Hi All,
I really like this photo from a young girl swimming with the dolphin in Miami. It is always great when you see such a genuine smile. It really makes my job so wonderful.
Taking a Dorsal Fin Ride – Hang ON !!!
I hope you enjoy this photo as much I do. If you have any photos to share with me, please send them in. info@dolphinworld.org
God Bless,
John
Hi All,
I find this really interesting, what the US Navy is doing with Bottlenose Dolphins and Sea Lions. Right now the navy wants to use these mammals to protect a Navy Submarine Fleet in Washington State. You need to read this article from LA Times:
The article reads:
The Navy wants to use dolphins and sea lions to protect a Puget Sound submarine fleet, as the mammals do in Georgia. But opponents say the waters off Washington state are too cold for the animals. < Read More>
Dolphin and Navy Handler
Do you think the Navy should use the marine mammals to protect the submarine fleet?
I would love to hear your opinion.
God Bless,
John
Hi All,
I received this great email and photos from one of our dolphin swim fan, Ambra. She lives in the Dominican Republic and wrote this about her experience at Ocean World.
Here is her story…..
When I booked a vacation to Puerto Plata, one of the reasons was to participate in the swimming with the dolphins program. It is a 30 minute program at Ocean World and costs about $ 165,00 US, which included general admission into the park. The most memorable highlight of my Puerto Plata vacation was the dolphin swim and trainer of the day at Ocean World!
During the 30-minute dolphin swim, I’ve danced, hug, pet and swam with 2 dolphins. Finishing with a spectacular dorsal fin tow and a foot push! And the program was very safe: all participants in the dolphin swim must wear life jackets (provided) to float freely on the surface, allowing the dolphins to come much closer. 10 participants and two dolphins took part in our session, making it a truly personal encounter!
Dolphins playing with each other
Before that day I’d never had the chance to experience these intriguing mammals up close and personal. My whole family was so happy and it was not only fun, it was also very educational because before the interaction you participate to an educational introduction presented by expert dolphin trainers. They taught us fascinating facts about the dolphins and gave us important safety instructions for our dolphin interaction – a must for a truly pleasurable experience.
Ambra getting a Dolphin Kiss
At the park I learned about the Trainer for a Day program and came back for this on another day. For $ 250.00 for a full 8 hour day, I worked directly with the most incredible dolphin trainer, Robinson. I participated in the Dolphin Encounter along with spending time in the water with 4 different dolphins. I learned to check the dolphin’s exterior, learned commands that I used, was in the water with the dolphins, prepared food for them and got to brush the teeth of Boomer, the largest male dolphin. I cannot put into words what the day was like. Robinson, the trainer walked me through all of the other animal exhibits and allowed me to asked questions of EACH of the trainers for the sea lions, sharks, birds, and Bengal tigers. Each of the trainers took a great deal of time with me and they answered every question I asked. I cannot really express what the full day experience was, but it was a 15 on a scale of 1 to 10. In addition to the experience itself, the cost included an Ocean Trainer shirt and hat, lunch at the buffet which was delicious and the food was actually much better than the resort where I was staying), and two pictures that were taken by their photographer. If you have a full day to spend at the park and you would like a much more hands on role with the dolphins, the Trainer for a Day program is a MUST. It is an experience I will never forget.
This was very enjoyable and a true, once in a lifetime experience. The interaction with all the different animals was amazing. The best part of the day was the Sea Lion excursion it was the best bang for your buck. The swimming with the sharks was surprisingly enjoyable and would do them all again over. The excursion with all the animals is worth the money.
Animal Handler – showing Ambra how to handle the sea lions
Wow, that was a great story Ambra, thank you. I hope others write about their experience with the dolphins. It is always enjoyable for me to read these experiences. Has anyone out there done a Trainer of the Day experience? Either in the Dominican Republic or at another facility.
God Bless,
John
Hi All,
We now have the Sea Keeper and Dolphin Swim at Dolphin Cove, Ocho Rios Jamaica. This programs for people that want to get more in depth knowledge and have fun with the dolphins too. This is a full day, where you spend half the day one on one with the trainer and with the animals, dolphins, sharks, and rays and learn how to take care of them, feeding, daily care, and medical treatments. You will have a personalize and educational experience with your own dolphin handler, a behind the scenes tour. You will get to understand their work schedule and daily task.
This program is not all work, but there is time for play. The other half of the day is fun time, where you get to enjoy the dolphin swim. This is where you get to go into the water and play with the dolphins in deep water, like petting them, dorsal fin ride, and the best part, the exciting toe push out of the water.
You need to be 10 years old or older to participate. This program is a must for all those out there that are thinking about pursuing this as a career. < Learn More… >
If anyone out there has done a program similar to this, please let us know your experience and where you did it? We love to hear from you.
God Bless,
John
Hi there,
Beside swimming with the dolphins in the Florida Keys, you might want to take your passion one step further and participate in a internship. Theater of the Sea has put up some new information about their internship. Like I said in my previous post, if you want to get a career in the marine animal business, you definitely need to do an internship.
Click Here for more information: Dolphin and Marine Animal Internship
Here are some questions that they ask their interns and it would be helpful for you to think about. These questions may help you think are you ready to get into this career.
What do you envision as a typical day of an intern?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Are there any days/shifts you are unable to work?
