Dolphin Encounters ℠ | Life On The Set

McGyver

Filming a movie with animals is no e asy task. It demands a great deal of preparation a s well as an experienced team of trainers and well trained animal actors. A Florida based company, Birds & Animals, came to DE with a contract proposal requiring three Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins to play the role of "Flipper" (in the modern Universal Studios remake of the famous 1960's television series).

The animals were taken by boat to the set, located on a beach on the western side of New Providence Island. Upon arrival, Jake, Fatman and McGyver were given time to explore their new surroundings - what would become their temporary home for the next several months.

The 'Flipper' Training Team was comprised of four animal trainers - Alfonzo "Fonzie" Parker and George "Paka" Nishimura from Dolphin Encounters, and two American trainers, Danny Sams and Scott Sharpe. Danny and Fonzie had worked preliminary behavior training with McGyver in Abaco; Jake and Fatman arrived on the set with no previous 'Flipper' experience (both dolphins, however, had extensive interactive experience, and were able to meet the new challenges right on schedule).

Fatman

The only hitch in production came with the scare of Hurricane Bertha. A storm warning was issued for Nassau and surrounding Bahamian islands. As a result filming was put on hold,. The set was secured and the dolphins were moved to the largest, deepest available area (depth providing safety in the case of high winds). Fortunately, damages from high seas were minimal and shooting resumed within days.

According to participating staff members, the entire project was the event of a lifetime. It is our hope that the film brought as much joy to you (moviegoers united) as it did here to us. More importantly, we hope its viewers gained a newfound appreciation for the dolphins and the fragile environment in which they live.

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