. The damage would be permanent.

Being captured in the Java Sea, Johnny would then be destined to spend the rest of his life trapped in the tank and dealing with tourists who want to kiss, hug, and ride him.

Luckily, the rescuers found him and the others when they found them.

Jonny had sustained a lot of damage from years of exploitation in the appalling living conditions he was in, and will likely need care for the rest of his life.

After being rescued from the hotel and transported to Umah Lumba Center on October 8, 2019, he then began to enjoy a well-deserved retirement in the large sea pens of their sanctuary where he can once again experience the natural rhythms and sounds of the sea.

He gained weight and strength as he’s being fed a diet of high-quality fresh fish. Johnny's activity has also increased because of his improved health. He often jumps for joy and spends much time swimming, diving, and playing. And just recently, after careful planning and evaluation, Johnny was given new teeth in a first-ever technique.

And then, about three years after their rescue, Johnny, along with the other two rescued dolphins Rocky, and Rambo were given the chance to return to the wild again.

The Dolphin Project that saved Johnny

Dolphin Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to dolphin conservation. They provide welfare and protection to dolphins all over the world.

Dolphins are captured, harassed, slaughtered, and sold into captivity around the world—all in the name of profit. Fortunately, there are dolphin protection projects like theirs that work to save the dolphins from being slaughtered but also to rehabilitate captive dolphins for retirement and/or release. They also work to put a permanent end to dolphin captivity.

In 2019, The Dolphin Project helped establish what would be the world’s first and only facility dedicated to the formerly captured dolphins’ protection, rehabilitation, release, and retirement.

Umah Lumba Rehabilitation, Release, and Retirement Center is the first and only permanent dolphin rehabilitation, release, and retirement facility for rescued dolphins with a team that did and still does everything they could to provide care and protection to the dolphins that need them.

Just last September 3rd, about three years after the rescue, the Dolphin Project announced the release of the three formerly captured and rescued dolphins – Rocky, Rambo, and our adopted dolphin Johnny.

Over an hour after opening the gate of the foraging pen, the three fully rehabilitated and healthy dolphins finally swam toward the open ocean; towards their freedom.

You can read their full narrative here.

How can you help save the dolphins today?

We all love dolphins. They're beautiful, playful, and just plain fun to watch. But did you know that some dolphin species are in danger of extinction?

It's a fact, and it's sad. But why?

They’ve been hunted for hundreds of years– for meats, for their body parts to sell, for entertainment.

So what can we do to help out our dolphin friends? Here are a few ways:

You can save the dolphins by adopting them. Adopting a dolphin is a great way to help these playful, intelligent animals. Dolphin Project also has a program for dolphin adoption where you can adopt a dolphin under your name (or under someone else’s name as a gift) and you can track and be updated about them. The proceeds of your donation will all go to their rehabilitation and welfare.

You can also donate, and again, the proceeds will go to the dolphins.

You can start to eat sustainably. Be aware and be mindful of what fish you eat. Not only you can save the dolphins, but you can also save the oceans and the entire marine life.

You can also go and make a special effort to participate in dolphin protection and conservation organizations and take necessary actions such as signing petitions spreading awareness and getting involved.

In today's day and age, it has become easier than ever to support the cause. There are infinite things you can do. Don't wait until tomorrow, the time is now!