A marriage proposal at the Ocean Adventure Subic Bay became controversial in the Philippines after a dolphin's belly was used to write, “Will you marry me, Rona?” but animal rights activists were unhappy and urged the public to boycott the theme park.
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| Romantic or cruel? The couple in the controversial marriage proposal poses with the dolphin in the Ocean Adventure park in Subic |
Photos of the proposal from the the Ocean Adventure Subic Bay's Facebook page soon went viral, triggering negative reactions from netizens. Later, the photos were removed from their page.
The Earth Island Institute was able to take screenshots of the controversial proposal and shared them online. The group is urging a boycott of the theme park and calling for the release of all captive dolphins.
In response, the Ocean Adventure Subic Bay claimed that it used zinc oxide to write the marriage proposal on the belly of the dolphin which the company said is a safe material and used for sun protection.
But Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines said this is no excuse to ‘vandalize’ an animal:
"Vandalizing an animal has no place in conservation.
Zinc oxide is used to prevent sunburn and skin irritation in stranded cetaceans, meaning it is used as a medical aid to prevent further injury to the animal in distress."
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| The Ocean Adventure Subic Bay claimed that it used zinc oxide on the dolphin and said it is a safe material and used for sun protection. |
In a set of photos posted on the Facebook page of Ocean Adventure theme park in Subic, a happy couple is seen posing with a dolphin, with the words "Will You Marry Me Rona?" painted across the animal's belly.
"Congratulations Ronaleen and Arthur! Best wishes for you lovely couple. Thank you for making Ocean Adventure part of this magical love story of yours," the Facebook page said.
As of posting, the photos have already been taken down by Ocean Adventure from the social media site.-- Soure: Global Voices, ABS-CBN
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| Ocean Adventure Subic Bay's Facebook page |