Dolphin Research Center
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The Dolphin Research Center is a dolphinarium on Grassy Key, Florida. The 90,000-square-foot saltwater pool carved out of the shoreline is currently home to 19 dolphins. It features different experiences where visitors can swim with, hand-signal, or enjoy other interactive programs with the dolphins.
It opened in 1958 as Santini's Porpoise School, a roadside attraction owned by Milton Santini, a Corsican dolphin trainer. One of the dolphins, Mitzi, starred in the Flipper movie. The facility became known as Flipper's Sea School after its sale to an entertainment conglomerate in 1972. Five years later, whale conservationist Jean Paul Fortom-Gouin acquired the center, renaming it the Institute for Delphinid Research and closing it to the public.
When the International Whaling Commission imposed a moratorium on whaling in 1983, Fortom-Gouin transferred the business to his general manager and head trainer, Jayne and Mandy Rodriguez. The centre reopened as the Dolphin Research Center the following year.
