It is a matter close to my heart that all animals can live in freedom.

That is why GEOlaViva only recommends animal-friendly leisure activities.

Unfortunately, until a few years ago, I supported offers of animal attractions and experiences through my visits on information trips, on vacation or in my free time.

I certainly wouldn't have done that if I had read Hannes Jaenicke's book "Anger alone is not enough!" or seen the documentaries "The Cove" or "Blackfish" much earlier...

Once I swam with dolphins in Cuba.

At first I was very excited and thrilled to be so close to the dolphins. But when we arrived at the dolphinarium and I saw the three dolphins in a tiny pool, my excitement suddenly disappeared.

“They are only surely in such a small pool during swimming time,” I told myself to suppress my discomfort.

Nevertheless, I climbed into the much too small pool with the dolphins. They swam tirelessly in circles around me and I was even able to stroke them twice. But that good feeling just wouldn't come.

Instead, I felt uncomfortable.

At the time, I couldn't place this feeling. Today, I know exactly why it felt so wrong.

I also had this feeling that something was wrong when I visited a marine park in Canada:

In an elephant "orphanage" in Sri Lanka:

Elephant riding in Sri Lanka:

Riding a dromedary in Tunisia and Lanzarote:

By purchasing my ticket, I have also contributed to the fact that many millions of animals are no longer allowed to live freely in the sea or on land:

And although the bars clearly showed that the animals must live in a prison for us humans, I convinced myself that everything was certainly in order:

One of the most impressive moments of my life was the encounter with humpback whales in the bay of Samaná in the Dominican Republic. When the majestic whales came FREELY closer to our boat, I was overwhelmed. One surfaced right in front of me and briefly poked its head out of the water. In that moment, I was able to look the whale in the eye and admire the shells and seaweed clinging to its “chin” - a sight I will never forget.
I am particularly grateful that our guide acted with great attentiveness and respect towards the animals and ensured that the encounter was harmonious for everyone - humans and animals alike.