World-first virtual reality 'swimming with dolphins' experience in Northampton wins animal rights award

Community learning disabilities nurse Rebecca Gill has bagged an animal rights accolade for her virtual swimming with dolphins experience, Virtual Reality Therapies, in Northampton.

It's a world-first business idea, which sees four hydro pools and virtual reality (VR) headsets combined together to provide 'immersive therapeutic technology' for children with learning disabilities or for adults who are disabled.

This week, Rebecca was handed an award by animal rights charity PETA for designing a new interactive experience that 'encourages people never to swim with captive dolphins, visit aquariums and marine parks'.

Rebecca said studies have shown the links between the therapeutic benefits of people swimming with dolphins and by doing it through VR it avoids having the animals in captivity.

She said: "As a learning disability nurse, my passion is bringing innovative therapeutic experiences to those who need them the most.

"By using virtual reality instead of imprisoned animals, we can help prevent dolphins from being kept in captivity, conserve their natural habitats, and raise awareness of the plight of captive marine mammals."

VR headsets allow wearers to see dolphins swimming around them at 360 degrees and through advanced technology swimmers can entice the computer-generated animals to 'play' with them.

Health benefits include reducing chronic pain, alleviating anxiety and taking trips down memory lane.

In the open ocean, dolphins swim up to 50 miles a day alongside their families and communicate over vast distances by sonar but PETA says at marine parks dolphins' sonar bounces off the walls, causing depression and ulcers among the animals.

PETA director Elisa Allen added: "VR therapies know that dolphins are sensitive, highly intelligent animals who belong in the open ocean, not imprisoned in a tank or forced to interact with humans in contained waters.

"PETA is recognising this visionary company for offering an exciting and educational virtual reality experience that doesn't exploit animals."