Schooner (left) and Liko moved to the Texas State Aquarium from Orlando, Florida. The two Atlantic bottlenose dolphins were born at Seaworld Orlando, eight years ago. They will be teaming up with long-time aquarium resident Shadow and Kai, stars of the dolphin show in Dolphin Bay stadium, as soon as they have fully adapted to the move and their new trainers. Photos Courtesy Texas State Aquarium
Dolphin bachelors Liko and Schooner recently joined longtime residents Shadow and Kai at the Texas State Aquarium. The two new Atlantic bottlenose dolphins received warm welcomes and are expected to bond well with their new tankmates, said Kara Hahn, the aquarium’s manager of marketing and communications. Until the four have gotten used to each other, however, the aquarium’s regular dolphin show will be replaced with trainer chats in the Dolphin Bay exhibit.
“Honestly, I prefer the trainer chats to our normal dolphin shows, especially in the underwater view room,” said Hahn, describing the experience with a tone of excitement. “One of our trainers will come down in the Dolphin Bay stadium or the underwater view room, and they’ll ask the dolphins to show off a bit. It’s great because you can see all of their details up close.”
The dolphins playfully flaunt their pearly whites and present their tails to excited guests lined along the 70-foot window that makes up one wall of the 400,000-gallon tank. During dolphin shows, those in the underwater viewing area can see the strength and agility of the dolphins as they plunge into the tank after dives and flips above the surface.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
To familiarize the dolphins with each other, they are all placed in the same proximity but in different holding areas.
“Right now, they can see each other and they can definitely hear each other,” Hahn said. “We can hear their vocalizations outside and underwater. They haven’t been physically introduced yet, but they are communicating.”
The newcomers are both 8 years old, while Shadow and Kai are in their early 20s.
“It sounds like a large age gap, but it really isn’t,” Kahn said.
Atlantic bottlenose dolphins typically live between 30 and 50 years, certainly longer without predators, as in an aquarium setting.
“They’ll form a natural pod together, just like dolphins in the wild,” she continued.
Since Liko and Schooner arrived, trainers have been working with them every day to build up and maintain relationships with the sea mammals. They are each unique individuals, and they choose whether or not to interact with a trainer. It's a must for the human-dolphin personalities to mesh, Hahn explained. In fact, the trainers began working with Liko and Schooner before they arrived at their new Corpus Christi home.
“It was a six-month process,” Hahn said of the move from Seaworld in Orlando, Florida, where they were born, to the the Texas coast. “We sent our trainers to Seaworld Orlando several times. They met the dolphins and talked with their trainers.”
This is a challenge for the aquarium as Liko and Schooner received different training in Orlando than they will get at the aquarium. So far, though, they’ve made no waves of discontent.
The aquarium worked over the past 12 months with its dolphin facility partners within the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums to find just the right pair to represent the facility, and it looks like they made the right choice, said aquarium president and CEO Tom Schmid, who was recently appointed to WAZA’s board.
“Our dolphins are tremendous ambassadors for marine wildlife,” he said. “ They create connections with our guests that allow us to educate and inspire hundreds of thousands of people every year about the importance of protecting and conserving marine wildlife and our oceans. Their presence will create new, socially enriching opportunities for Kai and Shadow.”
