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Volume38,Number2~SecondQu

Volume 38, Number 2 ~ Second Quarter 2013

Magazine of the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association

IN THIS ISSUE:

BEYOND BASICS :

TRAINING DOLPHINS (Tursiops truncatus)
AND SEA LIONS (Zalophus californianus)
THE ‘CONCEPT BEHAVIORS’ INNOVATE,
REPEAT, COMBOS, AND AD-LIBS

Volume 38, number 2 - Second Quarter 2013

SOUNDINGS PUBLICATION
Chief Editor

HEATHER KEENAN – Miami Seaquarium

Dedicated to advancing the humane care
and handling of marine animals by fostering
communication between professionals that serve
marine animal science through training, public display,
research, husbandry, conservation, and education.

Editorial Director

Magazine of the International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association

Eric Gaglione – Georgia Aquarium

Associate Editor

SUZANNE SMITH – Louisiana Marine Mammal &
Sea Turtle Resue Program
BACK TO BASICS – Benjamin Schreiner
ENRICHING ENVIRONMENTS – Ronnie Smith
OFF THE SHELF – John Widick
PRODUCT PROFILE – Chris Scullion
TRAINER’S FORUM – Sarah Sayre

14

10

Associate Editor

IMATA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Front Cover Photo Credit: Miami Seaquarium

REGIONAL REPORTER CONTACT INFORMATION
Associate Editor:
Asia:
Australia/New Zealand:
Canada:
Caribbean Islands:
Europe North Central:
Europe Northeast:
Europe Northwest:
Europe South Central:
Europe Southwest:
Japan:
Mexico
Middle East:
Pacific Islands:
Russia/Ukraine:
South Africa:
South America
U.S. Midwest:
U.S. North Central:
U.S. Northeast:
U.S. Northwest:
U.S. South Central:
U.S. Southeast:
U.S. Southwest:

Martha Hill
Philip Wong

Ryan Tate
Brian Sheehan
Bernard Collie
Christiane Thiere
Sunna Edberg
John-Rex Mitchell
Pablo Joury
Monika Lechermeier
Haruhiko Kato
Alex Mata
Tommy Wilken
Stephanie Vlachos
Monika Lechermeier
Gabby Harris
Miguel Marques
Stacey Lonski
John-Rex Mitchell
Beth Manning
Cinthia Alia-Mitchell
Shannon Ray
Sarah Graff
Brittany Harris

marthahill.imata@gmail.com
philip.wong@oceanpark.com.hk
rtate@zoo.nsw.gov.au
brian.sheehan@vanaqua.org
bernard.collie@atlantisparadise.com
chriddel2@aol.com
sunna.edberg@kolmarden.com
johnrex15@att.net
pablowebs@yahoo.fr
monika.lechermeier@marine-mammal-cognition.de
dolphin@marinepia.or.jp
amata@mail.dolphindiscovery.com
tommy_wilken@yahoo.com
acacia@aloha.net
monika.lechermeier@marine-mammal-cognition.de
gabby@seaworld.org.za
mg_marques@yahoo.com
lonski28@hotmail.com
jrmitchell@sheddaquarium.org
fintrainer@yahoo.com
dogonfun@teleport.com
scharles-ray@okczoo.com
sgraff@msq.cc
brittany.harris@seaworld.com

Soundings is published four times a year by the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA)
as a service to its members. Submissions of manuscripts, photographs, and illustrations are welcomed and
encouraged, but will be returned only if accompanied by a return envelope and adequate postage. Any
material accepted is subject to such revision as is necessary in our sole discretion to meet the requirements
of publication. Soundings is produced using Microsoft Word; the style manual followed is the fifth edition
(2002) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Electronic submissions are preferred
and can be sent to IMATA Soundings Chief Editor, Heather Keenan, at: info@imata.org. (Typed submissions
will also be accepted and should be double spaced on 8.5” x 11” paper.) Include the name, address, FAX
number, and phone number of the author on the title page. Slides and hard copy or photographs can be color
or black and white; photographs should be at least 3” x 5”. Digital photographs are welcomed and should
have adequate resolution when viewed on a computer screen. For all images, include captions, identify all
recognizable persons, and include a photo credit. The act of submitting an article, photograph, or illustration
constitutes an agreement that (1) the materials are free of copyright restrictions, (2) photo releases have
been obtained, and (3) the material may be published by IMATA in Soundings or other IMATA publications.
Deadlines for submission are 15 November, 15 February, 15 May, and 15 August. Submissions should be
addressed to Heather Keenan, Soundings Chief Editor, email info@imata.org or mailed to IMATA, 1200
South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois, USA, or faxed to (312) 939-2216. Address changes should be sent
to IMATA’s Secretary, Jennifer Leach, at the same address. Address changes can also be made online at
IMATA’s web site, www.imata.org.
?Copyright 2013. All of the articles contained within Soundings are the personal views of the respective
authors and do not necessarily represent the views of IMATA or its Board of Directors.

CONTACT US

First Vice President
MICHELE SOUSA
Aquarium of the Pacific

Treasurer
ROBERT ROOZENDAAL
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

Second Vice President
KELLY FLAHERTY CLARK
SeaWorld Orlando

Secretary
JENNIFER LEACH
SeaWorld San Diego

Third Vice President
TERI CORBETT
Atlantis Paradise Island

Past Treasurer
PATTY SCHILLING
New England Aquarium

President-Elect
BILL WOLDEN
Dolphin Quest

Associate Editor

COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Accreditation
BILLY HURLEY
Georgia Aquarium

Liaison
DAVE ROBERTS
SeaWorld San Diego

Animal Training Advisory
DENNIS CHRISTEN
Georgia Aquarium

Membership Services
SUNNA EDBERG
Kolmarden

Central Office
KEN RAMIREZ
John G. Shedd Aquarium
Conservation and Research
DEBI COLBERT
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Education Services
MADELYNN HETTIGER
John G. Shedd Aquarium

16

Shelley Wood
ABC Animal Training/Dolphin Discovery
Merchandise
Ann Hoedt
Georgia Aquarium
Nominations and Elections
SHELLEY WOOD
ABC Animal Training/Dolphin Discovery

Finance
TRACI BELTING
Seattle Aquarium

Public Relations and
Promotions
MICHAEL HUNT
Georgia Aquarium

Historian
CHERYL MESSINGER
Dolphin Connection

Publications
PATRICK BERRY
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park

Honors and Awards
NICOLE O’DONNELL
Navy Marine Mammal Program

Regional Workshops
SHELLEY WOOD
ABC Animal Training/Dolphin Discovery

Legislation, Information, and
Policy
MICHAEL OSBORN
Mystic Aquarium

Sponsorship
CHRIS SCULLION
SAIC BioSolutions

Erika Stuebing – Georgia Aquarium
WHAT’S UP DOC – Jen DeGroot
CONSERVATION BRIEFS – Shelly Samm
EDUCATION FORUM – Jason Jones
INNERviews – Kevin Roberts
NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS – Haley Merritt
RESEARCH BRIEFS – Beau Richter

FEATURES

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Associate Editor

NICOLE O’DONNELL – Navy Marine Mammal Program
CONFERENCE COUNTDOWN – Michelle Sousa
CONFERENCE SITE SELECTION – Shelley Wood
LIP SYNC – Mike Osborn
MEMBERSHIP UPDATES – Jennifer Leach
MERCHANDISE – Ann Hoedt
NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS – Shelley Wood
PRESIDENT’S CORNER – Eric Gaglione
REGIONAL WORKSHOP REPORTS – Shelley Wood

16

Trying to control a complex
behavioral problem
Solving a life-threatening regurgitation problem
in a California sea lion through training and
satiation
Dolphins demonstrate the
understanding of an abstract idea
Beyond basics: training dolphins (Tursiops
truncatus) and sea lions (Zalophus californianus)
the 'concept behaviors' innovate, repeat, combos
and ad-libs

DEPARTMENTS

5
9

Associate Editor

NEDRA HECKER
FEATURE ARTICLES
Michael Belshaw, Marineland Antibes
Traci Belting, Seattle Aquarium
Linda Beverly, Indianapolis Zoo
Margaret Black, Mystic Aquarium
Sarah Brignac, Dolphin Research Center
Carmen Colitz DVM, Animal Eye Specialty Clinic
Scott Hjerling, Coral World
Andy Johnson, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Catherine ‘CJ’ Johnson, Knoxville Zoo
Nina Lambert, Dolphin Quest Hawaii
Lauren McKenna, Dolphin Quest Hawaii
Patrick W. B. Moore, National Marine Mammal Foundation
Ken Ramirez, John G. Shedd Aquarium
Grey Stafford, Wildlife World Zoo
John Widick, Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Erin Weber, New England Aquarium

IMATA BUSINESS

4

PRESIDENT'S CORNER
The continued growth of IMATA in 2013

6

Nominations and Elections
Candidates for the 2014 Board of Directors

14

Conference Countdown
Start planning now for Las Vegas 2014

13
18
20
26

Historian

27

CHERYL MESSINGER – The Dolphin Connection
MARK TODD – SAIC BioSolutions

CHIEF EDITORS
Proceedings
LAURA YEATES
National Marine Mammal Foundation

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Lunar Cow
137 S. Main Street, STE 202 ? Akron, OH 44308
(330) 253-9000 ? www.lunarcow.com

Volume 38, Number 2

Past President
SHELLEY WOOD
ABC Animal Training/Dolphin Discovery

Photo Archivist

1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605 USA
PHONE (312) 692-3193 ? FAX (312) 939-2216
Info@imata.org or visit our website at www.imata.org

2

President
ERIC GAGLIONE
Georgia Aquarium

MARTHA HILL – Sea Life Park Hawaii
REGIONAL REPORTS
Asia Philip Wong
Australia Ryan Tate
Canada Brian Sheehan
Caribbean Islands Bernard Collie
Europe North Central Christiane Thiere
Europe Northeast Sunna Edberg
Europe Northwest John-Rex Mitchell
Europe South Central Pablo Joury
Europe Southwest Monika Lechermeier
Japan Haruhiko Kato
Mexico Alex Mata
Middle East Tommy Wilken
Pacific Islands Stephanie Vlachos
Russia/Ukraine Monika Lechermeier
South Africa Gabby Harris
South America Miguel Marques
U.S. Midwest Stacey Lonski
U.S. North Central John-Rex Mitchell
U.S. Northeast Beth Manning
U.S. Northwest Cinthia Alia-Mitchell
U.S. South Central Shannon Ray
U.S. Southeast Sarah Graff
U.S. Southwest Brittany Harris

FILLERS AND FACTOIDS

Web Site
Beau Richter
Long Marine Laboratory and Aquarium

28

Erika Stuebing – Georgia Aquarium

Publications Chair

PATRICK BERRY – Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park

31

Soundings
HEATHER KEENAN
Miami Seaquarium

SOUNDINGS 2013

SOUNDINGS 2013

Conservation Briefs
Features conservation tidbits from
around the world
Back to Basics
Creating the first-of-a-kind snow
penguin encounter
Enriching Environments
A toy that dolphins work
themselves
What’s Up Doc?
What are zoonoses and should you
be worried about them?
Regional Reports
Keep up on news from IMATA
members around the world
LIP Sync
The latest legislative and regulatory
activity
Off the Shelf
100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save
Earth’s Most Endangered Species
by Jeff Corwin
Trainer’s Forum
Having problems with animals
gating inconsistently?
Notices & Announcements
Information on upcoming
workshops, conferences, and more

