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For 80 years, humans have kept dolphins in sterile concrete tanks to perform for our entertainment. CentroMar is launching a global movement to change that model forever.

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For 80 years, humans have kept dolphins in sterile concrete tanks to perform for our entertainment. CentroMar is launching a global movement to change that model forever.

Donate Now

Donate Now

About Us

CentroMaraimstocreatetheworld’sfirstnaturalisticdolphinsanctuary,offeringahumanealternativetotraditionalaquariumtanks.
CentroMaraimstocreatetheworld’sfirstnaturalisticdolphinsanctuary,offeringahumanealternativetotraditionalaquariumtanks.
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DEFINING SANCTUARY

By launching a global movement to create best-in-class, seaside sanctuaries, we aim to give formerly captive dolphins the space, choice and control to live like their wild cousins, in a true ocean habitat. This means a new life in healthy seawater, expansive space in which to form social bonds with other dolphins.

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Dolphin First Philosophy

The needs of the dolphins come first. They are held above all others, including those of caregivers, donors, or the public. In respect for their inner lives, the dolphins are afforded the highest levels of choice and control over their living environment. They are free to form natural social groupings and explore novel stimuli.

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Revolutionary Work

This is not just a project; it is a turning point. CentroMar’s vision is to be a beloved community asset in Puerto Rico where conservation, education, and engagement work to benefit the animals, ecosystems, and people of 

Puerto Rico.

Why Now?

Dolphins are highly intelligent, deeply social, emotional beings that are capable of empathy. Yet, over the past century, we have kept them in environments that strip away nearly everything that defines them. Concrete tanks. Limited space. Artificial groupings. A life designed for human entertainment, not for the needs of these socially complex animals. The practice of keeping dolphins in outmoded captive settings offers a glaring and heartbreaking example of humankind’s disconnection with the natural world. Yet, as our understanding of their needs and welfare has evolved, so too has our responsibility. For nearly every other large mammal, sanctuaries exist. For dolphins, they do not.

Why Puerto Rico?

In Bahía Lima, on Puerto Rico’s east coast, the CentroMar team has found something rare: a place where nature already provides what dolphins need to thrive. The bay itself comprises 1.65 million sq ft (153,000 sq m) of surface area and contains over 86 million gallons (327 million liters) of pristine seawater. Its rural location and native vegetation—including mangroves, sea grapes and ceiba trees—are vastly different from anything captive dolphins have ever known.

In addition to caring for up to twenty dolphins, CentroMar will:

  • Provide a release site for rescued and rehabilitated manatees.

  • Host Puerto Rico-based NGOs engaged in restoration of coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrasses.

  • Be a center for noninvasive, scientific research on dolphin communication, behavior, cognition, and bioacoustics.

  • Act as a living laboratory for environmental education and hub for Puerto Rico’s thriving conservation community.

Why CentroMar?

CentroMar was founded to offer something unprecedented: a place where formerly captive dolphins can live in the ocean—many for the first time—humanely, with dignity, in a safe setting. CentroMar’s scientists, welfare advocates and animal care experts are part of a global movement, one dedicated to breaking the legacy of whale and dolphin captivity through a network of natural oceanside sanctuaries. Newly incorporated in Puerto Rico, CentroMar’s purpose is to create and operate a new home for dolphins, allowing them to transition from traditional captivity to life in the ocean.

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Meet the team

Adedicatedteamofexperts.
Adedicatedteamofexperts.
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front angle of man

John Racanelli

Founder

John is a key figure in transforming zoos and aquariums, with a 50-year career that h opening the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium and founding The Florida Aquarium. He co-founded Mission Blue with Sylvia Earle and helped create ‘The Ocean in Google Earth.’ John turned the National Aquarium in Baltimore from a struggling attraction into a respected conservation organization, notably retiring its dolphin colony to a natural seawater environment. At CentroMar, he has built an international team of experts, including architects from Studio Gang for sustainable design, while local engineers, biologists, planners, and oceanographers ensure CentroMar meets its commitments to Puerto Rico and its stunning natural resources.

front angle of woman
front angle of woman

Judy mckoy

chief of staff

With over two decades of experience supporting C-Suite leadership, Judy has built her career as a trusted strategic thought partner and Board liaison. Her expertise lies at the intersection of high-level operational strategy and meticulous execution; she has established the Office of the CEO and governed Board relations for major organizations ranging from high-intensity startups to established Fortune 500 companies. Before joining CentroMar, Judy served as Director of Special Programs & Events at XQ Institute. When not at work, she is a proud mom to her son, daughter, and son-in-law. She is also devoted to her two handsome, athletic grand pups, Beckham and Bean.

