We have recently, on more than one occasion, reported on the activities of the Whale and Dolphin Protection Forum (WDSF). Without making any differentiation to the various facilities the WDSF is campaigning against all the dolphinariums in Turkey. In conjunction with this they are calling for a boycott for dolphinariums by Travel agencies and Hotels.
Many attempts at a constructive and relevant dialogue from our side, as also from the side of the concerned families, have been to no avail. The tone, the accusations and the actions of the WDSF have become increasingly undifferentiated and aggressive. False claims about our Installation and the keeping of our animals in Antalya have been made. Pictures of various Installations were deliberately mixed-up with the intention of giving the impression that the dolphins in all Installations were not being held correctly. All Installations in Turkey are clearly being ‘all lumped together‘. Read the rest of this entry »
Dear Friends of the Dolphin Therapy Center in Antalya,
as perhaps some of you already know, during the Winter of 2010/2011 we moved 70 metres from our Container locality to rooms in the Hotel Mares. Even though the move was combined with a lot of stress, we now have many new and pleasing facilities. We still have a view to the sea and a comfortable sea terrace.
First of all I would like to say that I absolutely respect and support reasonable Wildlife Conservation. Every person who puts himself out for another living being deserves acclaim.
I am a mother of a disabled child. My son has retarded development problems and suffers from fits. In the past we were more in hospitals than at home. After more than 30 fits my endurance was at an end. Again and again I saw my child unmoving with his muscles cramped, his face turning blue, for three years I couldn’t leave him for 1 second out of my sight. Then his development slowed and he was not able to do things that other children of his age had long since accomplished. Also to experience that pained my heart. I couldn’t lead a normal life.
At 3 yrs. He couldn’t speak a single word, was not alert to danger and was always falling over. My life was composed only of fear, worry about the future and visits to Therapy.
The visit to Antalya definitely produced the first visible progress. He began to speak, learned to climb stairs on his own and became more open and self-confident. Read the rest of this entry »
A German animal protection organisation, the ‚‚Wal- und Delphinschutz-Forum (WDSF)’’, is currently causing a huge fuss on the Internet and is calling for a protest which demands a world-wide closure of Dolphinariums. A demonstration is also planned for April at our Dolphin Therapy Center in Antalya.
It is unfortunate that many of our self-named animal protectionist experts are undifferentiated, without expertise and even argue with falsehoods. They view all dolphinariums world-wide as similar, or they make totally unqualified comparisons with the massacre of dolphins in Japan.
We in the Onmega Dolphin Therapy Center cultivate a responsible interaction with Nature and our animals.
We also strongly condemn some of the facilities which does not hold their dolphins in any way gently and humanely.
But the best evidence are the many great and small miracles that we daily experience here, even if there are still many critics that try to dispute the scientific proof .
How many therapy or healing methods or other attainments of applied science have through hundreds of years of experience been successfully applied although without scientific proof?
What the Parents concerned say about dolphin therapy:
Nowhere else can one find so many therapy reports in the internet
Moreover, one can also contact the parents by e-mail to ask questions about the therapy.
What you should know about our Dolphin Therapy Center:
Our dolphins are very dear to us, as if they were our own children, and they are put to use exclusively for the therapy of disabled children and adults.
It has never occurred in our Center that a patient has been injured by one of our animals
We do not offer acrobatic dolphin shows
We were awarded custody of the dolphins by the Turkish government, after years of strict examination, for breeding and therapy purposes in our Dolphin Therapy Center.
What you should know about the keeping of our dolphins:
It is often said that dolphins cannot be held in custody by people. The internationally acclaimed scientist Dr. Randall Wells has after many years made the assessment that there are no differences between wild dolphins and tame dolphins in respect to their lifespan.
Our dolphins are held in an open expansive enclosure of sea water in Antalya bay, unique in Europe
The dolphins live in their natural element in a 3000 sq.m. and 9m. deep floating sea water pool and preserve their Frequency and Sonar capabilities which are so important for the therapy
The biological balance is preserved, as is the hygiene which is natural – no requirement for harmful chemicals
Our 4 dolphins have 15 million liters of natural sea water as habitat – this is unique
Ask a dolphin protectionist why
every year 300.000 dolphins have to die in fishing nets?
many sea mammals die because of submarine sonar systems
every year 15000 dolphins and small whales are massacred in Japan, Faroe Isles, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and other islands?
in Germany 17 dolphins are held in captivity?
Ric O´Barry, the Actor known as the ‚Flipper trainer’ and so-called ‚dolphin expert’ has for his dealings with dolphins been fined by US Courts for 40.000 US$ and in a second case for 20.000 US$?
We are always ready to talk about the subject of the protection of animals and species and we are in constant contact with many animal protection institutions, environmental organisations, societies for the disabled, rehabilitation centers, Ministries, Universities and other interested parties.
We at Onmega support animal protection actively, and financially, and share the same aims as whale and dolphin protectionists. However we distance ourselves from uninformed and misinformed critics of dolphin therapy centers of any type – a new center has been opened in the Amazon successfully using blind river dolphins with disabled children.