Volume 38, Number 2

3

Greetings IMATA! It is
hard to believe the first half
of 2013 is behind us. Since
my last President's Corner
update, IMATA's Board
and Committee Chairs have
been busy on many fronts.
Most notably we’ve made
some significant advances
in conference planning
and enhancements to the
publication of Soundings.
In early March, the Board
approved a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU)
with the Association of
Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) for the first joint IMATA/AZA
conference, which will be held during September 2014, in
Orlando, Florida, USA. AZA is a similarly focused, nonprofit
organization dedicated to the advancement of accredited
zoos and aquariums. With over 220 accredited member
institutions, AZA attracts, on average, 2000 zoo and
aquarium professionals to their annual conference each
year. IMATA’s annual conference will run concurrently with
the AZA meeting - providing a larger, dynamic networking
opportunity. IMATA will have an exclusive general session
room where our standard conference format will be held.
AZA sessions, including behavioral advances in the zoo
industry as well as other zoo and aquarium topics, will run
concurrently in separate meeting rooms. Attendees will
incur one registration fee and then have the opportunity to
choose the IMATA general session presentations or any AZA
sessions of their interest. Many breaks and social events will
be combined to further enhance the experience, and expand
attendee networking opportunities. This ‘super conference’
was the vision of our Liaison Committee Chairperson, Dave
Roberts, who made the initial contact with AZA over two
years ago. Most recently, President Elect Bill Wolden, 2nd
Vice President Kelly Flaherty Clark, and I worked closely
with AZA to finalize our agreement leading to the signing of
the MOU. We, along with AZA, are very excited about this
collaborative opportunity! Kelly Flaherty Clark will continue
the work as she further develops the conference program
and social networking events with AZA. You can look forward
to updates and greater details from Kelly in the near future.
Meanwhile, 1st Vice President Michele Sousa has been
very busy preparing this year’s conference - which is
sure to be a fun and exciting event in Las Vegas.
I don’t want to steal Michele’s thunder but
the board recently held our mid-year meeting
in Las Vegas providing a sneak preview of
what this conference has to offer. We are
very excited to visit our host, Siegfried &
Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat
at the Mirage. The combination of site visits,
conference presentations, and Las Vegas
night life is sure to provide an enjoyable and
entertaining week! See Michele’s Conference

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Volume 38, Number 2

SOUNDINGS 2013

Countdown in this issue of Soundings for more details, and
make your plans early to get in the fun.
Lastly, our Soundings editorial team, led by Heather
Keenan, has been extremely busy producing our new,
enhanced, digital version of our quarterly magazine. This
long-awaited transition is now underway and with the
printing of this issue we’ve launched the digital version
of Soundings now available at our online portal at
www.imata.org. Please take the time to enjoy the electronic
version and all it has to offer. In addition to being a strong
conservation initiative, the next generation of Soundings
will better serve our organization by providing a platform
for greater use of digital photos and video, and will allow for
stronger translation services as we strive to better serve our
global membership.

McDonald’s Food Chain Goes Sustainable

McDonald’s has become
the first United States national
food chain to serve certifiedsustainable seafood in all of its
locations. This process began in
2005 when McDonald’s fish was
first certified, and ever since the
company has been performing
audits of its suppliers to ensure
sustainability and traceability.
Alaska Pollock. Photo Credit: NOAA
The blue ecolabel of the Marine
Stewardship Council (MSC) will
be found on the packaging of all fish dishes at McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. locations as
early as February 2013. The fish sandwiches and bites are currently made from MSCcertified, wild-caught Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma). For the sustainability
community this is a huge success as McDonald’s is one of the single largest buyers
of fish in the U.S. Other countries have gone sustainable already. As of October 2011
the 7,000 McDonald’s stores in Europe have been serving MSC-certified fish. The
MSC is an independent nonprofit organization that sets standards for sustainable
fishing based on fish stock health, impacts of the fishery on its ecosystem, and the
fisheries management system. (The Huffington Post)

NEW! Soundings website.

I have just scratched the surface of the many happenings
among our Board of Directors and Committee Chairs. I cannot
say enough about the dedication of the many individuals that
serve our organization. As I reflect on the history of IMATA, it
amazes me how progressive we have been as an organization
over the past 40-plus years. Each year we advance, and new
techniques for stronger animal training and care permeate
into marine animal programs throughout the world. What an
exciting thing to be a part of, and a reason for us to continue to
march forward with pride. It is through the efforts of the many
volunteers that serve that we are able to continue advancing
and growing the organization. I am very much enjoying the
opportunity to serve as IMATA’s President, and look forward
to the second half of 2013 as we have much to look forward
to in coming months.
Have a great summer season everyone!

Hawksbill sea turtle. Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Only Have Eyes For One: Hawksbill Sea Turtles Are
Monogamous

Researchers from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom,
found that the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is mainly monogamous.
The process of “sperm storage” is found in some species of birds and reptiles,
including some turtles, tortoises and terrapins. This means that females are able

to store viable sperm from multiple males
for long periods of time; therefore, there
is a possibility that the egg clutches could
be fertilized by more than one father. With
the hawksbill sea turtle, however, a DNA
study of hatchlings on Cousine Island in the
Seychelles showed a monogamous mating
system in which most egg clutches were
Hawksbill sea turtle hatchlings.
sired by just one male, and that no males
Photo Credit: Karl Phillips
fertilized more than one female during the
(University of East Anglia)
75 day season. The female turtle can lay
about five clutches of eggs during a season. The number of males contributing to the
next generation is important for species survival because it results in higher levels of
genetic variation, which means a species can respond to new threats like diseases.
Deemed critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature, the hawksbill turtle had been hunted for its shell. The practice of decorative
tortoiseshell trade is now illegal. (BBC Nature)

Four New Ancient Whale Species Discovered

Californian construction crews
near Los Angeles inadvertently aided
researchers in the discovery of four
new species of ancient whales while
working on a new road through Laguna
Canyon in 2000. The crew exposed
an outcrop littered with whale fossils
dating back approximately 17 to 19
million years ago. Paleontologists
accompanying the southern California
Fossilized whale teeth. Photo Credit: Cooper
crew eventually uncovered hundreds
Archaeological and Paleontological Center
of whale bones and over 30 whale
skulls in a five year period. In total,
fossils from 11 whale species were classified, four of which were new discoveries
that are ancestors of modern baleen whales, including the ancient forbears of blue
whales (Balaenoptera musculus) and humpbacks (Megaptera novaeangliae). But
unlike current baleen whales, these four ancient whale species had teeth. They
appear to represent the transitional step and are related to the animals that would
eventually become the baleen whales of today. Prior to this discovery, it had been
assumed that toothed baleen whales had become extinct five million years earlier
than what is now believed. Three of the new species were fairly small, about
the size of modern-day dolphins. The fourth species, larger at nearly nine meters
(30 feet), is similar to another ancient whale species, Llanocetus denticrenatus,
which was thought to have gone extinct 35 million years ago. Anatomical, fossil,
developmental and genetic evidence has shown that baleen whales (Mysticetes)
evolved from ancestors with teeth, and some fossilized baleen whales had both
teeth and baleen at the same time. (National Geographic News)

CONSERVATION BRIEFS is compiled by Shelly Samm.

SOUNDINGS 2013

Volume 38, Number 2

5

The Nominations and Elections Committee is proud to present the following candidates for your consideration:

Nominations

&Elections

Nominee:

B Shelley Wood,
y
I A A Past President
MT

CANDIDATES FOR
DIRECTOR SLOT one

Candidates for IMATA’s Board of Directors 2014!
It is my pleasure to present to the IMATA membership this year’s candidates for Director positions to the IMATA board. Each candidate has
graciously committed their time, efforts, and leadership to support the advancement of the organization. Professional and active members are required
to elect three professional members to the Board of Directors. The Board in turn will select officers for the three open slots on the Executive Committee
at the conclusion of the next annual meeting in Las Vegas.
This year’s slate is made up of a variety of talented and dedicated professional members. The candidates are being presented in terms of the
responsibilities they each aspire to on the Executive Committee. Voting is conducted online and closes 1 July 2013. Please take a moment to vote!

President Elect

The offices and the responsibilities the candidates would undertake include:

President
Elect
This position is a formal voting
member of the Board and
Executive Committee; provides
input on policy decisions;
assists the current president in
his or her duties; assumes the
office of President the following
year and serves as Editorial
Director of Soundings and all
other IMATA publications. The
President establishes the yearly
agenda then serves as Past
President and the Chairperson
of Nominations and Elections
Committee in the third year.

Secretary
The Secretary keeps the minutes
of all meetings of the Board of
Directors and the annual meetings
of the membership. He/she
works closely with the treasurer
to process memberships, send
out membership information,
and keeps membership database
records. The Secretary performs
direct correspondence with the
membership as directed by the
board. The position is served for
two years as Secretary, with the
third year as Director at Large,
assisting the newly incoming
board member in learning and
transferring secretary duties.

Second Vice
President
This position is a formal voting
member of the Board and
Executive Committee; gives input
on policy decisions; assists 1st
Vice President in planning and
organizing the annual IMATA
conference with help of the
Conference Committee; then
succeeds to First Vice President
and is responsible for all
conference planning activities.

Third Vice
President
This position is a formal voting
member of the Board and
Executive Committee; gives
input on policy decisions; assists
the 2nd and 1st Vice Presidents
in planning and organizing
the annual IMATA conference
with help of the Conference
Committee; succeeds to Second
Vice President the following year
while continuing to assist with
conferences and planning; then
succeeds to First Vice President
the third year and is responsible
for all conference planning
activities.

The candidates are being presented in terms of the responsibilities they each aspire to on the Executive Committee. After being
elected to the Board by IMATA’s voting membership, each term runs for three consecutive years. These candidates have all stepped
forward to donate their time, talents, and effort to the service of our organization. So please, do your part and take a moment to vote.

Voting is being conducted online. Please vote NOW at www.imata.org.
VOTING CLOSES ON 1 July 2013.
6

Volume 38, Number 2

SOUNDINGS 2013

CANDIDATES FOR
DIRECTOR SLOT Two

Secretary

Linda Erb

Affiliation:

Linda swam with Mitzi, star of Flipper,
as a child and from that moment dreamed
of having a dolphin as a friend. As an adult,
she became the first volunteer at Flipper’s
Sea School and as the facility progressed
to become Dolphin Research Center
(DRC), Linda progressed right along with
it. Now, 34 years later, she is a member of
DRC’s Steering Committee, helping
direct the company as Vice President of
Animal Care and Training. She oversees not
only the animals, but also the people who
work with them, helping all develop to their
full potential.
Linda has been instrumental in DRC’s
growth and success. She developed the
USA’s first structured dolphin swim program
(Dolphin Encounter) and dolphin/human
therapy program (Dolphin Child), in 1986.
Her training experience also includes
educational shows, interactive training,
husbandry and open-water work. Her
research accomplishments include multiple
publications on cognition with bottlenose
dolphins, including studies on numerosity
and object permanence. She is a motivating

Nominee:

Alex mata

Dolphin Research Center

leader and public speaker, and frequently
represents DRC in media interviews and
programs. She is also Senior Professor
at DRC’s recently established College of
Marine Mammal Professions.
In 1978, Linda attended her first
IMATA conference. Since that time she has
been actively involved, organizing the 2012
Regional Workshop at DRC, presenting
formal papers at many conferences and
sharing her unique relationship-based
training method. She mentored many
current leaders in the marine mammal
community and continues to work daily with
both animals and trainers. Linda’s history
within the industry and with IMATA provides
her with a unique insight to continue the
forward progress of our organization. The
trainer/animal partnership is the foundation
of all that we do, and IMATA is our
conduit to share new ways to strengthen
that partnership. She is excited by the
opportunity to serve the members of IMATA.

Affiliation: Dolphin

At the age of 10 Alex decided he
wanted to be a Marine Biologist to learn
more about marine animals, and has
never waivered in his passion. He earned
his Marine Biology degree at Santiago de
Compostela University in Spain. His career
began at Parques Reunidos, Vilaseca with
sea lions and dolphins, but he decided to
journey to Mexico where he was hired at
Dolphin Discovery in 2001. Over the next
12 years Alex gained experience in marine
mammal interactive programs in both
closed and open water facilities where he
trained his favorite animal, the manatee.
Alex is currently the Assistant Manager of
Animal Training and Education with Dolphin
Discovery where his position allows him
to work with his true passion (apart from
his wife, son and training manatees), the
trainer development program, which helps
keep the staff growing and learning.

