Summer Update

Hey everyone, I thought I'd give an update. So far, my summer has been pretty neat. I've been exercising (an important task towards my dream job), doing college work, and relaxing. The main drawback is the occasional rain, but other than that, it's been great.

I have exciting plans for the summer. This coming August, I'll be doing the DolphinLab program at the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, Florida. I am very excited. Also, I am trying to save up for my Journey with the Gentle Giants in Georgia Aquarium. I can just imagine swimming amidst the whale sharks and manta rays, as well as many other fish.

Seaworld-wise, as you all may or may not know, Kasatka (an orca in SeaWorld San Diego) gave birth to a male calf a few months ago, and recently, he has been named Makani. I think that's a pretty neat name. I've never been to SeaWorld San Diego, but I hope to go one day. It would make my day to see Kasatka's new calf.

Going back to my summer, it has been pretty great overall, and I hope it continues to stay this way.

Scuba Certified!!!

Hey everyone, its Alberto. I am so sorry for the delay in posts. I got caught up in school work, and that made it hard to keep up with the blog.

Anyway, on February 10th, I became scuba certified. This is a big step towards my dream as a dolphin or whale trainer. The whole experience was fun.

I did my training at Upstate Scuba in Clemson, SC.

The course began on January. My classmates and I spent four weeks (once a week) doing pool training and reviewed academic knowledge.

On one memorable night, I was trying to sink down to the bottom of the pool, and I ended up sinking so fast that when my feet touched the bottom, I couldn't stop and my tank clanked against the floor. It was kinda funny. Another funny moment on that same night was when I was at the surface swimming for the ladder, and the lane divider was in the way, so I tried to dive under and I couldn't get my tank under the line. Plus, I had swapped my regulator for my snorkel, so when I tried to dive under, I ended up breathing in water through the snorkel. I switched for the regulator, and tried again, and I still got stuck. Finally, I sank down, and managed to get past the lane divider.

On the fourth week my classmates and I took a written test which we all passed with flying colors.

On February the 9th, we did our first three dives at Lake Keowee. It was mainly reviewing the skills practiced in the pool. On the second dive, a fish swam in front of my instructor's face. It was pretty funny.

On the tenth, we did our last two lake dives, after which we headed back to the store where we got our DiveLogs stamped. As of that day, I am now a certified diver.

I had a truly amazing experience. As a diver, I hope to do more dives, including a dive with the whale sharks at Georgia Aquarium. By becoming scuba certified, i have also fulfilled an important requirement for my future career as a SeaWorld trainer.

If you ever want to learn how to Scuba dive, whether its for a job, or just for fun, go to www.divessi.com to find a dive center near you. Hopefully I'll see you during one of my dives in the time to come.

My Spring Break SeaWorld Visit

Hey, it's Alberto. During spring break, I went to SeaWorld Orlando. It was my first visit in years. I got to see One Ocean, Blue horizons, and even Shamu Rocks (and I got really wet).

I even got to swim with a dolphin at Discovery Cove.

Who am I? What has inspired me to become a trainer?

Hi, I am Alberto. I am new to the Blogger community, and it is great to be able to have my own blog

I really want to become a dolphin or whale trainer at SeaWorld. I would like to tell you the story of what got me into this field.

Way back in 2003, I visited SeaWorld Orlando with my family. We didn't get to see the killer whales, but we got to see the dolphins, sharks, penguins, and we did go to the Wild Arctic. Since that day, the memory grew on me to the point where in 2006, when I was just finishing ninth grade, I found myself browsing around the SeaWorld website. I eventually found a link to Shamu.com (it's now just a page with webcams). On this site, I read what trainers had written about how much they loved their jobs, and I started thinking about being a trainer myself. Finally, during tenth grade, I went to Miami Seaquarium with my sister, dad, and cousin. I saw the two dolphin shows (Flipper show and Top Deck show), the sea lion show, and even Lolita the killer whale. I began to realize how fascinated I was about these animals and the way trainers trained and cared for them. With that, I decided that I should be an animal trainer.

Today, I am following the steps that will lead me to this goal. SeaWorld trainers have one the most incredible jobs, and it's my dream to be in their shoes one day.

Bring Back Waterwork

Hi, this is Alberto. This post goes out to all SeaWorld fans and supporters.

Following the death of SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau on February 24, 2010, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined SeaWorld for several safety violations. Now, they want to keep trainers out of the water for good. OSHA should reconsider their decision.

SeaWorld trainers maintain close relationships with their killer whales. Up until February 2010, trainers have always spent time in the water with them. This interaction stimulates the whales, and strengthens their relationships with their trainers. For every new trainer, waterwork is what brings them closer to the whales. A lack of this interaction limits the bond that trainers have with these animals.

SeaWorld trainers know the risks of working with killer whales. That is why they do what they can to keep everyone safe. Until February 2010, new trainers would not begin waterwork until there was enough trust between them and the whales. Today, SeaWorld is working on revising their safety procedures, as well as obtaining new safety equipment in order to prevent future incidents involving orcas and trainers.

In conclusion, OSHA should not keep SeaWorld trainers from re-entering the water with killer whales. Trainers should be allowed to resume waterwork as soon as SeaWorld finishes revising it's safety procedures, and obtaining it's new safety equipment. The orcas have an amazing bond with their trainers,  but the lack of waterwork is an obstacle in this bond.

Please sign this petition to help convince OSHA to let SeaWorld resume waterwork with their killer whales. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/let-sea-world-trainers-back-in-the-water-with-killer-whales/
Please spread the word. I need all the support I can get.