According to the rankings, with 93 dolphins in captivity, Spain has the largest population in all of Europe, accounting for 30% of the total. There are also 10 dolphinariums in Spain, five times more than number two Portugal and nine times more than the Netherlands and Belgium.

Therefore this list is led by Spain with 93 dolphins in 10 dolphinariums. Second on the list is Portugal with 35 dolphins in 2 dolphinariums, followed by Ukraine with 33 dolphins in 7 dolphinariums, and then the Netherlands with 25 dolphins in captivity in 1 dolphinarium. In Italy there are 23 dolphins in 3 dolphinariums, in France 23 dolphins in 2 dolphinariums, in Germany 15 dolphins in 2 dolphinariums and in Belgium 8 dolphins in 1 dolphinarium.

Spain has more centers than any other country that uses dolphins for entertainment. Of these centers, Oceanogràfic in Valencia has the largest group of around twenty dolphins in captivity. World Wildlife Protection in Spain sharply criticized them: “The Oceanogràfic uses misleading language during the dolphin show, with unacceptable and contradictory claims about conservation and education. Dolphins are not ‘ambassadors of their species in the wild’ as Oceanography claims – they are in captivity! “The goal is just to entertain the audience.”

Oceanogràfic welcomes 1.6 million visitors in 2022, of which 51% will be from abroad. Spain is an important tourist attraction for countries such as England and Denmark. Tourists from countries without dolphinariums are often inclined to include visits to such facilities in their vacation plans.

In March 2023, Spain passed a new animal welfare law banning the use of wild animals in circuses. Dolphins not protected by this law. Despite the law, Spain remains top of the list in terms of captive dolphin numbers and dolphinariums, which is attractive to some foreign tourists seeking this type of recreational activity.