SOUNDINGS 2013

Discovery

Alex has been a professional member
of IMATA since 2005, attending his first
conference in Indianapolis in 2007. He
has attended every year since and has
presented formal, informal and poster
presentations. Alex has been a member of
IMATA leadership since 2010, as IMATA
regional reporter for Mexico, and also
as Membership Coordinator assisting
in translations to foster communication
between Spanish speaking members and
IMATA. Most recently, Alex was the video
editor for the conference opening video
in Hong Kong. Alex would be proud and
honored to continue serving IMATA as
Secretary.

Volume 38, Number 2

7

CANDIDATES FOR
DIRECTOR SLOT Three

Second vice President

CANDIDATES FOR
DIRECTOR SLOT Four

Third vice President

Third vice President

8

Volume 38, Number 2

Nominee:

Kelly Flaherty Clark

Affiliation: SeaWorld

Orlando

Kelly Flaherty Clark is the
Curator/Director of Animal Training for
SeaWorld Orlando. Her responsibilities
include overseeing the health, behavior
modification, training and enrichment
for the Orlando animal collection. She
has multifaceted care, training and
performing experience with marine
species from otters and birds to killer
whales. Kelly has been an integral part
of the animal training and production
for more than 20 shows at SeaWorld
and Busch Gardens; Blue Horizons
and One Ocean are guest favorites
in Orlando and she is currently on the

Nominee:

creative team for a sea lion show to
debut next spring. Kelly is a graduate
of The Ohio State University, has been
with SeaWorld for more than 26 years,
and is a published recipient of several
animal training and husbandry awards.
As IMATA’s 2nd Vice President,
Kelly will contribute to the integrity
associated with a professional
organization’s reputation and hopes to
facilitate the advancement of marine
animal husbandry, behavioral research
and training.

Suzanne Smith

Affiliation: Audubon

Aquarium of the Americas

Suzanne attended Salem State
College, while working at New England
Aquarium, and received a B.A. in
Psychology. After graduation, Suzanne
moved to Gulfport, Mississippi to start
her career as a dolphin, sea lion and bird
trainer. While there, she developed her
skills in animal training and husbandry
working with some amazing animals
and accomplished trainers. Suzanne
wanted to expand her knowledge and
experience by working with different
programs and different species. She
was fortunate enough to be hired as the
training supervisor for a new facility in
Lima, Peru training new staff, training
the resident dolphins, creating dolphin
interactive programs and developing
educational programs.
When she returned to the United
States, Suzanne began working for
the Audubon Zoo as Senior Trainer in
the sea lion department. It was here
that she first trained other species
of animals such as komodo dragons,
African wildcats, caracals and tapirs
among others. She was also a part
of the team who helped develop the
Louisiana Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle
Rescue Program (LMMSTRP).

SOUNDINGS 2013

From 2006-2011, Suzanne was
extremely proud to work as a trainer
with SAIC training marine mammals
for the U.S. Navy. She gained valuable
experience there working on various
projects including open water with
sea lions and dolphins. Suzanne has
since returned to New Orleans to
work for the Audubon Aquarium of the
Americas as the first time permanent
Stranding & Rescue Coordinator for
LMMSTRP.
Suzanne has been a member of
IMATA since 1994. As a member of
the Soundings team, she served as
the Trainers Forum coordinator from
1996-2006. She was then asked to
take on the role as Associate Editor.
Suzanne has attended many IMATA
conferences over the past 20 years,
including international locations. In
2002, she organized an IMATA regional
conference for the Southeast and
has given several formal and poster
presentations. Suzanne would be
honored to serve IMATA as 3rd Vice
President.

Al Futtaim Ventures, operator of Ski Dubai, is part
of the largest developers in the Middle East, and the
team there was determined to deliver this experience
with skill, speed, and professionalism. The Operations
Director for Majid Al Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment
was charged with helping lead the team through the
complex process of developing a high-quality penguin
facility and encounter area inside a snow dome. With
such strong commitment from Senior Management,
it was a joy to see the speed and ease with which we
were able to navigate existing corporate policies and
procedures to turn Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai into a
reality.
Drawing on my experience and that of Majid Al Futtaim
Ventures while working with a dedicated team of passionate
individuals who had been hand-picked to help realize this project,
my husband Bill Fleming and I were able to collaborate on the
business model for Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai. There were now
five members in our ‘tribe’ who were working around the clock
to make the Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai a reality. Our team
consisted of people who had experience working with animals, those from
a purely operations and finance background, thus making for a unique and
interesting learning curve, that was inter-woven by a common thread: our
passion for this unique project.
As part of our research for the project, we took an extensive United
States site tour to visit world-class animal facilities and ended up at last year’s
International Marine Animal Trainers' Association (IMATA) conference in
Miami. During the conference, we were able to add on to our international
“tribe” as we interviewed trainers and animal caregivers from all around the
world and recruited two seasoned trainers and animal caregivers.
We were successful in finding 14 of the best animal and penguin
caregivers from around the globe (including the two women we met at
IMATA), and also brought on board, industry legend Peter Dickinson as our
Penguin Curator, who founded Zoo News Digest: the longest established
and most widely read listing of current zoo related news on the internet. Peter
and the trainers all moved to Dubai to prepare for the New Year’s Eve arrival
of ten gentoo penguins and ten king penguins from SeaWorld San Antonio.
As we celebrate the initiative’s first anniversary, hundreds of thousands
of people have visited the Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai, appreciating these
comical birds up close. During this past year we couldn’t help but wonder if
many of the guests that experienced the penguins also want to be a part of
something larger than them, and do their part in taking better care of the earth.

First“It Took a Tribe” to Create the Dubai
of-a-kind Penguin Encounter in
By Judy Petersen-Fleming

A

merican author David Berreby
surmised in his “It Takes a
Tribe” essay “that humans
automatically and subconsciously, want
and try to become a part of something
larger than them.” This philosophy is
what the team creating the first-ofa-kind penguin encounter in Dubai had in common. Each one of them
wanted to be a part of something larger than themselves by encouraging
environmental stewardship within the United Arab Emirates.
It all started in December of 2011 when I traveled to Dubai on business.
I went to Ski Dubai in the Mall of the Emirates and it was then that I had one
of those Ah-ha! moments. The snow park inside Ski Dubai has amazing ice
caves full of nooks-and-crannies with snowy surprises around every corner.
Outside the snow cave there are vast terrain changes with sledding, ski slopes,
snow mounds and ice sculptures…the perfect playground for penguins!
Once I found out the temperature is maintained at a chili negative four
degrees Celsius and the snow is more clean and pristine than any snow in the
world, it hit me: The pure quality of the snow and the air inside the snow
dome made it an ideal environment for Antarctica penguins to thrive.
I had worked around penguins when I started my career at SeaWorld
in San Diego and more extensively with a variety of penguins when I moved
to Durban, South Africa, to transition the Durban Dolphinarium to uShaka
Sea World. Having had that experience, there is one thing I know without a
doubt: You simply cannot NOT smile when you see a penguin. Try it!
In researching the background of Ski Dubai, I learned about the
vision of the company behind the attraction and its founder, Mr. Majid
Al Futtaim. Mr. Majid Al Futtaim had created a world-class organization
including shopping malls, hotels, and leisure and entertainment outlets. I
believed that the company’s attitude toward delivering superior, can’t-bemissed experiences, would lend itself perfectly to a snow penguin colony at
Ski Dubai.
On my trip to Dubai in 2011, I met with the CEO of Majid Al Futtaim
Ventures’ Leisure & Entertainment, armed to share my proposal of having
Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai. I was excited when he looked me straight in the
eyes, shook his head and said, “Yes, we must have the best penguin encounter
in the world!” I soon realized that the principles of innovation and taking a
risk on something new and original are values that permeate throughout the
organization and have been established by Mr. Majid Al Futtaim himself.
Twelve months later on New Year’s Eve, ten king and ten gentoo penguins
arrived in Dubai from SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas! And six weeks later,
Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai was opened to
the public.
It truly took a “tribe” with a common
goal to pull off a world-class penguin
encounter in this short timeline. Majid

BACK TO BASICS is compiled by Benjamin Schreiner.

SOUNDINGS 2013

Volume 38, Number 2

9

Approach #1;
Diet and Drugs

Solving a life-threatening
regurgitation problem in a
California sea lion through
training and satiation.
Pablo Joury1, Alexandre Le Blanc1, Emilie Treviglio1,
Christilla Bouchet1, Candice Jourdan1, Claudia Mahtali1,
Alexis Maillot1, Vanessa Alerte1, and Geraldine Lacave2
1 Amneville Zoo, France
2 Marine Mammal Veterinary Services, Brugge, Belgium

Photo Credits: Pablo Joury

P1

In 2005, Amneville Zoo (France) opened
the biggest pinniped facility in Europe called
La Baie des Lions de Mer (P1) with two
outside fresh water pools of 2 million liters P2
(528,344 gal), three inside saltwater pools and
400m2 (14,125 sq ft) of dry area. It presents
two different species of pinnipeds (Zalophus
californianus and Otaria byronia) in the same
area and performing in shows together. From
the beginning, the show was a great success.
However, in July 2009, one of the animals
started exhibiting a strange behavior catching
the attention of all the training team.
Gipsy (P2) is a male California sea lion born
P3
under human care, who arrived in Amneville Zoo in
June 2004. Because he’s sharing the environment
with two other full-grown males it was decided
to castrate him. He was generally a very high performance show animal
until the summer of 2009. In July of that year, the staff realized that he had
started to play with fish and was anticipating the end of the sessions. His
diet was adjusted and we also modified his show participation. However, by
August of that year, he was actually leaving all sessions to regurgitate (P3)!
We quickly realized that he was only regurgitating when he was in
the water, as he seemed to need a specific head movement to expel the
fish. By then we knew we were facing a regurgitation problem. As a quick
reminder, and to differentiate between vomiting and regurgitation, vomiting
is something that is completely involuntary (the animal has NO control of

it), whereas, during regurgitation, the animal
controls the process; it’s a voluntary behavior.
During that summer Gipsy lost a lot
of weight (from 119 Kg down to 95 Kg
(262 to 209 lbs) and then, on 15 August, he had
what looked like an epileptic seizure. This seizure
was very traumatic for the training team, but at
the end of August he had a second much more
severe seizure. During this second seizure he
forcefully vomited, had very strong diarrhea, and
then suddenly dropped, stiffened, and appeared
dead. Gipsy, apparently suffered cardiac arrest
and was declared dead by the zoo veterinarians. While
transporting him in a stretcher towards backstage, he
unexpectedly resuscitated.
Because, or may be just thanks to this event, we
decided to do everything in our power to help him and

So, based on these results, the staff decided to implement some new
approaches. To keep him alive, our first objective was to increase his weight
and to stabilize it. That meant trying to reduce the regurgitation or even
dreaming of stopping it, ending with the ability to place him back into the
shows. For this, we decided to have all sessions on dry land first (because
he was only regurgitating when he was in the water).
Very quickly we realized that even one hour away from water access,
after a feeding session, was not enough time to stop regurgitation. Since
he kept on regurgitating the moment he had access to water, we decided to
go to four hours after a session with no water access to make sure he could
not possibly regurgitate.
However, the regurgitation continued. When his weight dropped down
to 86 Kg (189.5 lb) in November, it became often necessary to keep him the
whole day away from the water, to make sure he received the necessary
nutrients.
Around that time he had a third seizure. The conclusion was now that
the seizures were actually due to hypoglycemia. However, our veterinarians
did not reject the possibility of an epileptic seizure. As a trial, our vets
decided to give him anti-epileptic drugs, to see if it would have an effect.
Gipsy went three weeks without a seizure but he continued to regurgitate.
So they decided to do a connective study to check the concentration of the
drugs in his blood to determine efficacy. The results showed that he was not
absorbing the drugs at all (everything was just regurgitated back). Because
there had been no seizures, there was no use to continue with this kind of
treatment. To prevent his weight from dropping, we decided to hold him
two entire weeks with no access to water, just to help him retain his food
and not regurgitate. But, as one can imagine, this was not the best solution.

