Hello from Indianapolis!

DolphinLover

DolphinLover

Member
Hello everyone!

My name is Michael. I am a former SeaWorld trainer and dolphin enthusiast. I began my career at SeaWorld Ohio in 1982 as a trainer at the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium. In 1987 I transferred to SeaWorld Orlando where I worked at the Whale and Dolphin Stadium for 26 years. In 2013 I retired and moved back to Indianapolis to live with my daughter and her children. My favorite animal that I worked with was a dolphin at SeaWorld Orlando named Sunny. She was born on May 15, 1993 and passed away on March 3, 2012. She was very playful and athletic and I had a very close bond with her. Now I enjoy visiting the Indianapolis Zoo to see their dolphin pod and spending time with my grandchildren. I am excited to join this community and learn as much as I can!

Sincerely,

Michael
 
Welcome, Michael! It's so nice to have someone who has worked with cetaceans around here, instead of yet another person trying to convince us to be anti-cap.
 
DolphinLover said:
Hello everyone!

My name is Michael. I am a former SeaWorld trainer and dolphin enthusiast. I began my career at SeaWorld Ohio in 1982 as a trainer at the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium. In 1987 I transferred to SeaWorld Orlando where I worked at the Whale and Dolphin Stadium for 26 years. In 2013 I retired and moved back to Indianapolis to live with my daughter and her children. My favorite animal that I worked with was a dolphin at SeaWorld Orlando named Sunny. She was born on May 15, 1993 and passed away on March 3, 2012. She was very playful and athletic and I had a very close bond with her. Now I enjoy visiting the Indianapolis Zoo to see their dolphin pod and spending time with my grandchildren. I am excited to join this community and learn as much as I can!

Sincerely,

Michael
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Amazing to have an animal trainer among us, and another fellow cetacean lover!:)

That's very exciting I myself have been to Seaworld multiple times, and am quite interested by their orcas.

A couple of questions- Did you ever want to work at Shamu? Also, what's your favourite memory from working at dolphin stadium?
 
Jambo said:
Amazing to have an animal trainer among us, and another fellow cetacean lover!:)

That's very exciting I myself have been to Seaworld multiple times, and am quite interested by their orcas.

A couple of questions- Did you ever want to work at Shamu? Also, what's your favourite memory from working at dolphin stadium?
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Hello Jambo!

I also find orcas fascinating as well. Unfortunately I never got to work with Shamu or any of the other orcas. I did get to meet and swim with Katina in 1991 which was absolutely incredible.

To be honest, I don’t think I have a favorite memory as there are to many to choose from. The experience I had at SeaWorld was incredible and truly life changing. If I had to choose a favorite memory though it would probably be the birth of my favorite dolphin, Sunny. Her mother, Bubbles, was overdue and we were very scared that the baby would not come out alive but after a couple hours our came little Sunny. We were so relived and excited as we watched Sunny nurse an swim with her mother.
 
DolphinLover said:
Hello Jambo!

I also find orcas fascinating as well. Unfortunately I never got to work with Shamu or any of the other orcas. I did get to meet and swim with Katina in 1991 which was absolutely incredible.

To be honest, I don’t think I have a favorite memory as there are to many to choose from. The experience I had at SeaWorld was incredible and truly life changing. If I had to choose a favorite memory though it would probably be the birth of my favorite dolphin, Sunny. Her mother, Bubbles, was overdue and we were very scared that the baby would not come out alive but after a couple hours our came little Sunny. We were so relived and excited as we watched Sunny nurse an swim with her mother.
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Oh that's interesting, re. your swim with Katina. She's always been known as quite an amiable whale, who loves her trainers. I've heard she was one of the best whales to work with during waterwork, always consistent.

What species of dolphin was Sunny? Her name sounds quite familiar and i'm sure she's not a bottlenose.
 
Jambo said:
Oh that's interesting, re. your swim with Katina. She's always been known as quite an amiable whale, who loves her trainers. I've heard she was one of the best whales to work with during waterwork, always consistent.

What species of dolphin was Sunny? Her name sounds quite familiar and i'm sure she's not a bottlenose.
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Yes, Katina was the best orca for waterworks.

Sunny was an Atlantic Bottle-Nosed Dolphin who was born on May 15, 1993 and passed away on March 3, 2012.
 
DolphinLover said:
Yes, Katina was the best orca for waterworks.

Sunny was an Atlantic Bottle-Nosed Dolphin who was born on May 15, 1993 and passed away on March 3, 2012.
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Did Sunny or Bubbles go by any other names or have any other offspring? Neither are listed on cetabase.
 
Jambo said:
Did Sunny or Bubbles go by any other names or have any other offspring? Neither are listed on cetabase.
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Bubbles passed away a couple months after Sunny birth leaving Sunny to be her only offspring. Sunny had two still births, one in 2000 and the other in 2006. That is peculiar that neither of them are on cetabase though.
 
DolphinLover said:
Bubbles passed away a couple months after Sunny birth leaving Sunny to be her only offspring. Sunny had two still births, one in 2000 and the other in 2006. That is peculiar that neither of them are on cetabase though.
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Yeah very peculiar. Was Sunny close to any other of the dolphins?
 
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