The doctor/dentist/chef uniforms used at Marineland are reminiscent of another immortal from the time period Bill Haast of the Miami Serpentarium . Where are the "colorful" characters from the past, like Haast, Chase, Tetzlaff, Perkins, etc. who inspired a whole generation of folks to become involved with and devote their lives to captive animals?
Bill Haast - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jim, is this a Pilot Whale? What other species did Marineland work with in the past, do you know? I was under the assumption that working with species other then Killer Whales/Orcas such as Belugas and Pilot's was a new skill developed by the modern Sea World Corp.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Marineland of Florida--A look back 1960
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Wade G. Burck
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5 comments:
It is a pilot whale. They probably tried any local species that they could collect, maybe even pigmy sperm whales.
The first killer whale I saw was in 1970 at Sea World/ San Diego. The show theme was a doctor visit complete with teeth brushing and all. The trainer wore a doctor's smock. The finale was the "doctor" riding the whale around the tank -- quite exciting for the time. Several years later I met the doctor/trainer at an IMATA conference. He explained the whale ride was dangerous because of the small pool. If you fell off after a few laps, the vortex in the center of the pool would suck you down to the drain. The pool was still around a few years ago used as a facility for young harbor seals.
The small pool was also the famous scene of the young lady (I think a park secretary) riding the whale in a bikini. She fell off and the whale grabbed her a few times. In the rescue attempt they pulled her out with the bikini bottom around her knees. At the time she probably didn't care.
Jim,
Good stuff,thank you. I recall seeing the harbor seal exhibit in 1976 at Sea World. I didn't realize it used to be the "show pool". I could see how it could become the Bermuda Triangle if you fell off of a fast swimming killer whale.
Wade
KING OF AQUARIA says: "I can remember a time in the mid to late 60's when there were six species of cetaceans exhibited at Marineland! While bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have always been the mainstay of their shows, they also displayed spotted dolphins (Stenella plagiodon), a Pacific whiteside dolphin (Lagenorhyncus obliquidens), Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus), pilot whales (Globicephela scammonii) and Amazon River dolphins (Inia geoffrensis). The pilot whales and the Pacific whiteside dolphins came from their sister oceanarium, Marineland of the Pacific. The two male Risso's dolphins were rescued from a stranding and the Amazon dolphins were collected by an expedition to Peru in 1966. Read all about Marineland of Florida's unique history at www.florida-backroads-travel.com."
KING OF AQUARIA says: "In December 1965 George Millay of Sea World in San Diego paid Ted Griffin of the Seatle Marine Aquarium $20,000 for a 14-ft. female killer whale named 'Shamu'. Griffin netted her in October 1965 to be a mate for his 24-ft. bull orca, 'Namu'. Realizing she was too young, he put her up for sell. Marineland of the Pacific hung up on him . . .they would later regret that move. 'Shamu' spent the first six (6) years at Sea World in an oval pool that was 45 ft. long, 25 ft. wide and 13 ft. deep. During those six years she grew from 14 ft. to 17 ft. In 1971 Sea World completed 'Shamu Stadium' - the first of their amphitheatre-like killer whale bowls. When the Miami Seaquarium obtained 'Hugo' in May 1968 (also captured by Griffin) he spent his first two (2) years at the Seaquarium in a circular pool 35 ft. in diameter before being moved to the 'Whale Bowl' - an oval pool 80 ft. by 60' ft and 20 ft deep. But the architechs built an island resembling an ice floe in the center of the pool which cut the size of the pool in half. If you ask me, the best captive environment ever made for a kller whale was Bob Wright's Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, BC. His whales were actually in their own natural environment. He had built an attractive floating deck around an enclosed area of Oak Bay making it look like a pool when it was really a pen surrounded by chain link fencing. Then, in the middle of the night an animal rights activist in scuba gear attempted to free the orcas by cutting a hole in the fence causing them to get stuck and drown. Read my article about how the animal rights activists closed down Ocean World in Florida at www.florida-backroads-travel.com/ocean-world-victim-of-animal-rights-activism.
King,
Great stuff once again. Thank you for sharing.
Wade
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