Approach #2; Training

Because you can’t keep an animal permanently on dry land, we decided
to start a second approach based this time on training. Apparently, Gipsy’s
problem was not as much medical as behavioral and probably much more
related to his activity level or his social situation. We decided to train a lot
of new behaviors and spent a lot of time with him during extra sessions.
In our institution we have 12 animals in total and we have a team of
five trainers with generally only three trainers working per day. We decided
to dedicate two staff persons, full-time, alternatively during the day, to
the training of Gipsy. Our goal was to try to have a 3 to 7 minute training
session every 10 minutes. The final goal was to keep Gipsy as stimulated as
possible. At the time we were still keeping him a lot on dry land and, to keep

Volume 38, Number 2

SOUNDINGS 2013

Thoughts

As an answer to our hypothesis, we cannot say that lack of stimulation
was really the ONLY problem. Because he was kept very, very busy, but
more that his regurgitation was becoming more and more self-reinforcing,
and more interesting to him than training with us.
But we still had a lot of other tasks to do in our park, and it was very
difficult to dedicate two full persons (out of a staff of three per day) the
whole day to only one animal, constantly. As we realized this was a
permanent problem, we decided to work on a third approach.

Approach #3; Observations
and Satiation

thereby save his life.
The highest probability for a seizure would be of neurological origin. The vet
department worked through the different diagnoses that could lead to such a
problem. We thought of lead poisoning or a consequence of Parvovirus infection
(there were a lot of animals infected in the zoo at that time); we considered
toxins, brain tumor, tuberculosis, and possibly hypoglycemia as a consequence of
starvation through regurgitation. Therefore, it was first decided to perform a CT
scan with this animal (P4). The CT scan showed that his stomach and brain were
normal, which ruled out some of the possible physical causes for his regurgitation.

P4
10

his mind occupied, we trained a lot of new behaviors, going beyond show
and medical behaviors (P5), where he had learned so many new things and
had become so proficient, to behaviors that were absolutely unnecessary.
The goal was just to keep him occupied in training: for example, and among
others, playing tennis, finding objects, or playing with forms (P6). We even
defined the number of new behaviors he had to learn per week, or per so
many days, to keep both the staff and Gypsy moving forward.
We also started to reintroduce access to water, letting him go two or
three seconds in the water, without control, after a finish SD, and then calling
him back and reinforcing him heavily when he had not regurgitated. However,
very quickly, we saw that the animal anticipated this. And every time he did
go to the water, or most of the time, he would regurgitate. We were also
extremely strict in our use of operant conditioning. If he was leaving his
trainer to go to the water, we would stop the session and interaction for the
rest of the day. We wanted the animal to learn that he had no reward if he
was leaving his trainer. He has to stay with his trainer to keep interacting and
to be reinforced. We also decided to keep him two full days per week with
no access to water at all to make sure that he would receive enough food.
We knew we had reached our main goal, using this approach, because
we were able to increase his weight and maintain it. Neither did he have
any more epileptic-like seizures (so it was indeed probably not epilepsy, but
more due to hypoglycemia). At this point, we can say we had saved his life.
However, we were still not successful in reducing the regurgitation because
each time he had access to the water, or when he knew he could gain
access to it, he would enter
it and start regurgitating
P6
right away. We also noticed
that socially, this was not
something good because
the animal was completely
separated from the rest of
the sea lion group in order to
have access to the trainers
all the time.

P5

We were definitely convinced that regurgitation was the consequence
of an extremely highly self-reinforcing behavior. Based on a paper that
was presented years ago by Tish Flynn during an IMATA conference, on
the treatment of a regurgitation problem in a walrus by satiation, and
recommended by our consultant Dr. Geraldine Lacave, we decided to use
satiation to try to fix the problem.
We wanted the trainers to go back to their original tasks because we
still had the other animals to take care of. We also wanted to let the animal
go back with the rest of the group and have access to the water again.
Therefore, we decided to hire interns to observe Gipsy non-stop when he
was with the other animals, when he was alone, when he was working

SOUNDINGS 2013

Volume 38, Number 2

11

P7

with us, when he was on dry land, during shows, during resting time, in
the main pool, backstage, etc., literally all the time. Interns recorded those
observations on charts, in an attempt to determine if there was a trend in
his regurgitation problem.
After the first month of observations, and preliminary results, we decided to
implement our third approach. Meanwhile, we had kept on doing all those extra
training sessions as before, however now we would offer him a huge container
of fish, up to 20 Kg (44 lb) at once, everyday (P7, P8). Since we wanted to offer
him much, much more fish than before, we also developed many, many more
secondary reinforcements or ways for him to have access to food through toys,
games, and enrichments. With these observations, we gathered a huge amount
of data, kilometers and kilometers (miles and miles) of data.
The first month of observations confirmed that there was no
correlation between trainers, time of the day, nor pool, but that he was
indeed regurgitating when going to the water and this amounted to 42%
of the time. It also showed that other nearby animals were, actually, very
beneficial in the situation. Two females in particular who were always
trying to go behind him to have access to his regurgitated fish. When they
were with him, he regurgitated less, because he did not want them to have
his fish. Using this group setup was, for example, one of our means to
diminish regurgitation frequency. Those observation charts further helped
us to objectively quantify his regurgitation frequency. Within one month of
implementation of the satiation protocol, his regurgitating time in the water
dropped from 42% to 12%. For the first time since the summer of 2009,
Gipsy spent several days without regurgitating.
But we also made some mistakes along the way, and learned from them.
First mistake, the animal was receiving his full-fish-container backstage.
At the beginning, we used to give this huge container on a daily basis.
However, the animal quickly figured this out and started to refuse to go
out, even after long working sessions with a lot of primary reinforcement,
if he did not receive
his full-fish-container
afterwards. We then
started to randomly
give the container and
recaptured our control
P9
of the animal’s leaving
the area.
In two years time
his weight increased
incredibly going from
86 Kg to 150 Kg (189.5
to 330.7 lbs) (P9). But
our second mistake during the summer of 2010 was to reduce the number of
‘jackpot’-fish-containers over time as we thought we had fixed the problem.
As a result, the animal started to regurgitate more again and lose weight
gradually. We realized it is very important and necessary to maintain those
satiation containers on a regular basis to maintain his weight.
As a conclusion of our third approach, we can say that the satiation
program worked very well with this particular animal. All our objectives

12

Volume 38, Number 2

were reached; Gipsy is alive and
healthy. The protocol helped in
controlling his weight loss. Gipsy,
who is a very important animal for
P8
our shows, resumed participating in
these, started interacting more with
the other animals, and gained back
his place in our social group (P10).
However, this is not a win-win
situation, but a give and take. Often
after a huge fish container the animal would
P10
be so full he would not come over for a session
but would rather just go out to a rock and stay
in the sun for hours. And for us this is acceptable because, indeed, at that
time, he is not regurgitating.

SOUNDINGS 2013

What about now?

Gipsy is now stable, and even reached 160 Kg (352.7 lb) this summer.
We continue to teach him a lot of new behaviors to occupy his mind. He
now seldom leaves the show or a training session to regurgitate. But we are
still very watchful with him and continue to note all that happens. At this
point, he often likes to play with the last fish of his session but he is far from
regurgitating like he was doing before.

General conclusion

Regurgitation is a complex behavior to control. We might, or will,
probably never eliminate completely the regurgitation behavior in an animal.
It’s important to try to diminish it as much as possible and to make sure that
the animal is not losing more calories than he is absorbing. Observations and
team communication are extremely important to assess the gravity of the
problem objectively. The satiation approach worked very well in our case.
However, we found out that it is a permanent treatment. It should never
be stopped. It became apparent to us that an animal with such a problem
needs to have a higher percentage of his time filled with occupational
activities, training, and enrichment to diminish the self-reinforcing behavior
of regurgitating. And finally, never give up. In our situation we really thought
Gipsy was dead and we really thought we had lost him!

References

Flynn, T. (1987). Conditions and treatment of an eating disorder in a Pacific walrus –
an anecdotal report. Proceeding of the 15th annual IMATA conference, New Orleans
(pp, 39-46).

Editor's Note: This paper received the following award during the
35th IMATA conference at Indianapolis, IN: the 2nd place Husbandry
Training Award.
The author is willing to correspond with interested trainers. You can
contact Pablo Joury at either team-otaries@zoo-amneville.com or
pabloweb@yahoo.fr.

Shower Power! A simple toy to
enable dolphins to take action
with their enrichment.
Hisako Ikeda, Masayuki Komaba, Nobuhito Osada,
Hitoshi Nakano, Kumiko Komaba, Akihiro Kawakubo
Kujukushima Aquarium, Japan

changing the spray type on the hose nozzle. The animals chose to play
with the shower toy more often and for longer periods of time when
the shower type was set to the “jet” stream, so we now only use that
setting.
Today, the dolphins continue to utilize the shower toy often as
part of a rotating enrichment program. Even if the water is not running,
the dolphins will still push the button often, so it seems that the toy is
enriching even outside of its original purpose.
We are very excited that we were able to let our dolphins get what
they want through their own will and actions, but we know they will
benefit from constantly changing up how they interact with the device.
Future plans for the shower toy include increasing the spray variety and
number of showerheads, as well as adapting this idea to other toys.

After acquiring two bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
ENRICHING ENVIRONMENTS is compiled by Ronnie Smith.
and one Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) four years ago, staff at the
Kujukushima Aquarium created a diverse enrichment
program to stimulate our animals. The dolphins were
very interested in interacting with toys, listening
1
2
to music and watching TV, but we wanted to give
them the option to get what they want by taking
action themselves. So staff members went to the
drawing table to create a manageable, flexible toy
that allowed the dolphins to choose enrichment
they could activate when they wanted, without
human manipulation.
We decided to create a toy that dispenses water
at the press of a button. The mechanics of our animalactivated shower prototype was inspired by the
traditional Japanese hot spring facilities, using their
plumbing ideas to prevent using excess hot water and
wasting energy. The device itself is quite simple: all
plumbing and mechanical parts are hidden inside the
device platform and the activation button is the only
3
5
thing exposed in the front. The “button” the dolphins
push on the front of the device is actually a self-closing
push tap that can be set to allow water out for varying
periods of time. We used large adhesive discs to
attach the whole system to the deck and windows of
our pool.
4
In the beginning, the toy was placed on the deck
next to the pool and we set the system to provide a
spray of water for approximately 10 seconds. We
waited excitedly for the dolphins to interact with the
toy, but they rarely did. We trained one of our dolphins
to interact with the toy, but even she was not too
6
interested. Back to the drawing board!
1: Window Play
Realizing that perhaps a toy on deck was not the
2: Toy Behind
most appealing item to marine animals, we decided
3: Head Push
to position the button underwater to encourage the
4: Body Push
animals to explore the toy more. Although other
5: Jet Spray
toys were in the pool, we observed a big increase
6: Spray Tail
in interaction with the shower toy when the button
Photo Credits was underwater. The dolphins began using the
Kujukushima Aquarium
toy more often, rubbing their head or body on the
button and exposing various parts of their body to the
spray. Success!
We found that the dolphins lost interest in the
shower toy over time, so we spiced things up a bit by

SOUNDINGS 2013

Volume 38, Number 2

13

2013 Conference Countdown

By Michele Sousa, IMATA's First Vice President

Once again we are going to Las Vegas for the 41st annual IMATA conference. We are hard at work making this an amazing conference for everyone. It’s time to
get organized and plan your trip!
Conference Dates
Conference start date – 8 September 2013
Conference end date – 13 September 2013

Conference Hotel
The Mirage Hotel & Casino
? 3400 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109
? Room Rates $139 (this includes resort fee)
? Book your room early, conference may sell out!
Transportation
? Fly into McCarran International Airport
? Take taxi to hotel = North Strip $16.00 - $21.00
? To Strip hotels = $7.00 one way; $13.00 round trip
? Parking at the hotel is FREE!!
Host Facility
Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and
Dolphin Habitat
The wildest part of Las Vegas isn't necessarily
the nightlife. Right on the Las Vegas Strip is an
attraction that defines wild in Vegas in a whole
new way. Welcome to Siegfried and Roy's Secret
Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage Hotel
& Casino where white tigers and lions, leopards

14

Volume 38, Number 2

and dolphins enjoy the Vegas sun and a posh resort
like the millions of human tourists who visit the city
each year.
Roommate Finding Service
If you need help finding a roommate for
the conference to help lower your room rate
please use our “Find a Roommate” service
located on the IMATA conference website at
http://lasvegas2013.imata.org
Animal Training Seminar
Ken Ramirez will be conducting two different
training courses to be held on 8 September 2013.
9:00 am - 12:30 pm; Introduction to Animal
Training - A basic look at animal training with
a focus on both the science and the practical
applications. The seminar is designed for the
beginner of student who wants to learn about the
basics, or the experienced trainer who wants to
brush up on the science or look for new ways to
teach it.
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm; Non-Food Reinforcers
- An advanced seminar that looks at how to
systematically train and maintain non-food
reinforcers. The seminar will explore novel stimuli
like clapping as well as reinforcers such as tactile
and play and how to evaluate whether or not the
animal truly finds these things reinforcing.

