Manual of Preventive Medicine for Captive Dolphins
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62452/36cf1q98Keywords:
Preventive medicine, dolphins, animal health, well-being, economicsAbstract
The Manual of Preventive Medicine for Dolphins in Captivity is a pioneering initiative in Cuba, where until now there was no specific guide for veterinarians and trainers dedicated to the preventive health of dolphins. This manual aims to establish effective protocols to minimize economic losses, estimated at 300,000 CUP per day for each pair of dolphins in service due to disease. Breeding and maintaining cetaceans in captivity in Cuba began in 1985, and since then, the need for a more ethical and efficient approach to their care has emerged. The document addresses critical aspects such as water quality, adequate nutrition, prophylactic veterinary care, and biosecurity. It emphasizes the importance of constant monitoring to detect health problems early and proposes strategies for managing clinical cases, as well as breeding programs to ensure the sustainability of the dolphin population. Additionally, guidelines are included for the management of pregnant, calf, and geriatric animals, as well as protocols for transportation, emergency management, and necropsies. Environmental education also plays a crucial role, promoting awareness about the conservation of the species and its habitat. This manual not only seeks to improve the health and well-being of dolphins in captivity but also aims to have a positive impact on the dolphinarium's economy by establishing a model of responsible and sustainable ownership.
Downloads
References
Agustí, C., Guix, L., Carbajal, A., Domingo, M., López-Béjar, M., Manteca, X., & Talló-Parra, O. (2025). Physiological welfare indicators in wild cetaceans: Epidermal cortisol and oxytocin concentrations in stranded striped dolphins. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 301, 111793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111793
Arbanasić, H., Medrano-González, L., Hrenar, T., Mikelić, A., Gomerčić, T., Svetličić, I., Pavlinec, Ž., Đuras, M., & Galov, A. (2024). Recent selection created distinctive variability patterns on MHC class II loci in three dolphin species from the Mediterranean Sea. Developmental & Comparative Immunology, 150, 105079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dci.2023.105079
Cherubini, C., Cipriano, G., Saccotelli, L., Dimauro, G., Coppini, G., Carlucci, R., Fanizza, C., & Maglietta, R. (2025). Cetacean feeding modelling using machine learning: A case study of the Central-Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Ecological Informatics, 86, 103066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2025.103066
Cuba. Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular. (2021). Decreto-Ley No. 31-2021.- De Bienestar Animal. Gaceta Oficial. https://cuba.vlex.com/vid/decreto-ley-no-31-864198183
Dórea, F. C., Correia-Gomes, C., Carmo, L. P., Fischer, E. A. J., Messam, L. L. McV., Schulz, K., Vergne, T., & Brodbelt, D. C. (2025). SVEPM 2024, the annual conference of the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Uppsala, Sweden. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 237, 106458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106458
Franco Gómez, N. M. del C., & Requeiro Almeida, R. (2017). Calidad de vida y educación en la sociedad del conocimiento. Universo Sur.
González, N. T., Machanda, Z., & Thompson, M. E. (2023). Age-related social selectivity: An adaptive lens on a later life social phenotype. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 152, 105294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105294
Landrau-Giovannetti, N., Rogers, J., Murray, R., Reichley, S. R., Moore, D. P., Madrigal, T., Brown, A., Meredith, A., Childers, C., Sparks, D., Solangi, M., Peterman, B., Lawrence, M., & Kaplan, B. L. F. (2024). Determination of PCB and PAH tissue levels in bottlenose dolphins that stranded in the Mississippi sound before and after the unusual mortality event in 2019. The Science of the total environment, 954, 176747. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176747
Pineda Pérez, E. (2008). La delfinoterapia en niños con síndrome Down atendidos en un círculo infantil especial. Revista Cubana de Pediatría, 80(4), 0–0. http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0034-75312008000400004
Requeiro Almeida, R. (2020). Revisión bibliográfica sobre el juego infantil en condiciones de identidad y globalización. Conrado, 16(72), 350–356. http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S1990-86442020000100350
Song, Z., Fu, W., Li, H., Su, Y., Gao, Z., Fan, W., Hui, J., Ou, W., Sun, S., Wang, T., Huang, H., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Evaluation of the influence of offshore wind farm noise on the fishes and dolphins in the Pearl River Estuary. Water Biology and Security, 4(1), 100318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watbs.2024.100318
Vigil, K., Wu, H., & Aw, T. G. (2024). A systematic review on global zoonotic virus-associated mortality events in marine mammals. One Health, 19, 100872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100872
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Igor Álvarez-Herrera (Autor/a)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in Revista Metropolitana de Ciencias Aplicadas (REMCA), agree to the following terms:
1. Copyright
Authors retain unrestricted copyright to their work. Authors grant the journal the right of first publication. To this end, they assign the journal non-exclusive exploitation rights (reproduction, distribution, public communication, and transformation). Authors may enter into additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal, provided that acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal is given.
© The authors.
2. License
The articles are published in the journal under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). The terms can be found at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en
This license allows:
- Sharing: Copying and redistributing the material in any medium or format.
- Adapting: Remixing, transforming, and building upon the material.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made. You may do this in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses or sponsors your use.
- NonCommercial: You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- ShareAlike: If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your creation under the same license as the original work.
There are no additional restrictions. You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
