This last week, I went to DRC for a program called DolphinLab. I had a fin-tastic week! I got to attend very informative seminars, watch demos in training and husbandry sessions, and I even got to spend time up close and personal with the dolphins. I also met some great people in my group.
Jax is in front, and Rainbow is behind
There are several ways to support DRC. You can make a donation, or you can adopt a dolphin. No, you can't take it home with you, but the money you pay goes directly towards caring for that dolphin. When you adopt, you get a neat photo of your dolphin. During my DolphinLab program, I adopted Louie.
I learned a lot about dolphins, including physiology, acoustics, marine mammal laws, and even conservation. I even got to do a Q&A with Mandy, one of the founders of DRC.
The dolphin demos were great. I got to see how trainers train and care for dolphins. I enjoyed seeing the relationship that trainers have with the dolphins. At the end of the sessions, some dolphins like to hang around with their trainers. This further justifies the bond that they share. I even got to see a research session with a dolphin named Talon. There were two boards displayed, each one with a different number of circles. Talon had to figure out which one had less. This was cool because it allowed me to see how DRC conducts their research in order to learn more about dolphin intelligence. I also got to see a demo with the sea lions that live on the facility.
What I liked most of all was spending time with the dolphins, both during interactions, and times when I'd just see them from the boardwalk. On Sunday I got to do a dip with a dolphin named Merina. I got to do a handshake with her (I got to rub her flippers), rub her back, and ask her to do some tricks.
I did two encounters, one on Monday with Louie and Delta, and the other on Thursday with Tursi. During these encounters, it was the same as the dip, but in addition to the handshake, the back rubs, and signaling, I got a kiss from a dolphin (Louie on Monday, and Tursi on Thursday), and I got to do a dorsal pull. It was so much fun.
I also got to have a shirt painted by Talon, followed by a signal session (I had him do his signature whistle), plus I even got a present from him (some of the dolphins bring piles of seaweed, rocks, and other things).
I also spent time with the dolphins while standing on the dock and boardwalk. I loved seeing their personalities and antics. Two dolphins, Rainbow and Jax, are so laid back, and they tend to be pretty talkative.
him.
Also, some dolphins imitate the trainers' whistles (they make a screaming sound), and I think that's really cute. I also like how Tursi screams during some of her behaviors, as though she's making sure all eyes are on her. It was also funny seeing this one dolphin Pandora carrying around a target pole in her flipper. All the dolphins are awesome in some way.
I also got to see the sea lions: Kilo, Karen, and Lina. This not only let me see how sea lions are trained, but also the difference in training techniques between the two different species of marine mammals.
As for my group, I met some really nice people. A lot of them had the same interest as me. Also, during the nights sometimes they went to the beach. I tagged along for two of those drives.
We also did some cool activities, from a funny training game (using target poles and whistles), to snorkeling in the coral reefs.
Isn't he adorable???
In conclusion, Dolphin Research Center is a wonderful place. They do everything to take care of dolphins, and to support and promote conservation. I really enjoyed doing DolphinLab. I gained great knowledge and experience that will help me in my future career as a marine mammal trainer. I look forward to returning for Advanced DolphinLab. I will also consider this place for an internship, and even a job (if I don't end up working at SeaWorld right away after college). DRC is amazing, and if you ever find yourself in the Florida Keys, definitely check it out!!!
To learn more about Dolphin Research Center, go to www.dolphins.org.