SOUNDINGS 2013

Opening Video
This year's theme is “Working Together”
Check the website for further details.
All footage must be received by 1 August 2013.
Join IMATA’s 2013 Judging Team
? We are looking for a diverse group of IMATA
members to form a comprehensive panel of
judges.
? Criteria needed to be met to be selected
as a judge:
? Be an Active or Professional IMATA
member in GOOD standing
? NOT presenting or authoring a paper or
poster this year
? Have NOT been a judge in the past 3 years
? Able to attend ALL formal presentations
and view all posters
? Able to keep your identity as a judge a
SECRET for entire conference
? Attended a minimum of two annual
IMATA Conferences
? If you meet these criteria, please contact
Nicole O’Donnell at HonorsAwards@IMATA.org
immediately!
? All judges will receive 50% discounted
conference registration and a GIFT OF THANKS.

SAIC Biosolutions Art Contest
? Science Applications International Corporation
(SAIC) is once again sponsoring this year’s
Art Contest.
? Criteria and instructions are available on-line at
http://lasvegas2013.imata.org/art_contest
? Criteria snapshot - All art submitted in one of
three categories:
? Humor
? Art
? Photography
? To enter the IMATA Art Contest, simply bring
your art to the conference where we will be
collecting and displaying all submissions.
? Winners will receive monetary awards: $200
(USD) for 1st Place and $100 (USD) for 2nd
Place and $100 for Overall Winner.
Editor’s Choice Award
? Given to expanded abstract that most
effectively and accurately follows the
formatting guidelines for Proceedings and
requires the least amount of editing.
? All submitted abstracts are automatically
eligible for this award.
? Abstract criteria and award rules are available
on-line at http://lasvegas2013.imata.org
? Winner will receive monetary award of $300
(USD) sponsored by Dolphin Connection

Outernet Technologies Award
? Recognizes the best or most innovative use of
science and technology in training sessions,
husbandry, conference presentations, or
record keeping for any formal, informal, or
poster presentation.
? All presentations are automatically eligible for
this award.
? Criteria for this award available on-line at
http://lasvegas2013.imata.org/awards
? Winners will receive monetary awards: $200
(USD) for 1st Place and $100 (USD) for 2nd Place
Sonny Allen Professional
Achievement Award
Nominations due by 30 August 2013
? Honors an individual who has demonstrated
a dedication to the field of marine mammal
science, training, and service to IMATA
? Criteria for nominations available on-line at
http://lasvegas2013.imata.org/awards
? Nominations submitted to our current IMATA
President, Eric Gaglione at President@IMATA.org
Essay Contest
? All essays due by 1 August 2013
? Write an essay that answers the following
questions: “What does IMATA mean to you?
How has IMATA helped or changed the lives of
your animals or yourself?”
? Submit essay on-line at http://lasvegas2013.
imata.org/essay_contest

SOUNDINGS 2013

? Criteria snapshot:
? 500 words or less
? Current IMATA member in good standing
? Attending 2013 IMATA Conference in Las Vegas
? Winner will receive FREE CONFERENCE
REGISTRATION and will present their essay
during the Opening Ceremonies of the conference.
Live Art Auction
Bill & Billy are back to emcee a hilarious
live auction.
Career Nights x2
? Career Night #1 = Resume Review and
Interview Skill Workshops
? Sign up for the Resume Review event now as
space is limited.
? Career Night #2 = Deluxe Job Fair and Job
Interview Room
Sponsorship Opportunities
? We are actively collecting sponsorships for this
year’s conference which allows us to provide
a lower conference registration rate, which
allows us to off-set the costs associated with
running the meeting.
? If you are interested in becoming a $2,500
Facility Sponsor – please contact Michele
Sousa at msousa@lbaop.org
? For a complete list of sponsorship
opportunities available, please review the
Conference Sponsor and Exhibitor Packet at
http://lasvegas2013.imata.org/sponsorship_
opportunities

Volume 38, Number 2

15

BEYOND BASICS :
TRAINING DOLPHINS (Tursiops truncatus) AND SEA LIONS (Zalophus californianus)
THE ‘CONCEPT BEHAVIORS’ INNOVATE, REPEAT, COMBOS, AND AD-LIBS
Jamie P. Stevens, Sarah E. Brignac, and Loriel Keaton – Dolphin Research Center
Dolphin Research Center (DRC), located in the Florida Keys, is home to
22 Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and three California Sea
Lions (Zalophus californianus). At DRC, we have found that there is more
to training dolphins and sea lions than just basic behaviors. DRC has been
doing language-like training for over 30 years. It has passed from trainer
to trainer as a fun and creative way to enrich our dolphins and sea lions
while challenging our staff’s training skills. By teaching our dolphins and sea
lions concept behaviors, such as Innovate and Repeat, we determined they
could understand much more than simply performing a single behavior for
one signal (Sd). We identify a concept behavior not as a specific, physical
behavior, but rather as a RULE the animal can apply to its entire behavioral
repertoire, thus demonstrating the understanding of an abstract idea.
Additionally, by training an animal multiple concept behaviors, we have
discovered that not only can they apply a single concept to their behavioral
repertoire, but can also learn additional concepts to apply to the same
behavioral repertoire – showing they discriminate between the concepts
themselves. Many other researchers and trainers have done similar work,
but this paper will focus on DRC’s approach to the concept behaviors of
Innovate, Repeat, Combination Behaviors (Combos), and Ad-Libs, how we
trained them, and the issues we had to resolve.

Repeat

DRC’s criterion for the Repeat behavior is exactly as it sounds: the dolphin
or sea lion should repeat the last behavior requested by the trainer. When
introducing this concept we begin by pairing the signal with a few behaviors
that are completely different from each other. For example, we may select
a vocalization, a stomach display, and a pectoral wave. The dolphin is given
the signal for pectoral wave and bridged for a correct response. Then we
immediately give the dolphin the Repeat signal, followed by the cue of
showing the pectoral wave signal again. Then we gradually fade out the
cue. We alternate between the three selected behaviors in the session,
giving all of them equal attention. Once the dolphin or sea lion repeats these
three behaviors consistently and appropriately on the Repeat signal, we
introduce other behaviors from their repertoire. At some point during the
training process, they begin to generalize the Repeat signal and apply it to

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SOUNDINGS 2013

all the behaviors of their repertoire without any cues from trainers. This ‘AhHa!’ or ‘light bulb’ moment, as we call it, can be different for each dolphin or
sea lion, but typically occurs after they learn to repeat four to six behaviors.
When we first began teaching the Repeat concept, we were met with
two main challenges. Initially, we thought it would be best to introduce this
concept using just one behavior at a time. This was not very successful
however, because the animal associated the Repeat signal with only that
behavior, making it difficult to incorporate new ones. Now, whenever we
train the Repeat concept, we use a minimum of two to three behaviors.
This seems to help the dolphin or sea lion understand the concept faster.
Another technique we tried in the early training was to only use behaviors
that occurred right at the dock, such as vocalizations. We soon learned
the dolphins trained with this method had difficulty repeating high-energy
behaviors that occurred away from the dock. To overcome this challenge we
started incorporating high-energy behaviors, such as forward dives, earlier
in the training process and discovered it helped the dolphins reach their AhHa! moment sooner.

Innovate

The Innovate concept is when the dolphin or sea lion offers a different
behavior each time they are shown the Innovate signal. They can offer
either known behaviors from their repertoire or new behaviors not yet on a
signal (i.e. not under behavioral control), so long as they perform a different
behavior each time they see the Innovate signal repeated. For example, you
give the Innovate signal and the dolphin waves – bridge and reward; you
give the signal again and the dolphin jumps – bridge and reward; you give
the signal again, and the dolphin spits water – bridge and reward. As long
as you continue giving the signal in that sequence, the dolphin should offer a
different behavior. As with the Repeat behavior, when teaching the Innovate
concept the dolphins or sea lions are given clues as to what the signal
means. In the early training, we gave the Innovate signal followed by a brief
pause. If the dolphin or sea lion offered any behavior at all, we bridged and
rewarded. Then we asked for Innovate again. Usually, the animal offered the
previously bridged behavior. At this point, we gave the Innovate signal again,
then immediately cued the dolphin or sea lion by showing them a signal for

a completely different behavior. We repeated this technique
until the animals understood the concept and offered either
a different or a novel behavior each time they were given the
Innovate signal.
We came across a couple of challenges during the
training process for Innovate. First, the dolphins or sea lions
developed a bias towards performing certain behaviors. In
order to overcome this obstacle we became consistent with
our reinforcement. Once we gave the same reward for every
behavior, the bias quickly resolved itself. Another challenge
was the animals’ desire to chain behaviors. For example,
each time Aleta, a 27-year-old bottlenose dolphin, was
given the Innovate signal, she would first do the raspberry
vocalization, then spin in a circle, and finally move her head
up and down. Once we realized her pattern of performing
the same behaviors in the same order, we interrupted it by
giving more cues, (i.e. signals for different behaviors). This
technique proved successful in breaking the chain.
Once this concept is trained, the dolphin or sea lion
will continue to offer different behaviors on each Innovate
signal until the trainer interrupts the sequence. The number
of times in a row that a trainer asks for Innovate varies,
but we find that both our dolphins and sea lion offer long
sequences of different behaviors with little difficulty. So, how
do the animals know when a particular Innovate sequence is
complete? DRC’s rule is that when a trainer gives any other
signal besides the one for Innovate, the sequence is broken.
Then, if the trainer decides to ask for Innovate later in the
same session, the animal can repeat behaviors from the
previous sequence if they choose. We find that our dolphins
and sea lion understand this concept and distinguish the
beginning and end of Innovate sequences multiple times in
the same session with little difficulty.

Combos

A combination concept, or Combo, is when the dolphin
or sea lion is asked to do two or more behaviors at the same
time. We have found that a few of our dolphins are successful
at combining up to four behaviors at once. Teaching the
combination concept is different from the other concepts we
teach at DRC in that the dolphins are not introduced to a new
signal. Instead, they are given two or more signals in a row,
then expected to perform these behaviors simultaneously.
They are essentially receiving a ‘full sentence’ of information
and then processing the request to complete a new single
chain of behaviors. DRC has found success teaching this
concept by using a simple, straightforward method. Combos
are always requested in a specific order of lower energy
behaviors to higher energy behaviors. For example, the cues
for talk, pectoral waves, and dive are given in that order, and
the response would be a dolphin jumping while vocalizing
and waving their pectoral flippers. Trainers came up with
this order through trial and error. We realized that when the
high-energy signal was given first, the animal would not wait
to receive more information. Therefore the last signal given
(usually a high energy behavior, but not always) becomes the
release that says, ‘Go for it!’

