Dolphin Encounters
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| Dolphin Encounters - Blue Lagoon Island | |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Founded | 1989, Abaco, Bahamas |
| Headquarters | Nassau, Bahamas |
| Key people | Robert Meister (Managing Director) |
| Industry | Tourism |
| Products | Dolphin Swims, Dolphin Encounters, Observer Programs |
| Website | www.dolphinencounters.com |
Dolphin Encounters is an all natural seawater dolphin facility located on Blue Lagoon Island, (Salt Cay), Nassau, Bahamas. The company started as a rescue facility in 1989. The beach scenes in the movie Splash were taped on Blue Lagoon Island and the facility is home to 18 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, (tursiops truncatus) and six California sea lions. Dolphin Encounters is owned and operated by a local family and is one of the Bahamas’ premier tourist attractions. The facility has received a Cacique Award from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.
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[edit] History
Dolphin Encounters began in Nassau, Bahamas when two dolphins from a closed aquarium were rescued and relocated to a large seawater habitat in Abaco, Bahamas. Soon after, six more dolphins joined the facility. A few years later, in order to provide state-of-the-art care for the dolphins, the marine park on Blue Lagoon Island opened. In 1995, after a multi-million dollar expansion, the operation was renamed Dolphin Encounters.
[edit] Hollywood connection
In 1996, Dolphin Encounters was chosen by Universal Studios to help produce the movie Flipper (1996 film) starring Paul Hogan and Elijah Wood. The company provided three dolphins - Fatman, Jake & McGyver - to play the famous aquatic star, and two trainers for a period of five months. The movie was filmed in the Bahamas, near Clifton Pier in Nassau, on the western side of New Providence. Dolphin Encounters was also involved in the making of several well-known commercials for international companies. Some of the dolphins starred in the Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen adventure film, Holiday In The Sun
[edit] Professional affiliations
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- Member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (I.M.A.T.A)
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- Member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (A.M.M.P.A)
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[edit] Educational programs
The facility offers special education and marine conservation programs to local schools and underprivileged children.
[edit] Non-profit
A non-profit element of the marine park called Project B.E.A.C.H (Bahamas Education Association for Cetacean Health) was also developed in close consultation with the Bahamas Department of Education, the National Science Teachers Association and B.R.E.E.F (Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation). The facility has participated in the Make-A-Wish Foundation program.
[edit] Awards
In 2003, Dolphin Encounters and Project B.E.A.C.H were awarded the Cacique Award - the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism's highest honour for excellence in tourism.
[edit] Marine mammals
[edit] Dolphins
There are 18 dolphins at the facility, all of which are native to Bahamian waters and half of them were born on Blue Lagoon Island.
[edit] Sea lions
There are six California sea lions at the facility. One male (Murray) and 5 females (Xena, PJ, Maggie, Torey, Alice). The sea lions were displaced following Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, Mississippi. Several of the sea lions have starred in several Hollywood films, including Andre.
[edit] Loggerhead Turtle
In 2007, the facility adopted a loggerhead turtle, affecionatly known as "Lucky", after she wandered into the lagoon. Marine Mammal experts at the facility noticed that the turtle's front flippers were seriously damanged and determined that it was the result of a shark attack. Instead of releasing the turtle back into the wild, the facility adopted her.
