When did Marineland Florida build the long stadium, with the tall grandstand seen on the postcard above? It looks an awful lot like the stadium that Marineland of the Pacific in California had at their facility, except Marineland of the Pacific's was a bowl/semi circle, if I am not mistaken.
1943
1940 The aerial photo above was apparently the original used to make the linen postcard below, and was taken before the two tank's were built in the middle of the facility on the Gulf side, seen in the second photo from 1943 and the last photo from 1945,
1945
I have often wondered why aerial photos of Marine parks were so popular, and are so prevalent, unlike zoo's of which aerial photos are few and far between. Were they attempting to portray the close proximity to the water as well as the facility? Were zoo's seldom photographed from the air, because of all the tree's normally seen in a zoo, and taking into account the lumen factor, a clear shot was almost impossible? Does anyone have any ideas on this?
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Marineland of Florida Revisited
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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No comment on the lumen factor but photos of Marineland show open area, beach and ocean. Aerial photos of most urbans would show streets, parking lots, and vehicles - not too exotic.
When I first visited Marineland about seven years ago the dolphins were kept at the long stadium pool. Two of them were 50 years old or more. The circular pool had water but leaked badly and I think had no animals. The upper rectangular pool had a large group of good-sized fish.
See my 100th visit to Marineland of Florida on YouTube: "Man Makes 100th Visit to Marineland". Read about my passion for Marineland at www.florida-backroads-travel.com. My article, "More Marineland Memories" tells it all. What a shame that this historic, iconic piece of Florida history had to be destroyed!
Greg,
I agree wholeheartedly on the shame of losing/destroying any iconic piece of zoological/animal history, not just Florida's. It is so heartwarming and wonderful to see the number of animal enclosures and buildings that many cities and zoological institutions are restoring, either for reuse or simply as wonderful architectural examples of animal husbandry history.
Wade
Marineland of the Pacific was an updated, modernized version of Marineland of Florida. For
several years Marineland of the Pacific was the largest and most famous oceanarium in the world. They had a publicity campaign that included a contract with CBS Television!
When I was a kid I sent Marineland's Publicity Director, the late Clyde Tussey, a mock press release about Bubbles throwing a 'star fit' and going on strike because they moved her to a smaller stadium to accomodate Orky the Killer Whale, who had outgrown his tank. It's a little-known fact but Marineland of the Pacific was the first oceanarium to capture and exhibit a killer whale. This happened in November 1961. Unfortunately, the 17-foot female orca was sick and died two days later. This sparked an interest in killer whales, so, in 1962 Marineland sent their collectors to Puget Sound in an attempt to capture a live, healthy orca. The collectors sailed back to Marineland with this story: one foggy morning while cruising the Sound looking for whales a porpoise began circling their boat, the Geronimo. They thought this was odd behavior for this species since porpoises normally shy away from boats. What the collectors didn't know at that moment was the little porpoise was being pursued by a killer whale and was using the hull of the boat as a shield. The whale was netted, then its mate attacked the boat. The Marineland collectors shot and killed both whales. The attitude toward Orcinus orca would change in 1964 when the Vancouver Aquarium harpooned an orca and nursed it back to health. Then Ted Griffin purchased Namu in 1965 and captured Shamu, which he sold to Sea World. The rest is history.
Greg,
Wow!!!! Once again thank you for the great history lesson. Bill Roberts who was the Head Trainer At Marineland and Game Farm when I was there with the tigers and elephants in the mid 70's-early 80's got his "feet wet" so to speak at Marineland of the Pacific. He then went to a park in Galveston Texas who acquired a nasty female Orca named Nootka. When John Holter/Marineland Niagra Falls purchased Nootka some time later, Bill came with her to "babysit."
Wade
KING OF AQUARIA says: "Wade, that park Bill Roberts went to was the now-defunct Seven Seas in Arlington, Texas. They purchased 'Nasty Nootka' from Bob Wright of Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, BC. Wright captured 'Nootka' along with a partial-albino orca he named 'Chimo' in 1970. 'Nootka' was behaving agressively toward 'Chimo' - the two females shared their pool with a male orca named 'Haida' so Wright sold 'Nootka' to Seven Seas who later sold her to Marineland and Game Farm in Niagara Falls. 'Chimo' died in 1972. She suffered from Chediak-Higashi Syndrome which is the animal version of AIDS."
http://www.florida-backroads-travel.com/sea-worlds-shark-encounter-looking-back-at-an-innovation.html
http://www.florida-backroads-travel.com/marinelands-past-present-and-future.html
King,
Interesting to hear that Nootka was aggressive to Chimo(you don't have access to a picture of that "half albino" orca, do you? I have never seen one.) That was an issue for years at Marineland with she and Kandu. Nootka "decided" if there was going to be a whale show or not. If she decided not, when she and Kandu were released out of their holding tank into the show pool as they came in Nootka would "transmit" no show by giving Kandu the hairy eye ball and a shove/tap upon entering. Kandu would obligingly swim to the glass at the front of the tank, and Nootka would float beside him, between he and the stage. There were not enough mackerel or herring in the world to get him to go against her wishes. She would normally pull her stunt twice each year, always at the same time and it would last about 3 to 4 days. As it was the hottest part of the summer each time, there was suspicion that it had something to do with the salinity of the water at that time, and there was always great effort to adjust it. I opened the show with the White tigers and did the elephant act second from the close with the whale's closing the show. At those time's when Nootka had "issues" I was always on stand by to get ready to start the next tiger show early in case they couldn't get Nootka and Kandu back into the holding tank after a 15 min. "alibi" whale show. :) A number of time's I had to present the tiger's with the whales in the main tank with the arena pulled up a foot from the edge of the water. Often Nootka would think it was then alright to come to the stage and swim up to the slide out area and rear her head up and blow, causing all kind's of havoc for the tiger's sitting with their back's to the slide out. :)
Great, great late night memories helping drain the pools for cleaning and then transporting the animals by sling crane and flat bed from the main pool to the aquarium pool for the winter at the end of the summer show season. Hour's spent watching the gifted trainers working with the 4 young Orca's in the training pool in back by the tigers and elephants and bears, which helped me "rethink" how I trained land mammels. Sea lion room at the other end by the game farm commissary, with the elephant seals and hospital pens for various ill buffalo, elk, lions, bears, etc. That back building where we kept all the animals was a mysterious place where only show personal were allowed, and many a healthy bribe was offered for a personal late night tour.
Wade
We just returned June 2nd from a trip to St. Augustine. Drove down to Marineland to look around and review old memories of when I was there as a child (6 yrs old). That was forty nine years ago. I expected some change but what I saw, words can not describe the disappointment and heart break. Everything is gone with the exception of the concrete shark mouth and the original gates. Such a shame to lose this wonderful landmark and there was no need of it. I know that the Georgia Aquarium has purchased it and has built one new tank that they have dolphin shows in. But, the prices are way too high and they don't have anything but the one tank, a sandy parking lot where the original park stood and no other fish other than the dolphins. Very sad. Fred Kidd - Irmo, S.C.
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