Jewel caused an uproar with her fans after they pointed out some of the activities during her holiday vacation were foolish games. The 45-year-old singer took a Caribbean vacation to the Grand Cayman Islands with her son Kase and father Atz Kilcher to ring in the New Year. Atz, who showed himself hanging with some giant stingrays, is famous from the Discovery show, “Alaska: The Last Frontier.”
During the trip, Jewel shared some photos too, including a visit to a local animal rehabilitation center where the star swam with dolphins. Jewel was wearing a bright pink wetsuit and held her arms out wide while riding atop two dolphins.
“Yes. Yes this is me riding a DOLPHIN CHARIOT …. in a hot pink onsie…. lol…. so fun!!” Jewel captioned the series of shots.
She explained how she she positioned herself for the dolphins to lift her out of the water:
” There was one dolphin for each foot- their nose pressed snugly into each arch. I started laying flat in the water, and they came up and pressed their noses into my feet and then start hauling! Swipe to see me first being lifted and then me launching myself … so. Much. Fun. These animals are so smart are kind and playful… what an honor to spend the day with them and their trainers”
Instead of being met with joy over her dolphin chariot, the “Who Will Save Your Soul” singer was hit with a harsh backlash from fans who wanted to educate the singer on the controversial practices of swimming with dolphins.
“You need to look at the Dolphin Project and see how the Beautiful dolphins are stolen and slaughtered for profit. Look into Taiji where hunting boats kill them in front of their families and leave a pool of blood or they bet them as they are screaming horrendously. This is disgusting that you and everyone else supports the kidnapping and slaughter of these animals and others. ANIMALS ARE NOT OUR PROPERTY OR OUR ENTERTAINMENT,” a fan pointed out.
Many other people echoed the same sentiment, and even an organization aimed at protecting dolphins, The Dolphin Project, weighed in.
“thank you for being so vocal about this issue! Yes, unfortunately, this isn’t a true rehabilitation center. Many dolphins round falsely advertise under names like that,” the IG comment for the organization explained.
At first, Jewel defended her dolphin excursion, and explained she was told the location was a legit rehabilitation center.
“this was a rehabilitation center for animals that have been brought in that were hurt and can no longer live in the wild. They raise funds for rehab and research. But I am going to look up the Dolphin Project now! I hate hearing about this!”
She later addressed fans over the matter and explained she had sought out research on dolphins in captivity.
“Hey all- I have been schooled by you about dolphins and love hearing your feedback. I fully agree animals should not be taken from their families … I do support facilities that take in harmed animals for rehab and education.”
She also thanked fans for the comments and support. Props to Jewel for not being afraid to mix it up with her fans and come to a positive result!