If yes, when?__________________________________________________
Are you aware that the job often requires:
• strenuous physical activity? Yes / No
• strong swimming skills? Yes / No
• working in water below 70 degrees Fahrenheit? Yes / No
• working in hot, rainy and humid weather? Yes / No
• working holidays and weekends? Yes / No
• working overtime? Yes / No
• lifting over 30 lbs? Yes / No
Are you an IMATA member? Yes / No
Are you knowledgeable about operant conditioning techniques? Yes / No
Are you an experienced public speaker? If yes, give background. Yes / No
Experience:___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What are your views on marine mammals in human care?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is you ideal job? __________________________________________
What are your long-term career goals? _____________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
I hope this helps you!
God Bless,
John
Hi there,
I read this interesting website about becoming a dolphin trainer and what is involved. I thought I would share some of the insights in case you are interested.
Dolphin Trainers at Work
How should I prepare educationally for my training career?
There are really no specific colleges for marine mammal training. Moorpark College in California does focus on exotic animal training in a two-year program. The school is extremely hands-on, and graduates have a great success rate of employment. Please bear in mind, however, that some marine mammal facilities require a four-year degree for employment.
The college you choose will depend on your interests. You must first decide the area in which you would like to major. Your library will have a book of colleges to help you determine the schools in the U.S. that offer your Marine Education intended major. Look for schools that offer biology or animal behavior and psychology majors.
What other skills do I need to be a trainer?
Every facility has a different philosophy and mission and therefore looks for different skills in their employees. At many dolphin facilities public speaking skills will be very important. Take classes that will advance your public speaking skills and knowledge of the animals and environment in which you will be working. Physical fitness is also important and because you will be working in an aquatic environment, swimming skills will be required. Many facilities required a swim test before you will be hired. Additionally, you should become SCUBA certified since some facilities only hire trainers if they are SCUBA certified.
Should I volunteer or intern?
Yes! It can be quite difficult to get your foot in the door of a marine mammal facility. The best way to gain valuable hands–on experience is to complete volunteer work or an internship at a facility that has animals (they don’t necessarily have to be dolphins). Many colleges require or strongly advise these programs because they enable you to learn while in the field. Click here to see dolphin places to intern.
What are the average salary and benefits of a trainer?
The average salary of a trainer varies from one facility to another but is often in the $18,000-$20,000 range for an entry-level position. Most trainers have a second source of income to supplement their salary.
Higher salaries are often given to people with multiple years of experience; on average a trainer with 8-12 years of experience will make $25,000 – $40,000 a year. Most facilities usually offer medical plans to full-time staff members. Of course, the greatest benefit is the relationship you form with the animals!
What is a typical day like being a dolphin trainer?
Only dependable people can be successful trainers. Trainers are responsible for preparing meals, feeding, training, cleaning fish containers, and stimulating marine mammals both physically and mentally. The dolphins and trainers have training sessions each day, which are both mentally and physically stimulating. All trainers at DRC vary the dolphins with which they work. All of the dolphins receive at least three meals a day – usually a feeding in the morning, midday and afternoon.
Trainers also make sure that all of our animals receive their vitamins and any necessary medications. The dolphins also practice medical behaviors with their trainers, and each dolphin has a physical twice a year. As a trainer you need to show a great deal of enthusiasm and energy to keep the dolphins excited and interested. Trainers may continue to work on behaviors that have already been taught to the dolphins or they may have the opportunity (after they have gained much experience) to train a dolphin a new behavior. Each day brings something new to a trainer’s schedule. Life is never dull when you are a dolphin trainer!! Most importantly, the trainer needs to make sure these precious animals are ready to entertain and preform the swim with the dolphin programs for that day.
Dolphin Handlers Meeting
What books or references would help me to find out more about training and other careers in the marine mammal field?
“Careers in Marine Biologyâ€, Jay Hemdal (freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Vol 10, Feb. 1987, pg. 66-67).
“Don’t Shoot the Dogâ€, Karen Pryor (Bantam Books, 1999).
“I’ll do Anything to Work with Whales or Dolphins!â€, Valerie Chase (Current, 1992, 11 (1): 31-33).
“Training and Careers in Marine Science: An Information Packetâ€
Available for a small fee from:
International Oceanographic Foundation
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami , FL 33149
The biggest thing I can add is make sure you internship. This is the KEY in getting a job!!
Was this article helpful to you?
God Bless,
John
Hi All,
I am always getting requests for job positions. As I stated in my intern blog post, Dolphin World does not have any job position because we are a travel and tour company, kind of like a travel agency. We put people and their desires to be with Dolphins, wild and trained, and put them with the best marine animal facility for their vacation, either Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Dominican Republc, Bahamas, and Tortola,
We have created a website that list almost all the Dolphin Facilities in the world to help you contact the facilities directly for job positions and openings. Go www.DolphinPlaces.com. Remember position are very competitive and I highly recommend that you intern first at the facility you want and you will most likely get a job there when a position opens up. Very rarely do these facilities ever give a position from a resume. They give the job positions to interns and friends of people that work within the facility. This business is very close knit and getting in is very difficult.
This business is about the love of the marine animals, not the pay. THE PAY IS VERY LOW !!!
Also, you can make quick post here in this blog. The facilities and our competition are always reading this blog. If you have a website, myspace, or facebook address and want to leave it in a post, it won’t hurt you. Also, a put a little about yourself in the post to.
Does anyone out there want to share their story about how they aquired a job in a Dolphin / Marine Animal Facility?
Have a great day!!
God Bless
John
Hi All,
If are presently looking for a job in the Marine Animal Business, please put your comment here with the type of work you are looking for and what kind of experience you have.
The Dolphin Facilities are checking these blog posts from time to time and hopefully this will help you find work.
GB,
John
