Hotel Atlantis… out of favor from IIM alumni

The IIM alumni in the Middle East region are gearing up to organize the first-ever Gulf Summit. The event’s main theme, “Riding out the Downturn”, is expected to get major business leaders from the region and outside to ideate on the global economic crisis.

Now when we were considering hosting this event at Hotel Atlantis… not just for the pseude value of the venue but more from an economical perspective (managed to get a competitive deal), one of the alumni highlighted the plight of a whale shark which has been kept in captivity at the hotel. Instantly, the group came to a consensus to shift the event to an alternate venue… and the Hotel Atlantis went out of favor.

Save Sammy Campaign

Recognized as a threatened species vulnerable to extinction, one whale shark specimen has found fame in captivity. “Sammy,” a young female whale shark, is being held at the Hotel Atlantis’ massive aquarium. rowing up to 65 feet long, whale sharks are the largest fish in the world – fitting for Dubai, a city trademarked for having the biggest and best of everything.

Sammy’s confinement has kicked up a global protest. The World Wildlife Federation launched efforts for Sammy’s release. Locally, Dubai-based groups and newspapers have demanded the same, accusing the Atlantis of profiting from Sammy’s capture. The most scathing indictment comes from Jason Baker, Director of PETA Asia-Pacific, in a letter reprinted, in part, by Dubai’s Gulf News. Baker wrote: “Removing animals from the wild and putting them on display in captivity does nothing to promote true conservation efforts and is often a death sentence for marine animals who are torn away from their families and placed in a foreign environment. In the ocean, Sammy would live in deep water, swim for hundreds of miles to feed and mate, and constantly feel the ocean’s currents…in your hotel, she will be forced to live in a virtual bathtub.”

I think we all need to express our reservation to this hotel’s wrongdoing by atleast keeping away from the hotel if not vocally speaking against it in public.