Morrissey has written to Jet2holidays urging the tour operator to drop its association with marine parks that continue to use captive orcas and dolphins for entertainment.
In a letter to the Jet2 chief executive, Steve Heapy, the former frontman of the Smiths said the mammals belong in the open ocean where they can find food and socialise, which they cannot do if they are in “a cramped, concrete tank”.
He added that the “unnatural conditions” take a toll on the animals and points to the number of premature orca deaths in recent years at Loro Parque, a zoo in Tenerife that featured in the 2013 documentary Blackfish.
At the zoo, which Jet2holidays sells tickets for and promotes on its website, the orca Skyla died in March 2021, aged 17, followed by Ula just weeks later, aged two, and Kohana, who died in September 2022 aged 20.
Morrissey also addresses the “bleak” situation of bottlenose dolphins, who he claims are “crammed together at the marine park in a tank that’s smaller than the car park”.
He wrote: “Day in and day out, these animals can do little else but swim in endless circles. They’re even forced to perform demeaning tricks in exchange for food. Anyone who thinks that’s entertainment needs to get their head checked. And anyone who profits from this abuse should be ashamed.”
Morrissey said he will be performing at the Sounds of City concert series on Wednesday in Leeds – where Jet2 is based – and would like to meet Heapy to discuss the issue.
He added that: “better yet, I hope I can tell my audience that Jet2holidays is no longer associated with cruel marine parks.”
Morrissey’s letter follows a campaign by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) signed by almost 40,000 people, urging Jet2Holidays to cut ties with marine parks.
The animal rights charity describes the facilities as “marine abusement parks that hold animals captive for decades in cramped tanks with chemically treated water”.
The holiday firm offers customers the opportunity to buy tickets for excursions at marine mammal theme parks, such as Loro Parque, when booking a holiday.
It is one of the last remaining travel providers to do this after similar firms, such as Thomas Cook, Virgin Holidays and British Airways Holidays, stopped the practice.
Peta’s campaign follows a public backlash towards keeping killer whales and dolphins in captivity after the release of Blackfish.
The film argues that orcas are highly intelligent, social animals whose behaviour becomes warped in captivity – leading to psychosis and aggression towards humans.
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It focuses primarily on the traumatic life of the orca Tilikum, and thedeath of his trainer Dawn Brancheau at Seaworld Orlando in February 2010.
Alexis Martinez, a trainer at Loro Parque, also featured in the film and died after a training session with an orca in December 2009.
The film prompted international condemnation of the practice of keeping orcas, and since its release SeaWorld pledged to stop breeding the whales in captivity in March 2016.
Tilikum, who was involved in the deaths of three people, died in January 2017, aged 36, after spending 24 years in captivity at SeaWorld, Orlando.
Loro Parque’s orca expert said that in a “well managed” marine park the behaviours performed by whales “are carefully curated to promote their physical and mental well-being, while also providing educational and entertainment value for human observers”.
They said that the marine park has been “extremely transparent” about the “unexpected deaths” of Skyla, Kohana and Ula.
The expert said the marine park conducted an investigation using independent veterinarians and pathologists that concluded “the causes of death were unrelated to the animals being in a marine park.”
Jet2holidays was contacted for comment.
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