What can we achieve together?
Let us set up a constructive and pertinent dialogue for everyone
Take part in the internet discussion – with your personal experiences – to give animal protectionists more insight into dolphin therapy. We are always ready to help should the discussion take a wrong turn or become too one-sided
At “” you can let us know of discussions and you can always turn to us with questions. We guarantee a reply and would give you support backed up by our years of experience
Write a short Therapy Report, if you haven’t done so already, so that we can publish it on our web-site. We want to give our best to the rehabilitation of our disabled children, whether it has been scientifically proven or not.
Dolphin Therapy presents a exceptional opportunity especially for children but also for adults with special needs to find new ways to health and/or to alleviate their ailments.
Background
In our Dolphin Therapy Center in Antalya, Turkey, we offer our patients individually concerted therapies. Contact with our dolphins plays a central role. But a complete therapy is important, which is why Hippotherapy in a riding school, Physiotherapy, Cranio-Sacral and Ergo therapy are integrated in our programme.
We receive many queries from affected parents as also from people interested in therapy. Now and then they are concerned or have reservations, this shows us how important it is to provide information and explanations with respect to Dolphin Therapy.
This prompted us to organize a free Dolphin Therapy webinar. We will give first-hand reports on this interesting form of therapy and provide insights and background to our methods of work.
Dolphin Therapy presents a very special possibility for mentally and physically disabled children and adults to find new ways to health and/or to alleviate their ailments.
In our Dolphin Therapy Center in Antalya, Turkey, we offer our patients individually concerted therapies. Contact with our dolphins plays a central role. But a complete therapy is important, which is why Hippo therapy in a riding school, Physiotherapy, Cranio-Sacral and Ergo therapy are integrated in our programme.
We receive many queries from affected parents as also from people interested in therapy. Now and then they are concerned or have reservations, this shows us how important it is to provide information and explanations with respect to Dolphin Therapy.
This prompted us to organize a free Dolphin Therapy online event. We will give first-hand reports on this interesting form of therapy and provide insights and background to our methods of work.
Appointed day: Tuesday, 02.11.2010, 10.00 – 11.00 GMT / UTC
Agenda:
Introduction
Our Therapy Center
Dolphin Therapy in general
How a Therapy Course enfolds
Common Symptoms
Case Examples
Travel, Accommodation & Costs
Question Time
Thanks to everyone who participated in our Dolphin Therapy webinar for their interest. For us it was a really enjoyable experience that we definitely going to repeat.
A 10 year-old from Störmede showed great improvement after a visit to the dolphins in the Turkish Therapy Center
Article from German Newspaper Der Patriot, 18.07.2010, mig
Störmede – ‘Dolphins are the angels of the seas – allow yourself to love the angels’. This is the motto of the Dolphin Therapy Center in Antalya, Turkey. They offer dolphin-assisted therapy for patients from 2 years-old to adults up to 50 years-old in their free- seawater dolphinarium.
Experienced therapists supervise the various measures through which many disabled people benefit again and again. Little Tim Hermesmeyer from Stormeder has now also learnt a lot to take home with him. Read the rest of this entry »
The 16 year-old Jasmin Götz is physically and mentally seriously disabled and also blind
Jasmin Götz had a very unlucky start to her life. Even though a heart problem had been diagnosed shortly after her birth she was given oxygen over a long period on the grounds that she had too little oxygen in her blood. It was too much oxygen, though, due to her heart condition her little body could not absorb and produce it, says Hettwig, her mother. By the time the machine was turned off the brain was seriously damaged and Jasmin was blind. Since then she also suffers from so called Tetraspasticity. Read the rest of this entry »
Fund Raising Campaign makes Dolphin Therapy possible
Jasmin Götz from Unterspiesheim, blind, mentally and physically disabled, has returned home with her parents from dolphin therapy in Turkey. It has done her the world of good.
How the disablement evolved
Complications at her birth led to blindness and Tetraspasticity. (a condition affecting posture and movement, up to paralysis, due to overworking muscles in arms and legs – Greek = four) Jasmin must not only have constant care. To date she has had six operations, including on her heart and hips. Read the rest of this entry »
Seriously disabled girl from Unterspiesheim has returned from dolphin therapy
The presence of dolphins triggers joy, happiness, laughter and peace and has a healing effect on so many patients that before was held for impossible. The latest example is the progress that Jasmin Götz from Unterspiesheim, seriously disabled and blind, has made working joyously with the dolphins. The 17 year old has now returned with her parents Hedwig and Uwe from dolphin therapy in Turkey.
Jasmin’s mother is still feeling the effects of the two strenuous weeks in the Onmega Dolphin Center near Antalya, but her daughter has made very successful progress. The dolphins swim in azure blue sea water in a sheltered cove.
Hedwig Götz: „Jasmin has made a lot of progress. From the very beginning she adjusted well and was happy, she laughed and one could tell that she felt just fine. Altogether our stay there was absolutely great. Everyone was so friendly to us. “ Read the rest of this entry »