Judy MCKOY

CHIEF OF STAFF

Our Partners

MeettheteambehindCentroMar
MeettheteambehindCentroMar

James L. Ferman Jr.

Chair, Board of Directors

Daniel Grunberg

Board of Directors 

Frank Steslow

Board of Directors 

Studio Gang Architects

Design & Engineering Team

Tetra-Tech Engineering

Design & Engineering Team

Biomarine Ecological & Environmental Solutions

Design & Engineering Team

Caribbean 
Oceanography Group

Design & Engineering Team

23.4 Degrees Community Engagement Consultants

Design & Engineering Team

James L. Ferman Jr.

Chair, Board of Directors

Daniel Grunberg

Board of Directors 

Frank Steslow

Board of Directors 

Studio Gang Architects

Design & Engineering Team

Tetra-Tech Engineering

Design & Engineering Team

Biomarine Ecological & Environmental Solutions

Design & Engineering Team

Caribbean 
Oceanography Group

Design & Engineering Team

23.4 Degrees Community Engagement Consultants

Design & Engineering Team

James L. Ferman Jr.

Chair, Board of Directors

Daniel Grunberg

Board of Directors 

Frank Steslow

Board of Directors 

Studio Gang Architects

Design & Engineering Team

Tetra-Tech Engineering

Design & Engineering Team

Biomarine Ecological & Environmental Solutions

Design & Engineering Team

Caribbean
Oceanography Group

Design & Engineering Team

23.4 Degrees Community Engagement Consultants

Design & Engineering Team

FAQ's

FrequentlyAskedQuestions
FrequentlyAskedQuestions

Our plans call for opening the dolphin sanctuary in 2029 (“Dolphins in the water”). This timeline will depend on  the permitting process and successful fundraising needed to launch the facilities. We have high confidence that we can meet this target.

The current estimate to design, permit, build and open the sanctuary is approximately  $30 million. As design plans for both the land and marine components continue to be refined, this estimate may evolve.  

Once the sanctuary reaches its full capacity  of 20 dolphins, the estimate for operating costs is between $1.5 and $2.5, depending on many variables that still need to be confirmed. These operating costs will be supported through program revenue, memberships, dolphin “adoptions,” and other philanthropic support.

Most dolphins currently in captivity were born into that life and have never experienced life in the wild . They have never felt rain on their dorsal fins or seen a jellyfish. Through a careful, science-based  acclimation process, dolphins at CentroMar  will gradually be  introduced to the ocean’s natural rhythms, risks and wonders. Under the watchful eyes of the dolphin care team, in the protected space of the sanctuary, they will begin to learn the life skills that all wild dolphins learn from their mothers and the rest of their pods in nature. 

All decisions regarding  the care, welfare and disposition of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in the US and its territories are governed by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its Office of Protected Resources. CentroMar  will work closely with NOAA’s experts on all aspects of dolphin care and welfare.

Yes. Over several years, our team evaluated more than 80 potential  sites including  the Chesapeake Bay to Florida, US Virgin Islands,  British Virgin Islands, Georgia, California, and Mexico. 

Bahia Lima, on Puerto Rico's southeastern coast, offered the best combination of accessibility, optimal conditions and natural beauty. In addition, Puerto Rico’s strong  conservation community and local expertise make it an ideal partner in this effort. 

CentroMar is part of a growing global movement.  We have worked closely with organizations including:

  • The SeaLife Trust which has already developed a Beluga whale sanctuary in Iceland and is working to acclimate two Belugas to live permanently in that sanctuary. 

  • The Whale Sanctuary Project is well into the permitting and design of a new home for “orphaned” Killer Whales and Belugas, and hopes to welcome its first resident whales within a year. 

Additional dolphin sanctuaries are underway in Italy, Greece and Spain. 

Globally,  approximately 3,700 whales and dolphins remain in captivity, with the majority (3000+) being Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.

Yes, the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries recently developed standards for dolphin and whale sanctuaries. Originally developed by members of the National Aquarium, SeaLife Trust and Whale Sanctuary Project teams, the standards were subjected to rigorous review and vetting by experts in animal welfare, cetacean care and whale/dolphin conservation. Those standards can be found here. 

CentroMar will operate in accordance with GFAS standards and intends to pursue accreditation by GFAS once the sanctuary is operational.

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