Once the Combination concept is taught, we can pair it
with other concepts the dolphins may know. For example,
dolphins that understand the Repeat concept can be asked to
repeat Combo behaviors. Want to see that talking, pectoralwaving, dive again? Simply give the Repeat signal! We also
sometimes pair dolphins together on Combo behaviors. For
example, most of our dolphins know a ‘kiss’ behavior wherein
they touch snouts together. We can combine that with many
behaviors including spin, tummy, and – most spectacularly we can ask a number of our dolphins to kiss while doing flyingforward-tail-walks. Even more incredible, they will repeat that
kissing-flying-forward-tail-walk on the Repeat signal!

Ad-Libs

Finally, Ad-libbing is where the dolphins can do any
behavior from their repertoire or create something new. Our
signal for Ad-lib is to simply push our coolers back from the
front of the dock. Then we reinforce the dolphins for any
behavior they do. This can include everything from sitting at
the front of the dock, to vocal behaviors, to high breaches out
in the middle of the lagoon. Sometimes the dolphins are very
creative and sometimes they choose to do the same behavior
over and over again, but the main point of this concept is for
the dolphins to do what they want to do. This varies from the
Innovate concept in which the dolphin must do a different
behavior each time. During these Ad-lib periods, the trainers
can capture new behaviors and put them on a signal. In one
example, our largest male dolphin, Sandy, invented a belly
flop paired with his signature funny noise. He constantly
offered this behavior during ‘Ad-Lib time’ and the trainers
loved it, put it on signal, and now it is a favorite of Sandy’s in
his sessions. When he sees the signal he bolts away from the
dock, explodes into mid-air shaking his head and vocalizing,
splashes his 272 kg (600 lb) body back into the water, then
returns to the dock making his excited ‘honking’ noise, as if
to say, “That was awesome, wanna see it again?” We do not
experience relapses with these captured behaviors, possibly
because they are the dolphins’ ideas, and trainers respond
with such enthusiasm to their creativity!
At Dolphin Research Center, our dolphins and sea lions
have embraced the creativity and challenge of learning
concepts in a big way. Out of our current 25 animals, over
90% of them know one concept behavior, 80% of them know
two concept behaviors, and two of our dolphins, Merina and
Talon, know all four of the concept behaviors. It is interesting
to note that our dolphins and sea lions can distinguish
between these four concepts within the same training
session, showing a true understanding of them.
There are many benefits to training concept behaviors.
First, we find that the public is fascinated to see dolphins and
sea lions demonstrating their cognitive abilities in a fun and
creative way. Innovate and Ad-libs particularly demonstrate
how ‘out-of-the-box’ animals can be when they are not
constrained by standard approaches. These concepts allow
our presentations and our relationships with our dolphins and
sea lions to be more collaborative, exciting, and refreshing.
We encourage you to try it. You and your animals will enjoy
the challenges of these brainteasers!

SOUNDINGS 2013

Volume 38, Number 2

17

What’s
Up Doc?

w/ Dr. Lisa Harrenstien,

DVM, DACZM
Zoological Medical Consultant

Which animal-transmitted diseases should a marine
animal trainer be aware of?

There are many types of bacteria, fungus, viruses and
your physician is aware of the possibility of mycobacteriosis if you
parasites that can be transmitted between marine animals and
are seeking care for a skin wound or abscess that doesn’t look like
their trainers. The diseases that they cause are called zoonoses
it is healing quickly enough. Other zoonotic skin infections include
(“zoh–oh-no-sees”), and the germs themselves are zoonotic
“seal finger” (caused by Mycoplasma spp. or Erysipelothrix),
agents. Although the number of potential zoonotic agents is too
“beluga finger”, and others caused by Bisgaardia, poxvirus,
plentiful to list here, the good news is that most zoonoses can be
calicivirus (San Miguel sea lion virus), herpes virus, Pseudomonas,
prevented with basic hygiene practices including hand-washing
Staphylococcus, Clostridium perfringens, Vibrio, Corynebacterium,
(a full 20 seconds!), use of protective equipment (gloves, masks,
Nocardia, Aeromonas, Klebsiella, Edwardsiella, Lacazia fungus
and boots), and proper cleaning of dive equipment (wetsuits,
(lobomycosis), and Candida fungus. There is no magic drug that
drysuits, dive masks, and mouthpieces).
Pregnant or immunosuppressed staff
members will have specific concerns about
contact with animal-origin infectious
Pregnancy puts keeper Sara Morgan at a higher risk for zoonoses.
agents. Ask your facility’s dive safety
Wearing protective equipment, such as gloves, helps reduce the risk.
officer, veterinarian or occupational health
physician for recommendations unique
to your situation, or go to the following
website document for a good start: http://
swfsc.noaa.gov/uploadedFiles/Divisions/
PRD/Programs/Photogrammetry/Marine_
Mammal_Zoonoses_Final_Report-2.pdf.
There is also a much more recent marine
mammal zoonoses review article written
by Waltzek, Cortés-Hinojosa, Wellehan
Jr., and Gray (2012) from the University of
Florida that can be found at http://www.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22697432.
Many bacteria that are naturallyoccurring in marine and freshwater
environments can be disease-causing
(pathogenic) in people, either by contact with
an infected animal or with contaminated
water from a marine or aquatic enclosure.
In animal care staff, skin wounds are
common, regardless of whether they are
caused by our physically demanding jobs,
a simple paper cut, or an actual animal
bite. Mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium
marinum, M. fortuitum and M. ulcerans are
commonly present in the water our animals
live in, and they can cause skin abscesses
or deeper infections, especially when they
contaminate abrasions or puncture wounds.
“Fish handler’s disease” is a common name
for a zoonotic mycobacterial infection.
Mycobacterial infections require specific
drugs for effective treatment, so make sure

will treat all of these possibilities, but if your physician
is made aware of the infectious agents that might be
making your wound worse, his or her treatment plan will
be more effective. And remember, dilution is the key to
resolving pollution; thorough washing of the wound
(even with tap water, if that is all you have got) will go
a long way toward preventing a more serious infection.
Skin disease is not the only thing to watch for
related to marine animal origin zoonotic agents. Many
types of symptoms and body organ systems can be
involved with zoonotic disease, including respiratory
signs, eyelid irritation (conjunctivitis), diarrhea,
neurological disease, kidney failure, or general flulike malaise symptoms. Some of these zoonotic agents
include mycobacteria (including those that cause
tuberculosis), Brucella, Leptospira, Erysipelothrix,
Salmonella, Plesiomonas, Candida yeast, Aspergillus
fungus, influenza virus, and the parasites Baylisascaris,
Cryptosporidium and Strongyloides. When diving to
clean an animal enclosure, your lips and ears are
vulnerable to contamination with fecal-related bacteria,
almost all of which can cause human illness. As with
wounds, rinsing your mouth either with lots of tap water
or dilute chlorhexidine mouthwash after a dive will help
to reduce the potential for contamination and infection.
Prey meat (fish, poultry, beef, horsemeat) fed to
marine animals can contain or be contaminated with
zoonotic agents, which can transfer to the person
preparing or feeding out these diet items. Gloves
should be worn when preparing diets or during feeding
sessions, to reduce your risk of zoonotic disease.
Not considered infectious diseases, but still of
concern, are the toxins that can be encountered when
working with marine mammal carcasses, for example,
brevetoxins in the gastrointestinal tract (or even in
the air of a surf zone where a large animal might be
necropsied), or domoic acid in urine or feces. Take time
to stock up on functional personal protective equipment
for necropsies, including masks that still allow you
to breathe, coveralls or tyvek suits that allow some
ventilation (you can cut a large oval out along your
back), and safety glasses or goggles that do not fog up.
As with most diseases, an ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure.
Of course, the risk of acquiring a zoonotic disease
is low compared to the enjoyment and fulfillment that
we get from working with marine animals. Being aware
of disease transmission risks will hopefully keep both
you and your animals healthier.
WHAT’S UP DOC? is compiled by Jen DeGroot

Celebrates
IMATA's 40th !
Be a part of IMATA history!
IMATA is preparing to
celebrate its 40th Anniversary
with a commemorative issue
of Soundings and we want you
to be involved.
This is your chance to tell us...
What does IMATA mean to you?
What role has IMATA played in improving
your career?
How has IMATA improved the welfare of the
animals in your care?
Written submissions should be a maximum of
250 words. Photos and videos are encouraged.
Submission deadline 1 July 2013 to
Soundings@IMATA.org

Photo Credit: Oregon Zoo

18

Volume 38, Number 2

SOUNDINGS 2013

SOUNDINGS 2013

Volume 38, Number 2

19

The following reports were submitted for publication on 28 February, 2013.
Photo Credit: Falgory
Ocean Park

Chien Kuo-Chieh. Dolphins at Farglory Ocean Park
celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.

ASIA REGION
Philip Wong, Ocean Park – Hong Kong, China

Farglory Ocean Park – Hualien, TAIWAN
Farglory Ocean Park will celebrate one of the three
biggest festivals in the Chinese culture, the Dragon
Boat Festival, held on 12 June 2013. The traditional
story commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a great
Chinese poet, who killed himself by jumping into the
Miluo River because the emperor distrusted him due to
slanderous talk. The legend says that the local people
dropped sticky rice triangles into the river to keep the
fish from eating his body. To celebrate, a dragon boat
race will take place in rivers across the country. Also,
people will eat a triangular food, rice dumpling which is
a representative dish in the festival. At Farglory Ocean
Park, the staff will make a big gelatin dumpling for the
dolphins to commemorate this great poet in China.
AUSTRALIA REGION
Ryan Tate, Taronga Zoo – Sydney

Dolphin Marine Magic (formerly Pet Porpoise
Pool) – Coffs Harbour, AUSTRALIA
In the past few months Dolphin Marine Magic
has seen the completion of Dolphin Lagoon, the new
animal interaction area and is now close to completing
the construction of the new seal exhibit, Seal Shores,
and four off exhibit holding enclosures. The staff has
also been busy with the rescue and rehabilitation of
a variety of animals including the recent stranding
of a female pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps)
and her calf. Dolphin Marine Magic has commenced
training with several of the Australian sea lions
(Neophoca cinerea) for a research project through
Macquaire University studying breath holding ability
and dive physiology.

Volume 38, Number 2

Photo Credit: Taronga Zoo

Taronga Zoo joins forces with Woolworths to promote
a sustainable seafood conservation campaign.

CANADA REGION

Sea World – Gold Coast, AUSTRALIA
Sea World has welcomed the birth of an Atlantic
bottlenose dolphin calf (Tursiops truncatus). The female
calf was born 21 January in the park’s dolphin show
department to first time parents Sunnie and Kiama. This
birth represents a new generation within the park as
both parents were also born at Sea World. The baby
is suckling well and already shows signs of being
very independent.
Babies are also thriving in the Antarctic penguin
display, with four Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua)
chicks now on display. Sea Lion Theatre has had a busy
breeding season with shows, interactive programs
and testosterone driven animals. Elvis, the parks
current breeding male Californian sea lion (Zalophus
californianus) has taken a month off from programs to
breed with two resident females.

20

Taronga Zoo – Sydney, AUSTRALIA
The Taronga Zoo marine mammal team has been
working closely with the zoo’s conservation manager to
develop a program about sustainable seafood. For the
last few years, the seal show has focused on having a
sustainable seafood message but it has now has been
taken to the next level. Taronga Zoo has joined forces
with the large supermarket chain, Woolworths, to
further the sustainable seafood conservation campaign,
in order to help customers make sustainable seafood
choices. The marine mammal team also recently took
part in a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) workshop
to better understand the issue of sustainable seafood.
Two Marine Mammal Keepers are also on their way
to Antarctica to be guest lecturers on two separate
Antarctic cruises. They will present on Antarctic seal
species, as well as, the role of zoos in conservation.
Cooper, the 5-year-old California sea lion, has
recently had a CT scan on his teeth which resulted in
specialist surgery. He is recovering well from this.

