A dolphin trainer

The drums beat louder, the music gets faster, a dolphin leaps high out of the water and twists in the air! The crowd claps and cheers, the dolphin trainers in their blue wetsuits wave goodbye to the audience who exit the stadium with big smiles on their faces! The shows are finished for the day…………………………the fun part of being a dolphin trainer is over for another day!

Being a dolphin trainer is more than waving at the crowd and swimming with dolphins. It starts early in the morning – at 5.00 for the trainer on early morning kitchen duty. A member of the team comes in to start preparing the fish for the dolphins’ breakfast – 70 kilograms of fish need to be defrosted, cut and placed in buckets for the first feed alone. The rest of the team comes in at 7.30 and rigorous training sessions for the day commence. Each dolphin is put through their paces to reinforce the natural behaviours which make up the movements in the shows.

Floors have to be hosed, the walls of the pools need to be scrubbed, food boxes and lids need to be disinfected and kept meticulously clean and the kitchen has to be hosed down. The food for the next day needs to be taken out of the deep freeze for defrosting!

A marine mammal vet and microbiologist are on hand to keep a very close eye on the dolphins for signs that they are not well – the first sign being that they refuse to eat! The vet orders a sample to be taken and the team responds to put the dolphin through a medical procedure to obtain the sample which is sent for analysis to determine whether antibiotics or medication needs to be administered. An ultrasound scan or X-ray may be necessary and the team swing into action to drain the medical pool as they take their places for the procedure!

On any day, some members of the team may have gone to a lecture on foreign objects found in marine mammals while others are at Speech and Drama training in preparation for the new show being developed. Those left behind are busy with animal enrichment activities to make sure that the animals are kept stimulated in their environment. The Curator is on the computer, chatting to another curator in Singapore to find out what they are doing for enrichment activities with their dolphins.

Throughout the day, and particularly at the end of the day, the trainers sit around a table and fill in checklists and record food consumption, show performance, medication, training, toys and medical procedures for each dolphin. Dolphin trainers need to be fit because much of their work involves running around to lift and drop very heavy gates which separate the pools. They are put through swimming tests because water based activities are an integral part of their duties.

Meetings are held every week to discuss the progress and well being of each dolphin. Staff training and research is a regular feature every week and in house exams and assessments are done to allow trainers to proceed to the next level as an Animal Behaviourist.

At the end of the day as the last checklists are being completed and the nightshift handover has been completed – the trainers hang their wetsuits out to dry and head home or to the gym. Others choose to sit outside and chat over the day’s events over a cup of coffee or have to wait for the night rehearsal for an upcoming Special Show. A volunteer reports for Baby Watch to keep an eye on the new baby dolphin which needs to be monitored 24 hours a day for the first six weeks after birth. One of the trainers will sleep in the trainers’ office just in case the volunteer experiences a problem with the dolphin.

A day at the office for a dolphin trainer involves many long, cold, wet and smelly hours – but the trainers tell you that it is all worthwhile and that they feel very privileged to work with such amazing animals.

A Bachelor of Science degree or a degree in Speech and Drama is recommended for any aspiring dolphin trainer. In house training is given but hard work, the ability to function as part of a team and dedication are the keys to success as a dolphin trainer.