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🇧🇪 Belgium /Culture & Society

Vanished tourism: How Belgium's first dolphinarium ended up in Limburg

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Belgium's first dolphinarium opened in Wellen, Limburg, in 1968, not in Antwerp as might be expected.
  • The facility was the brainchild of entrepreneur Paul Heeren, who imported three dolphins from Florida.
  • While initially popular, the dolphinarium's popularity waned, and a larger facility opened in Antwerp the following year.

In 1968, the first dolphinarium in Belgium opened its doors not in the bustling Zoo of Antwerp, but in the small Limburg village of Wellen. This unlikely venture was the creation of entrepreneur Paul Heeren, who, inspired by the American television series 'Flipper,' decided to bring dolphins to Belgium. He personally arranged for three dolphins, named Abraham, Isaak, and Rebekka, to be flown from Florida to Wellen.

The dolphinarium, located at the Maupertuus site which today houses an open-air swimming pool, initially drew significant crowds. The popularity of 'Flipper' created a strong public interest in seeing these marine mammals up close. Heeren's initial venture at Maupertuus began with a fishpond on his parents' property, which evolved into a popular student café before he expanded it into a heated Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool in 1967. The dolphinarium was his next ambitious plan to attract visitors, especially on less favorable weather days.

There was always something going on with Paul, and there was always room for a little more.

— Marcelline HechtermansDescribing the lively atmosphere created by her husband, Paul Heeren, at his ventures.

However, the initial hype surrounding the Wellen dolphinarium was short-lived. By 1969, a larger and more prominent dolphinarium opened in Antwerp, capturing public attention. Today, only a faint trace of Wellen's pioneering dolphinarium remains: a mural of a dolphin on the attic of the municipal building. The local municipality plans to give this artwork a permanent place as a lasting reminder of this unique, albeit vanished, tourist attraction. This story is part of a series exploring lost tourist sites across Flanders.

Dolphins, that would be something, wouldn't it?

— Paul HeerenHeeren's idea to add dolphins to his Wellen facility, inspired by the TV show 'Flipper'.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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