Brian Sheehan, Vancouver Aquarium –
Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver Aquarium –
Vancouver, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Staff from the Vancouver Aquarium recently
attended a workshop hosted by the Pacific Biodiversity
Group, The Cascadia Research Collective and The Sea
Doc Society in order to help develop collaborative
research based relationships in regards to the harbor
porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the Salish Sea. By
giving researchers from the United States and Canada
the opportunity to meet face-to-face, the result was a
great exchange of high quality information. The data
currently being collected was reviewed by researchers
in both countries which enabled researchers to identify
gaps in the research and places where additional data
could most enhance the understanding of the harbor
porpoise. The Vancouver Aquarium expressed the
desire to involve its current harbor porpoise population
in present research or to allow for new research
opportunities to help fill in the gaps of harbor porpoise
knowledge.
For the past several months, the aquarium staff has
been aiding the Alaska Sea Life Centre (ASLC) with
the care of a rehab northern sea otter pup (Enhydra
lutris kenyonaii). Vancouver would like to take this
opportunity to thank ASLC for their fantastic hospitality
and all the great learning opportunities that have arisen
as a result.

SOUNDINGS 2013

CARIBBEAN ISLANDS REGION
Bernard Collie, Atlantis Paradise Island –
Paradise Island, Bahamass

Dolphin Cay Atlantis – Nassau, BAHAMAS
Georgie, a three-year-old West Indian manatee
(Trichechus manatus), is back at Dolphin Cay for the
second time. Georgie was born to Rita in Spanish
Wells, Bahamas in 2010. In October 2011, the pair were
spotted in the busy Nassau harbor and relocated to
Dolphin Cay by the Atlantis Animal Rescue Team. After
being monitored for 6 months by the marine mammal
staff, they were released to Great Harbour Cay (GHC),
Berry Islands, Bahamas to join a resident manatee
population. Satellite tags allowed them to be monitored
and in June 2012, Rita and Georgie split. At that point
Georgie moved from the Berry Islands to Abaco.
Recently concern was raised by BMMRO, who
was monitoring her, about her general appearance.
A decision was made by the Department of Marine
Resources for the Dolphin Cay animal rescue team to
relocate her to Atlantis. On 26 January 2013, Georgie
was successfully rescued and relocated to Dolphin
Cay. Georgie will undergo a series of general health
evaluations and once Georgie is healthy, the team will
relocate her back to GHC, Berry Islands with the hope
that she rejoins the manatee population there.
The Dolphin Experience Unexso –
Freeport, BAHAMAS
It’s been a calm winter, affording The Dolphin
Experience staff the opportunity to train another pair of
dolphins for open ocean programs called Ocean Swim
and Dolphin Dive. The staff is looking forward to spring
and the season ahead.
Dolphin Explorer – Punta Cana, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Dolphin Explorer is happy to announce the birth of
their first dolphin calf, a male named Jupiter, on 27
October 2012. Jupiter and his mother, Lea, are both
doing well. The Curator of Marine Mammals and
Elasmobranchs, Miguel Marquez, left the facility in
January to take on other projects and the staff wishes
him every success in the future.

EUROPE NORTH CENTRAL REGION

EUROPE SOUTH CENTRAL REGION


Delphinarium Muenster – Muenster, GERMANY
Delphinarium Muenster started the winter season
preparing for the transport of all three Atlantic
bottlenose dolphins for early 2013. Another big focus
is reshaping and training new behaviors with the
California sea lions, which will take over the main part
of the newly designed show.

Amnéville Zoo – Amnéville, FRANCE
At the Amnéville Zoo, the sea lion bay team is
proud to welcome two female South American sea
lions (Otaria flavescens) from Valencia, Spain. Lia and
Greta arrived in January and are very well. They are
performing in shows and are very calm and cool. The
seven resident California and South American sea lions
are welcoming and interacting with the two females.

Allwetterzoo Muenster – Muenster, GERMANY
The flourishing penguin breeding program of the
Allwetterzoo Muenster has been well-known for many
years. In some years, 20 to 25 Black-footed penguin
(Speniscus demersus) grew up in the program. Only a
few European zoological gardens have comparable
breeding success. In summer 2012, 14 chicks were
raised and 12 more hatched in December and January.
Considering the on-going threat for the survival
of this species, the penguins’ reproduction rate in the
Allwetterzoo Muenster is especially eminent. Hence,
a huge amount of time and effort are invested in the
breeding so as to bring up as many chicks as possible.
The penguins are hatching their eggs and feeding the
chicks on their own for approximately the first 60 days,
but afterwards the chicks are leaving their rookery and
the keepers have to teach them backstage how to eat
dead fish independently. In the wild, the chicks would
join a crèche with other juveniles and start hunting
every moving and sparkling object. Unfortunately, the
dead prey fish in the zoo are not moving at all. Thus the
keepers have to convince the young birds, in several
steps, that defrosted fish is an adequate prey.

Asterix delphinarium – Paris, FRANCE
After a fantastic season followed by a winter full of
snow, the marine mammal team is ready to kick off the
2013 season full of energy. The staff has begun show
rehearsals for the grand re-opening on 30 March. The
sea lions are currently learning a larger repertoire of
behaviors to debut in the new show.
Finally, the trainers and the animals would like
to welcome their new trainer from the Netherlands,
Fleur Besnyoi.

Christiane Thiere, Tiergarten Nuremberg –
Nuremberg, Germany

EUROPE NORTH EAST REGION

Pablo Joury, Amnéville Zoo – Amnéville, France

Zoo Marine – Rome, ITALY
The staff at the Zoo Marine dolphin facility have
begun introductions of the female Atlantic bottlenose
dolphin calf, Thai, to the rest of the pod. Everything is
going well and the staff can’t wait to present her to park
visitors in the show.
MIDDLE EAST REGION

Tommy Wilken – zoOceanarium Group
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai Dolphinarium – Dubai,
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Sunna Edberg – Kolmarden, Sweden


Kolmarden – Kolmarden, SWEDEN
At Kolmarden, the female Baltic grey seal
(Halichoerus grypus baltica), Liivi gave birth to her tenth
pup on 20 February 2013 . The male pup and mother are
doing fine.
Photo Credit: Allwetterzoo Muenster
Black-footed penguins (Speniscus demersus) at
Allwetterzoo Muenster, Germany.

The female Black-sea bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops
truncates ponticus), Ksyusha, gave birth to a male calf
in May 2012 at the Dubai Dolphinarium. Both mother
and calf are doing extremely well and are currently
undergoing gate training into the show pool. The
new pool extension is currently underway and should
be completed by mid-year. A new northern fur seal
(Callorhinus ursinus) display in also in the works, with
three young pups joining the facility in May 2013.

Photo Credit: Dolphin Explorer
Jupiter with mother, Lea, at Dolphin Explorer.

Dolphin Quest Bermuda – Sandys, BERMUDA
At Dolphin Quest Bermuda, winter season means
show season. With the decrease in temperatures and
tourism numbers in the winter months, DQB switches
gears to keep the public involved. Each month, the show
that is performed on Saturday has a different theme. In
the holiday show presentation, the staff illustrate that the
very things to love about the holidays are not too different
from how to provide exciting stimulation to the dolphins
throughout the year. These include elements of surprise
through variable reinforcement, building relationships
while spending time with loved ones, caring for the less
fortunate through conservation and stewardship efforts,
as well as, celebrating together. The show themes are
creative and exciting and help to draw the local community
to Dolphin Quest every week to see what’s new.

Photo Credit: Sunna Edberg
Baltic grey seal pup (Halichoerus grypus baltica)
at Kolmarden, Sweden.

Dolphin Bay, Atlantis the Palm – Dubai,
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
2013 is set to be another exciting year for the
dolphins and team at Dolphin Bay. The new Couples
Retreat Interaction, as well as, the Behind-the-Scenes
Tour is set to begin within the first quarter of 2013.
The staff is also hard at work improving the Marine
Mammal Eduventure, which was a great success with
schools from Abu Dhabi and Dubai in 2013, as well as,
welcoming back the Dubai Autism Center’s students who
have been visiting since 2008. Team members are hard

at work preparing for their annual examinations and are
engaging in some excellent training discussions on how
to achieve their training goals for 2013. Congratulations
to Dr. Luis Roque, Sheldon, and Rudelle Smuts, and
Andrew Damon as the stork has been extremely busy
over the last few months delivering new dolphin trainers
and dolphin doctors.
Emirates Park Zoo – Abu Dhabi,
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The training of the South African fur seals
(Actrocephalus pussilus) at Emirates Park Zoo is going
well. The main focus is on medical behaviors in which
all animals are achieving great results. The first scan for
the pregnant female, Molly, is planned for March. Still,
Swan and Sanga are now the stars of the first ever Sea
Lion Interaction program in the UAE. Daily encounters
with the resident animals are now available for all
expatriates, locals and tourists of the UAE. The staff
welcomes new trainers Ryan, Mark, Sandy and Jeffrey
to the seal team and within the family. The facility also
saw record numbers of guests over the December/
January period.
Fakieh Aquarium – Jeddah,
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
The Fakieh Aquarium has opened its doors to the
public on 23 January 2013. The aquarium includes 32
exhibits with a collection of more than 8,000 marine
species. It also includes a Dolphinarium with six Pacific
bottle-nosed dolphins (Tursiops truncatus gilli) that have
adapted very well along with the three South American
sea lions. The staff is looking forward to an amazing
year in 2013.
Snow Penguins @ SKI DUBAI – Dubai,
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Snow Penguins @ SKI DUBAI is currently celebrating
its 1 year anniversary since the launch of the program.
The penguins are all coming along wonderfully. The
training team has been working a great deal on
advancing the behavioral development program for
daily management, guest interactions and behavioral
husbandry, and also recently revitalized the March of
the Penguins public presentation for 2013.
Since the penguins arrived in Dubai on New Year’s
Eve 2011, the staff has discovered that penguins are
keen learners and they can take direction well, which
helps the progression process. The penguins have
exceeded expectations so far over the last year and the
staff is excited to discover what they will learn in their
second year. To watch a brief overview of the program,
go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9onvwEylYT
M&feature=youtu.be
Snow Penguins @ SKI DUBAI would also like to take
this opportunity to thank the IMATA & animal training
community for all their support and warm wishes over
the last year.
PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION

Stephanie Vlachos – Waimanalo, Hawaii

Dolphin Quest Hawaii – Waikoloa, HAWAII
Dolphin Quest Hawaii announces that the new
Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calves have names. Thanks
to all that submitted ideas worldwide. The two boys,
Malu which means peace and Nahele which means
forest, are as close as their moms Pele and Kona. Keo’s
first born, Lehua, means beautiful flower and she is
as precious as her name describes. For this round of

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21

calves, Dolphin Quest has decided to share each little
step of their development through social media posted
on a weekly basis called Dolphin Calf Chronicles.
These updates will focus on their fun, enjoyment and
relationship building with trainers. Please feel free to
become a fan and look for the calf updates on Facebook
and Twitter. Additionally, to view the birth of Keo’s calf,
Lehua, check out the You-Tube sensation.
Photo Credit: Dr. Marc Lammers

Dolphin wearing suction cup hydrophones on melon
for biosonar study at Dolphin Quest Oahu.

Dolphin Quest Oahu – Honolulu, HAWAII
Dolphin Quest Oahu (DQO) partnered with The
Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology to investigate
how Atlantic bottlenose dolphins produce biosonar
echolocation clicks.
To produce sound, dolphins push air through their
nasal passages and past phonic lips, which triggers
surrounding tissue to vibrate and make sound. Although
scientists had previously believed that one phonic lip
created clicks while a second phonic lip created whistles,
Dr. Marc Lammers, one of the principle investigators,
discovered that belugas use both lips simultaneously
when echolocating. Because echolocation production
and beam patterns can vary by species, Dr. Lammers
wanted to know if Atlantic bottlenose dolphins also use
both phonic lips as sound generators to produce clicks.
DQO trained their Atlantic bottlenose dolphins to sink
to a specific depth, remain stationary and echolocate
on objects while wearing suction cup hydrophones on
their melon. Dr. Lammers is collaborating with Dr. Peter
Madsen of Aarhus University in Denmark. They plan to
publish a paper about sound production mechanisms in
odontocetes, which will include the data from DQO’s
recording sessions.

