Making a splash: dive into the life of a dolphin trainer.What's longer than you are tall, weighs as much as five teenagers, and "smiles" all the time? It is one of Alexis McKenzie's favorite students--an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin bottlenose dolphin or bottle-nosed dolphin Widely recognized species (Tursiops truncatus) of mammal belonging to the dolphin family, found worldwide in warm and temperate seas. Bottlenose dolphins reach an average length of 8–10 ft (2. . McKenzie is a dolphin trainer at Discovery Cove Discovery Cove is an Orlando, Florida theme park where guests can interact with a variety of marine animals, most notably bottlenose dolphins. The park, which is operated by the Busch Entertainment Corporation (the theme park division of Anheuser-Busch) is adjacent to SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida The city of Orlando is a major city in central Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida. According to the 2000 census, the city population was 185,951. A 2006 U.S. . There, she cares for 33 dolphins and educates the park's guests about these aquatic mammals The class Mammalia (the Mammals) is divided into two subclasses based on reproductive techniques: egg laying mammals (the Monotremes); and mammals which give live birth. The latter subclass is divided into two infraclasses: pouched mammals (the marsupials); and the placental mammals. , or warm-blooded animals that live in the ocean. The best part of her job? She gets to teach dolphins how to perform certain actions, like hitting a target positioned far across a pool. McKenzie grew up as a competitive swimmer, but she never considered working in the water until she met a dolphin trainer for SeaWorld, who inspired her. "The fact that I could have a career in the water was very appealing," says McKenzie. Most dolphin trainers study biology or psychology in college. McKenzie studied English, so she did not land her dream job right away. Her first job after graduating from college was as a dog trainer A dog trainer is a person involved in the training of dogs. Professional "dog trainers" train the dogs to understand and comply with voice commands or hand signals. But as is more often the case, they find they must train the owners in proper use and technique. . Soon after, she made the move to Discovery Cove, where she learned how to train and care for dolphins. "My office is in the water in sunny Florida. What can be better than that?" McKenzie says. JUMP RIGHT IN McKenzie's day begins at 5:00 a.m. in the kitchen of the park, preparing the dolphins' food--500 pounds of raw fish! By 9:00 a.m., McKenzie jumps into the water and greets park guests in the pool. Visitors to Discovery Cove can swim with dolphins and learn about how they live from trainers like McKenzie. Many visitors are surprised to discover that dolphins don't drink water. They get all the water they need from the fish they eat, says McKenzie. In the afternoon, McKenzie enters a larger pool to train the dolphins. During these sessions, she teaches the dolphins how to perform. For example, if McKenzie shakes her hand a certain way, the dolphin is supposed to shake its head back and forth. If the dolphin does it correctly, McKenzie will cheer, rub the dolphin's back, or toss it a fish as a reward. It can take McKenzie less than a month to teach a dolphin a simple act like waving with its flipper See DualDisc. , but up to six months for a more challenging task, like a front flip high above the pool's water. GET YOUR FEET WET If you are interested in becoming a dolphin trainer, McKenzie recommends volunteering at a local animal shelter "Dog Pound" redirects here. For the rap group, see Tha Dogg Pound. An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats. or veterinary clinic. There, you will learn that working with animals is more than a day job. "It takes a lot of hard work to work with any type of animal," McKenzie says. Trainers at Discovery Cove, for example, sometimes have to stay overnight at the park to care for the dolphins and to clean up for the next day. Still, the rewards make it all worthwhile, says McKenzie. "The minute a new trick clicks in the dolphin's head, it just feels great!" Did You Know? * To become a marine mammal A marine mammal is a mammal that is primarily ocean-dwelling or depends on the ocean for its food. Mammals originally evolved on land, but later marine mammals evolved to live back in the ocean. trainer at a marine park, such as SeaWorld, a job candidate must be athletically fit. The applicant must undergo a rigorous test to prove that he or she is a good swimmer. Also, the candidate must demonstrate good public-speaking skills. This is because the trainers usually host the shows in which the marine mammals marine mammals mammals inhabiting the sea; generally taken to include the cetaceans (whales, porpoise, dolphin), the sirenians (sea-cows, including manatees and dugong) and the pinnipeds (the carnivores of the group, seals, sealions, walruses). perform. * Dolphins in marine parks are regularly monitored for their health. Veterinarians Veterinarians and veterinary surgeons (vets) are medical professionals who operate exclusively on animals. Well-known and notable veterinarians include:
* Under the Marine Mammal Act of 1972, a special permit is needed to remove dolphins from the wild. It's also illegal to approach or feed a wild dolphin. RELATED ARTICLE: Becca Cook. FUTURE MARINE BIOLOGIST marine biologist specialist in the biology of marine life. Meet Becca, a 16-year-old volunteer at Mote Marine Laboratory Mote Marine Laboratory (and Aquarium) is a not-for-profit research and educational institution with an aquarium open to the public 365 days a year. Founded by Dr. Eugenie Clark in 1955 in Cape Haze, Florida, the early years of the laboratory specialized in shark research. in Sarasota, Florida Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the central west coast of Florida, USA. Its official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. . Becca volunteers at Mote for several hours each week. One of her assignments is working with students when schools make field trips to the lab. "I love when schools come. I play games with the kids to teach them about ocean life," says Becca. Her other favorite tasks include feeding the fish and helping the scientists. Ever since she was 3 years old, Becca knew that she wanted to become a marine biologist. In addition to working with aquatic mammals like dolphins, there are many career options for scientists who study sea life. Volunteering at Mote has helped Becca to zero in on her interests: She's decided that she wants to become an aquaculturist, or a person who raises fish and other sea life. Some fishermen catch too many fish to allow a population to thrive. Aquaculturists ensure that you can still eat healthy fish without harming the environment, explains Becca. "I don't like that some people catch wild fish from the water, so I want to help farmers breed (raise) fish for us to eat," she says. So, what advice does Becca have for teens who are interested in studying marine biology marine biology, study of ocean plants and animals and their ecological relationships. Marine organisms may be classified (according to their mode of life) as nektonic, planktonic, or benthic. Nektonic animals are those that swim and migrate freely, e.g. ? "Be ready to get dirty. You can't stay clean in the water, but it's a lot of fun!" web extra Learn all about dolphins and their relatives at: www.acsonline.org/ factpack/map-dolphins.html RESOURCES * To learn more about careers in marine mammal training, visit: www.imata.org/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=20<emid=39 * Find out more about dolphin-training techniques at: www.seaworld.org/animal-info /info-books/training/index.htm |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion