Stop the Circus

This Is What We Are Asking For

The Animal Justice Party NSW has been running a campaign called Stop the Circus, calling on Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary in Coffs Harbour to end the exploitation of three captive dolphins, Bella, Zippy and Jet. All three were purposely bred into captivity. None were rescued. They spend their days performing circus-style tricks, posing for photos, and being used in paid swim programs for tourists.

Our MP, Emma Hurst, has raised their welfare in the NSW Parliament, protests have been held outside the facility, and thousands of people have signed the petition demanding that the exploitation stop.

Every time this issue makes the news, the same thing happens. The facility's response obscures the main point and appears to mislead the public about what the campaign is calling for. The three dolphins at the center of it all, Bella, Zippy and Jet, get lost in the noise.

What We Are Not Saying

We are not asking for the dolphins to be released into the open ocean.

Nobody is proposing that dolphins be taken from facilities and released into open water. The Empty the Tank movement calls for a long-term phase-out of cetacean captivity, including an end to breeding, capture, trade and exploitation. It is about refusing to accept tanks as a permanent and acceptable reality for dolphins, while pushing for better care, genuine sanctuary development and positive solutions for animals already in captivity.

What we are asking is that the facility seriously explore what a genuine retirement could look like for Bella, Zippy and Jet, including the possibility of retiring the dolphins to a sea sanctuary. 

Bella, Zippy and Jet deserve a life that is not defined by performance, noise, crowds and constant forced interaction with strangers.

Currently, the facility offers three paid dolphin experiences: a land-based "Meet the Dolphin" encounter open to all ages, including children under four accompanied by a paying adult, and two in-water programs where tourists are in the water with Bella, Zippy or Jet. These run daily. The dolphins have no means of escape and no choice in the matter.

Beyond the psychological toll of constant performance and human interaction, every one of these programs places human hands and bodies in direct contact with animals who cannot consent. Human contact introduces bacteria, oils and pathogens into their environment. Dolphin skin is highly sensitive and permeable, and the chlorinated water compromises their natural defences.

Who Are Bella, Zippy and Jet?

Bella, Zippy and Jet were not rescued. They were purposely bred into captivity at this facility, which has operated under various names over the years, including Pet Porpoise Pool and Dolphin Marine Magic, before rebranding as Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary.

Zippy was born on 26 June 1988. He is the oldest dolphin at the facility and has spent his entire life in captivity. He suffers from papilloma virus and has tumours. In 2026 he had surgery for cancer in his mouth. He continues to be used in performances and interactions. Allowing public contact with an animal recovering from oral surgery is a risk to Zippy and to visitors.

Bella was born on 11 July 2005. Like Zippy, she spends her days performing and interacting with guests. Visitors are encouraged to put their hands in the water while the dolphins are forced to turn upside down and endure invasive touching of their undersides and bodies.

Jet was born on 3 December 2009, making him the youngest of the three. He has lived a life in captivity. 

All three live in small pools. The show pool is 20 per cent smaller than legal standards. The facility operates only under a licence variation that allows it to continue despite this. A cruel barrier prevents the dolphins from accessing both pools during animal interactions, further limiting their already tiny living space.

How We Got Here: A Timeline of Suffering

The Animal Justice Party had long been concerned about the use of animals in entertainment across NSW. In July 2019, the death of Bucky, a bottlenose dolphin who spent his life in a chlorinated pool performing for human entertainment, brought that concern into focus. His death prompted the AJP to launch a petition calling for all animals used in entertainment in NSW to be retired to sanctuaries, and for legislation banning their use for entertainment altogether.

Bucky had been rescued as a stranded calf in 1970, but was never rehabilitated and released. Instead, he spent more than 45 years performing at the facility, including after being diagnosed with cancer. He dragged tourists across the pool on his back and offered dolphin kisses to paying guests until his death in 2019. His son, Ji-Ling, died in those same tanks after consuming leaves, sticks, and a piece of metal, suffering a heart attack during the procedure to remove the debris. The tanks that killed Ji-Ling are the same tanks Bella, Zippy and Jet are still living in today.

In December 2020, Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst's inquiry report was released. It called on the NSW Government to support retiring the three captive dolphins, and to place new restrictions on the breeding of dolphins in captivity.

In February 2021, new regulations were passed in NSW banning the commercial breeding of dolphins in captivity. This was a genuine legislative win. It means no new dolphins can be bred into this system in NSW. But it did not end what was already happening to Bella, Zippy and Jet.

Since then, the facility has continued and, in some respects, escalated its exploitation. The facility holds an alcohol licence and actively markets after-hours functions for up to 200-plus guests in a cocktail-style setting, held on the same grounds as the animals. Their own website advertises "up-close animal greetings" as a VIP add-on for these events. Photos from these events show sea lions being used as party entertainment while alcohol is served nearby, with glass bottles visible in the enclosure area. There are also wedding photos showing Bella, Zippy and Jet performing tricks in the pool as a backdrop for the wedding party, the dolphins used as a live prop for a photo opportunity. Australian sea lions at the facility, an endangered species with fewer than 8,000 remaining in the wild, have been used in "twerking" social media videos. These same endangered animals are forced to paint, perform handstands and interact with paying tourists through the facility's "Meet the Seal" experience.

In April 2026, a whistleblower came forward with photos and videos showing the conditions Bella, Zippy and Jet are living in, including tanks filled with algae. Channel 7 reported on the footage and AJP MP Emma Hurst spoke out, saying "People don't want to see these highly intelligent animals being forced to do circus-style tricks." The facility's response to the algae footage was to claim algae is a sign of a healthy environment. They said nothing about the circus tricks.

Tripadvisor: "Does not meet animal welfare guidelines"

Later that same month, the Animal Justice Party NSW formally wrote to Tripadvisor, presenting documented evidence of animal welfare breaches at the facility. 

The evidence included images of the dolphins performing tricks, the use of whistles, tourists riding and touching the dolphins, and dolphins being posed for photos with visitors. With the support of the AJP Coffs Coast Regional Group, members and supporters were called on to add their voices directly to TripAdvisor. 

Within days, the facility's animal welfare compliance label was reversed to "Does not meet animal welfare guidelines" and booking capability was removed from the listing entirely.

What We Are Actually Asking For

We are asking for the exploitation to stop.

Specifically, we are asking the facility to

• Stop forcing dolphins to perform for ‘so-called’ entertainment 
• Stop all swim-with-dolphin programs
• Stop all physical contact between tourists and the dolphins
• Stop hosting parties and alcohol-fuelled events in close proximity to the animals
• Remove the barrier that prevents the dolphins from accessing both pools during interactions
• Provide Bella, Zippy and Jet with a genuine retirement from performance, including a serious exploration of a sea sanctuary

A real sanctuary does not force animals to perform. It does not allow tourists or the public to touch recovering, unwell or distressed animals. It focuses on rescue, rehabilitation and the animals' own needs, not on ticket sales.

Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary calls itself a sanctuary. It should be held to that standard.

Take Action

If you want to help, sign the petition and share it. Point people here when the conversation loses focus. 

The dolphins cannot speak for themselves, but the facts can.

Sign the petition to Stop the Circus