Here at Dolphin Encounter Ltd, our mission is to provide
the general public and concerned dolphin lovers the opportunity
to see their dreams come true. We see the evidence of this
every day as we watch the faces of our guests when they meet
one of our dolphins for the very first time. A more subtle
answer to this question lies in the opportunity with which
we as the dolphins' caretakers are provided. Through our
educational lectures and the intimate contact with the dolphins
that our guests receive, we are able to teach people how
special the dolphins are. Ultimately, because of this knowledge,
we hope that everyone will become even more committed to
conservation issues involving not only dolphins but all marine
mammals and their environment.
Issues involving not only dolphins but all marine mammals and their environment.
All of the training that is done with the dolphins is accomplished using a positive reinforcement system. The training fulfills a variety of purposes. Not only is it used to perfect behaviors that the guests experience during their encounter, the training also serves as exercise, stimulating them mentally and physically, and allows them structured time for play, socialization and learning.
We firmly believe the success of our program is a direct result of the relationships that are built between the trainers and the dolphins.
The training program is designed to be one-on-one, in other words one trainer to one dolphin. The trainers spend quality time throughout the day with each of the dolphins in order to build a relationship of trust.
Many of the behaviors that the dolphins learn will be seen during the program, but some of them are trained just for fun - both for the dolphins...and their trainers!
One of the most important aspects of the training program deals with the behaviors we call husbandry behaviors.
This particular training allows the dolphins to voluntarily participate in physical exams which daily include checking their eyes, mouth, blowhole, fins, body and tail. It also promotes voluntary collection of blood, respiratory and fecal samples for routine medical profiles as well as ultrasound exams for monitoring pregnancies in females.
We hope that each of our guests will take home some very special memories after their dolphin encounter. We also hope that they will have gained just a bit of insight as to why we at Dolphin Encounters are dedicated to educating people about these wonderful animals. We would like to leave each guest with a reminder that their experience was only possible because of the specific training that our dolphins have received.
We do not condone interactions with wild dolphins because they have no understanding or experience with humans attempting such interactions. Such attempts could possibly be harmful to their social structure. We ask that with your new found knowledge you support us in this position. We hope that in the near future you will choose to enjoy one of the programs at Dolphin Encounters.
