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Two new calves at Marineland
By KATI BEXLEY, My St. Johns Sun
Aug 23, 2008
Chad Stouffer, Marineland's director of marine mammals, spent much of his morning babysitting on Aug. 16.
"They're adorable," he said of the three babies. "They're a lot of fun."
Stouffer was referring to the three new calves at Marineland born in the last two months at the facility, bringing the total of number of dolphins to 14. The two males and one female calf now give the Dolphin Conservation Center a range from the youngest to oldest dolphins in captivity. Nellie, the world's oldest dolphin in human care, was born at Marineland 55 years ago.
While the other dolphins interacted with the public and trainers in Marineland's main pool on Aug. 16, Stouffer kept the calves occupied. Wearing a full body wetsuit and a mask, he got into the aquarium and played with the babies, who were also swimming in the main pool. The public especially gave out "Aws" watching one male calf nibble on Stouffer's toes and brush up against his side.
"I'll reach out and touch him to get him used to people. He's much more curious than the other calves," said Stouffer, who touched the baby's face and under his chin with his pointer fingers, much like a parent would touch their child.
"Playing is training them in the long run. We're a source of fun for them."
Sandra Barclay and Joanne Johnson, sisters from Palm Coast, huddled next to the facility's main pool to watch the calves swim and play with the other dolphins.
"Look at that one following his mother," Johnson pointed out to Barclay. "Poetry in motion."
The dolphins don't have names yet, but that's because much thought is being put into it, Stouffer said.
"We don't just want to name them Bob or Flippie," he said. "We want to name them after something important to this area. Some of the dolphins are named after Timucan Indians who founded the area."
Until the Marineland staff can come up with names, the calves are known as Roxy's calf, Betty's calf and Dazzle's calf.
All of the other female dolphins take turns babysitting the calves and swimming with them, including Roxy's mother, the calves' grandmother, Stouffer said.
Over the years, several calves have been born at Marineland, but these are the first since the facility was renovated more than a year ago.
Stouffer said the dolphins' real training will come in a couple months when the calves get teeth and Marineland staff can feed them fish.
"Then we'll have something they want," he said. "(But) they don't start doing flips until two or three years old."
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