Dolphin Cove (also called Dolphin Point at SeaWorld San Diego) is a SeaWorld attraction, which can be found at SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego. The habitat holds about 700,000 US gallons (2,650,000 L) of water and is one of the largest dolphin pools in existence.
| Dolphin Cove | |
|---|---|
 The underwater viewing area with bottlenose dolphins at SeaWorld Orlando | |
| SeaWorld San Diego | |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1964 |
| SeaWorld Orlando | |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1973 |
| SeaWorld San Antonio | |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | 1988 |
| Closing date | 2015 |
| Replaced by | Discovery Point |
| SeaWorld Ohio | |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | 1970 |
| Closing date | January 2001 |
| Ride statistics | |
| Attraction type | Dolphin exhibit |
| Designer | SeaWorld |
History
editWhen founded in 1964, SeaWorld San Diego was the first of its kind to feature a Dolphin Cove. In 1970, the second park SeaWorld Ohio was built in Aurora, Ohio and it featured a Dolphin Cove but in January 2001, SeaWorld Ohio was sold to Six Flags resulting in the exhibit's closure.[1]
In 1973, the third Dolphin Cove opened together with SeaWorld Orlando.[2] In 1988, the fourth Dolphin Cove in SeaWorld San Antonio opened its doors.[3]
On March 6, 2015, SeaWorld San Antonio announced that the park would have a new dolphin habitat and hub for three of its animal interaction programs with dolphins, beluga whales and California sea lions called Discovery Point. The announcement of the project was followed by Dolphin Cove's closure on March 23, 2015.[4] Discovery Point officially opened to the public on May 21, 2016. The project doubled the size of the previous dolphin pool and added an underwater viewing area.
Exhibit
edit
The habitat is designed to reflect a natural ecosystem and has an underwater viewing area where visitors can watch the dolphins while listening to relaxing music and hear the dolphin's communications. It features 2-foot-high (0.61 m) waves, a sandy beach and an imitation coral reef.
Dolphin Cove mainly consists of bottlenose dolphins, one of the most common of their family. The dolphins are shifted between the exhibit, Dolphin Nursery and Discovery Cove; depending on pregnancies and space availability.
Throughout the day, visitors can feed the dolphins for a fee.[5] Trainers give informational speeches about the bottlenose dolphin.[6] .
Criticism
editOrganizations such as World Animal Protection and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society are against the captivity of dolphins and orcas. Bottlenose dolphins might not have a shorter life span in captivity (like orcas)[7] but cannot make much use of echolocation due to sensory deprivation.[citation needed] Small pools and the chlorination of the water are living conditions marked for criticism.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ seaworld.com
- ^ DK Travel : Orlando : SeaWorld Orlando
- ^ SeaWorld San Antonio Archived January 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "SeaWorld San Antonio to close portion of park for construction of new dolphin attraction". My San Antonio. March 19, 2015.
- ^ "Seaworld: What to Do". Archived from the original on 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
- ^ Bottlenose Dolphins
- ^ J.D. van der Toorn (1999), Survival rate study of marine mammals in captivity Archived June 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, retrieved November 1, 2006.
External links
edit
- Official SeaWorld website
- SeaWorld at WikiAttractions
- Captive Dolphin Database
- National Marine Fisheries Service - Application for a Permit for Public Display under the Marine Mammal Protection Act
- United States Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Review of Public Display Permit Application