What does it take to be a dolphin trainer

Recently we were doing some interviews in our Dolphin Cove Negril location.   I had the pleasure of sitting in on these meetings.  Here is what I learned.

To be a great dolphin trainer you need to love animals.  This may seem obvious to most however many people like animals however you must love them.

Being a parent helps.  This is because you need patients and must not be prone to over reacting.

You must want to learn and grow.   This is because you and the dolphin will learn together and grow in both your knowledge and trust for each other.

Much like any animal you need to be able to work with them no matter what you are feeling.   Even though the dolphin will know if your not well or not they still want to be with you and will know when your gone.  

You need to know how to swim.   I guess I don't need to explain this one.

You need to understand that positive reinforcement is the only method that is allowed.    A good petting, kind word or tasty fish is much more effective than yelling.

Dolphins are a lot like very smart children.  You need to be able to work with them for a long time.   Anyone that appears as though they want a job not a career,   will not make it.

Above all.  You need to love Dolphins.   Even if you say you do. We can tell in a very short period what your true intentions are and believe it or not.  You will be gone quickly.  

So here is my advice.  If your interested in a career at Dolphin Cove Jamaica ensure you want just that.  We don't offer jobs we offer careers with the ultimate benefit.

Eating dolphins (not eating a dolphin)

One of the most frequent questions we are asked is how much does a dolphin eat.  There are many answers to this but most of them are silly.  I will stick to facts.   Dolphins eat a lot.  The amount of food they eat is in direct correlation as to what they are eating.  

Bottlenose dolphins eat several kinds of fish (including mullet, mackerel, herring, cod) and squid. The composition of the diet depends very much on what is available in the area they live in and also on the season. The amount of fish they eat depends on the fish species they are feeding on: mackerel and herring have a very high fat content and consequently have a high caloric value, whereas squid has a very low caloric value, so to get the same energy intake (calories) they will need to eat much more if they feed on squid than if they feed on mackerel or herring. On average an adult dolphin will eat 4-9% of its body weight in fish, so a 250 kg (550 lb) dolphin will eat 10-22.5 kg (22-50 lb) fish per day.

How to avoid stress in the office

Here is a personal tale that I will tell you.  I used to work at a different company that I will NOT name. This job was fine but I found myself not smiling.   I don't know about you but I enjoy to smile.  There were a few reasons I stopped smiling at my old job and it made for a very long day.   Now I am working with Dolphin Cove Jamaica and I can't help but smile.  I smile all the time.  My commute is a very long one and I still am smiling when I get home.  Why?  Its simple.  I have a new formula.  If I am frustrated or if I need a break I take one.  I go outside of my very comfortable office and look at the Dolphins, Sharks, Stingrays or even birds at Dolphin Cove.   I just enjoy what is near me.   I have to tell you I am very lucky.   I know your Jealous but hey.  Come to Jamaica and look me up at Dolphin Cove.  I am the one that is smiling.  

DR, Dr, Dr, I need a Nurse!!!

Are you aware that we have nurse sharks in Jamaica?   We do, but never fear they keep to themselves most of the time.  They prefer to be in their own little world and keep to themselves.  They are not man eaters they prefer to eat crustaceans as well as molusks.   Though they do have teeth they are not prone to biting.

At Dolphin Cove Jamaica LTD we too have nurse sharks.  They are at our Ocho Rios location and are considered by many one of our most exciting attractions.   Each day you will see our well trained handlers put on a bit of a show and you can have the chance to feed and interact with them.   For the adventurous spirit you will have a tremendous opportunity well worth the trip to Jamaica just to see.   Why not come and give one a cuddle?   For those of you looking to learn a bit more please check out this page.  http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/n/Nurse_sharks.htm  For those of you interested in seeing one for yourself please check us out www.dolphincoveja.com

Dolphin vs Human how alike are we.

I have to admit that I borrowed this from the wiki.  The other day I was watching TV and I saw the mermaid documentary on the Discovery Channel.  It got me thinking about how they say that humans evolved from the sea.   Then I thought about dolphins (as one does when you work here)  I wondered what we all share in common.  This is what I found.  I felt that it was important enough to share with you.     Dolphins and humans more alike than you think.  

Both are mammals, so both have mammary glands, and hair on their skin, and they have 7 cervical vertebrae as humans do. 

They are touted to be one of the only 3 animals that mate for pleasure (humans, dolphins, bonobos), and socially with many partners as many humans do. They also mate face to face unlike other animals. Dolphins do give birth to live young, and as mammals, they nurse their young with breast milk. 

They have very high communication skills amongst themselves. They are very social and prefer to live in pods rather than alone. Females will create a communal/ family creche for the young, so that others may go to hunt and feed. They show emotions of happines and sadness. They mourn the death of a member of the pod, especially an offspring. They also display working in teams to achieve a common goal. When hunting, they create tight balls of sardines by circling and herding them, and then diving straight through them to feed. Pods are very protective of each other and sometimes show compassion, and may adopt a young out of another pod if it has been left behind or lost its mother. 

Additionally, they have mirror neurons, being able to pass the mirror test and detect themselves in a mirror. Mirror neurons may also indicate empathy. 

In short, they display more "human" emotions and behaviors than any other non-primate mammal.  Here is what I have found may be what the human dolphin combo may look like.