Of all the sounds in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor that afternoon, applause was the one I hadn’t anticipated.

PETA supporters had gathered outside the National Aquarium to urge the institution to fulfill a promise it made nearly a decade ago: move its dolphins to a seaside sanctuary.

I had prepared myself for indifference, maybe even hostility.

Instead, people stopped.

They clapped. They nodded. They asked questions.

Children, especially, seemed curious. I watched them point toward the demonstration and turn to their parents: Why are the dolphins still there? Why can’t they go to the ocean?

That moment captured something powerful; people are ready to listen. And increasingly, they’re ready to act.

Ten years ago, the National Aquarium acknowledged that dolphins deserve more than a life in a concrete tank. In 2016, it announced plans to retire its dolphins to a seaside sanctuary, a natural, protected environment with ocean water, space to swim for miles, and the freedom to experience life more as it was meant to be.

The sanctuary was expected to open by 2020. Now, nearly a decade after the facility’s promise, the dolphins are still confined.

Most facilities still insist captivity is enough. The National Aquarium said something different. It admitted these dolphins could, and should, have more. More space, more autonomy, a more natural life.

Once that truth is acknowledged, it cannot be ignored.

As PETA President Tracy Reiman noted, “These dolphins are still waiting for the freedom they were promised.” PETA is calling on the aquarium to stop delaying and take real, measurable steps toward their release.

The public’s response that day made one thing clear: attitudes are shifting. People aren’t turning away; instead, they’re leaning in with curiosity and compassion.

The dolphins are ready.

The public is ready.

With sustained advocacy from PETA entities and support from compassionate people like you, meaningful change is within reach, but only if institutions follow through.

For the dolphins still living behind glass, acknowledgment alone changes nothing.

They’ve waited long enough.

Please take action today to help end marine mammal captivity and support PETA’s work to secure seaside sanctuaries and lasting freedom for dolphins.

Daria Tavana is a Donor Advisor at the PETA Foundation, where she helps connect compassionate supporters with opportunities to create meaningful change for animals. She regularly attends local demonstrations, working alongside fellow advocates to raise awareness and push for progress on the ground.