Kagawa: Video of three dolphins picking up trash goes viral; The staff trained them to exchange waste for food

SANUKI, Kagawa – Three bottlenose dolphins held at an oceanfront facility in Sanuki, Kagawa Prefecture, have become popular for picking up trash floating in the ocean.

The dolphins are kept in an enclosure approximately 20 meters long, 40 meters wide and 7 meters deep at the Japan Dolphin Center, where visitors can learn about dolphin ecology and swim with them.

Waste such as plastic bags, bottles and parcels flow into the room through holes in the mesh or from above, despite staff cleaning the room every morning. The dolphins pick up the waste with their beaks and give it to the staff.

In the past, a dolphin became ill after swallowing plastic waste, so staff trained the dolphins to exchange waste for food. The dolphins can now find plastic waste as small as 1.5 centimeters square. A video of the dolphins picking up trash has gone viral on social media.