Ho'a keeps growing at 4 years old, currently weighing in
at 340 lbs (154 kg). The staff is also conducting social
integration training sessions to prepare for the future
integration of Maka and Ho'a.
U.S. MIDWEST REGION
Stacey Lonski, Indianapolis Zoo – Indianapolis, IN

Brookfield Zoo – Brookfield, ILLINOIS
Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo had a
very exciting summer in 2012. In addition to the debut of
the summer games show, the staff also welcomed back
Atlantic bottlenose dolphin Allie from the Minnesota
Zoo. Allie had lived at CZS from 1995-2000 but then
spent from 2000-2012 on breeding loans. The staff was
very excited to have her back and reunite her with dolphin
Tapeko after so many years. Rita Stacey and Melissa
Zabojnik have been working all year on the IMATA
research grant and are looking forward to presenting
the results to IMATA in Las Vegas. Congratulations go to
Jamie Kennedy on her promotion to Senior Keeper. The
staff also wishes a fond farewell to seasonal keepers
Miranda Bovy and Jackie Ulrich.
Como Zoo – St. Paul, Minnesota
Berlin, the Lake Superior Zoo polar bear (Ursus
maritimus) that was transported to Como Zoo in June
due to flooding, has been transported to Kansas City Zoo
on breeding recommendations. Berlin was trained to
voluntarily enter a crate for her move.
The 0.2 harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from the Lake
Superior Zoo have been incorporated into the training
program and have been introduced to the 1.1 harbor
seals. They have already learned some new behaviors
and continue to do well in their new environment.
Indianapolis Zoo – Indianapolis, INDIANA
Due to some changes within the Indianapolis Zoo,
the Marine Mammal Department now includes tigers
(Panthera tigris altaica), muntjacs (Muntiacus reevesi)
and red pandas (Ailurus fulgens). Staff has been crosstraining and the joining of areas is going well. Last
year, the zoo was blessed with the birth of an Atlantic
bottlenose dolphin calf and the arrival of both a stranded
California sea lion and an orphaned Pacific walrus calf
(Odobenus rosmarus). Orin, the Atlantic bottlenose

22

Volume 38, Number 2

St. Louis Zoo – St. Louis, MISSOURI
The staff at Saint Louis Zoo’s Sea Lion Sound exhibit
completed a very busy and successful first summer.
Visitors enjoyed daily sea lion shows in the Lichtenstein
Sea Lion Arena where 2.3 California sea lions
participated, offering daily interactions and showing
off their natural talent. At the Enterprise Family RentA-Car Sea Lion Landing, guests of all ages watched the
daily feeding and training sessions with 3.3 California
sea lions and 0.1 harbor seal, as well as, enjoyed an
incredible view as the animals swam over visitors’ heads
in the underwater tunnel. Now that the show season is
over, the staff is excited to introduce the show animals
to the landing pool and the animals currently there. The
staff would also like to thank seasonal trainers Lisa
Maracic and Diana Vogel for a wonderful summer and
wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.
U. S. NORTHEAST REGION
Beth Manning – Baltimore, Maryland

Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center –
Riverhead, Long Island, NEW YORK
The Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center was hit
with a blizzard in February. Several staff members stayed
overnight to care for the animals. The North American river
otters (Lontra canadensis) sure seemed to enjoy sliding
around and tunneling through all of the snow.
The renovations and construction on the true seal
exhibit were completed and the four harbor seals and one
grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) were successfully moved
back to their habitat. The exhibit looks beautiful and both
the trainers and the animals are enjoying their new digs.
Photo Credit: Indianapolis Zoo

Sea Life Park, Hawaii – Waimanalo, HAWAII
The Hawaii Ocean Theatre at Sea Life Park, Hawaii
is slated for renovations starting mid-March and should
be completed within 8 weeks. The 2.0 Atlantic and 1.0
Pacific bottlenose dolphins will be moved to backstage
holding pools during the renovation. The 0.3 California
sea lions will be moved to Kalohe Kai with the 0.4
California sea lions that perform the theatrical sea lion
shows and interactive programs.
The park wishes a fond farewell to Alley Rose and
Samantha Fuentes and wishes them the best of luck in
their future endeavors. The staff would also like to thank
the winter interns for all their hard work and welcome
the incoming spring interns.
Waikiki Aquarium – Honolulu, HAWAII
The Waikiki Aquarium continues to train their
two resident Hawaiian monk seals (Monanchus
schaunislandi), Maka Onaona and Hō'ailona, for
voluntary husbandry behaviors, including weight
training, blood draws, eye exams, oral exams, and
ultrasounds. Maka is very healthy at 28 years of age and

dolphin calf, has started eating fish, but prefers ice as
reinforcement. He is at the beginning stages of training
and has learned to station and hand target. Ray, the
juvenile sea lion, has been successfully introduced to
the female sea lions and seals, and the staff is working
on introductions with the adult male sea lion. Pakak, the
walrus calf, is on exhibit with the adult female, Aurora.
They have bonded well and enjoy swimming, playing,
and sleeping together. Pakak took readily to fish and
now eats several pounds of it along with his formula
each day. Being a good eater, he is already about 480
lbs (218 kg).

Aurora and Pakak at the Indianapolis Zoo.

SOUNDINGS 2013

Over the last couple of years, the training staff has
been collaborating with Kristy L. Biolsi, PhD, Assistant
Professor of Psychology at St. Francis College in
Queens, New York, on a research project to investigate
object recognition with their two California sea lions.
After years of training, the trainers were finally able
to conduct preliminary trials to see if the sea lions
could use pictures of objects to represent the objects
themselves. The first trials showed that the sea lions
successfully transferred their knowledge of the objects
to the pictures of the objects. The trainers and Dr. Biolsi
are very excited about the results and are eager to
continue their collaboration.
Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration –
Mystic, CONNECTICUT
The Pacific Northwest team at Mystic Aquarium &
Institute for Exploration welcomes three harbor seal
pups to the collection. The trainers are working on
hand feeding and bridge training. The team is happy to
welcome trainer Christine Metzger.
Baranov, Mystic’s 16-year-old male Northern fur
seal (Callorhinus ursinus), has returned from New
England Aquarium. He is adjusting well. Jack and
Sam, also adult male Northern fur seals, have joined
the collection from New York Aquarium and are
acclimating well.
The Arctic Coast team would like to welcome senior
trainers Chris Harris and Courtney Collins.
The Penguin team would like to report that nesting
season began in early December. The team expects SSP
eggs to hatch at the end of January or early February.
The Stranding Program performed a successful
amputation of the rear left flipper for a harbor seal pup
with abnormal bone density and infection. Today, she is
back to swimming in a full pool of water and continues
to progress in her rehabilitation.
The aquarium would like to thank the interns for
their hard work last semester: Noel Vezzi, Rebecca
Petit, Kelsey Wood, Christina Lemnotis, Melissa
Wands, Kelley Fogarty, Kaleigh Pavlik, Andrea Wagner,
Caitlin Del Sesto, and Rachel Winsten.
New England Aquarium – Boston,
MASSACHUSETTS
The New England Aquarium is pleased to report that
Flaherty, the 6-month-old Northern fur seal, is doing
well full-time on exhibit. He is weaned from his mom
Ursula and is regularly participating in training sessions
for the public. He spends much of his time wrestling or
hanging out with his best friend, Leu.
This winter has been a record-breaking year for the
Rescue and Rehabilitation department, which admitted
218 live turtles throughout the 3 month season. Of
those, 100 were loggerheads (Caretta caretta) which is
a huge increase from the normal season average of ten.
The Giant Ocean Tank (GOT) renovation continues on
schedule to date; all of the breakdown and demolition
has been completed and the rebuild is beginning. The
projected opening for the GOT is July 2013.
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center –
Virginia Beach, VIRGINIA
The winter of 2013 is update time for the Harbor
Seal Exhibit at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine
Science Center. The exhibit was originally built in 1995
and opened in 1996. Since that time, there have been
some renovations including the platform added in 2003
to carry out the Harbor Seal Splash program. Now it is
time again to redo the floor, buff the acrylic, and spruce
up the area in general.

While the exhibit is being updated, the harbor seals
are wintering in Florida. The staff at Gulfarium Marine
Adventure Park is graciously hosting the 5.0 harbor seals
until they can return home. Some staff members from
Virginia Aquarium have become snowbirds, as well, to
take care of the seals. The rest of the staff anxiously
awaits their return so they can get ready for the tenth
season offering the Harbor Seal Splash Program. Thank
you to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park for taking such
wonderful care of harbor seals and working side by side
with the staff of the Virginia Aquarium.
U.S. NORTHWEST REGION
Cinthia Alia-Mitchell – Tualatin, Oregon

Oregon Coast Aquarium – Newport, OREGON
The pinniped exhibit renovations are under way
at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The 1.2 California
sea lions and 0.6 Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina
richardsi) are adjusting to their various holding pools
behind the scenes. The exhibit is due to be down for a
month-and-a-half with a highly anticipated re-opening
for spring break. There will be a significant increase
in viewing for the guests as well as interactions with
interpreters.
Aialik, the 14-year-old northern sea otter (Enhydra
lutris lutris) that underwent bladder marsupialization
surgery 2 years ago continues to do well. His voluntary
stoma manipulation and injections, and free contact
continue to go smoothly.
Schuster, the newest member of the sea otter
crew, is progressing extremely well in his husbandry
training. He has been with the facility for just under 1
year and went from a wild-naive animal to now offering
cooperative behaviors such as full body contact, open
mouth and paw presents.
The mammal department would like to bid a fond
farewell to the fall interns and welcome to Cierra Miller
and Kelly Morgan for the winter/spring term.
Oregon Zoo – Portland, OREGON
The Oregon Zoo will begin two research projects
with the polar bears this spring. The first requires 0.1
polar bear, Tasul, to wear an accelerometer collar.
Training has already begun to desensitize her to
wearing things around her neck. The second research
project is diet determination using stable isotopes. 1.1
polar bears will be on experimental diets for 15 weeks,
and will have regular blood and hair samples taken.
The 1.0 California sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis),
Eddie has recently been trained for voluntary urine
collection. Urine samples are being monitored for
healthy kidney and bladder function. The Oregon Zoo
would like to share data with other facilities that are
collecting urine from sea otters.
The Oregon Zoo’s Marine Life department will be
hosting an IMATA Regional Workshop on 11 May 2013.
Please contact jenny.degroot@oregonzoo.org for more
information.
The Marine Life department welcomes new dive
safety officer Gretchen Slack.
U.S. SOUTHEAST REGION
Sarah Graff, Miami Seaquarium – Miami, Florida

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas –
New Orleans, LOUISIANA
At Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, 1.1
California sea otters are progressing well with new
husbandry behaviors, allowing the veterinarian to get
a closer look at both animals. Emma has completed

her stethoscope behavior, allowing the vet to listen
to her heart with full contact. This behavior has led
to other behaviors such as abdomen palpation, eye
drop desensitization, and will also give the staff the
ability to conduct ultrasounds and voluntary X-rays.
Buck is doing well with his stethoscope behavior using
protective contact, allowing full view and access to his
entire ventral side for many other husbandry behaviors.
At the Audubon Zoo, Katie, a 31-year-old sea lion
was trained for a voluntary injection for sedation, rear
flipper blood draw and underwent a CT scan at the
local Children’s Hospital. All three sea lions have begun
voluntary restraint training with the squeeze cage. The
Sea Lion Team has also joined forces with the Asian
Domain Team bringing California sea lions and Asian
elephants (Elephas maximus) together for some unique
and exciting enrichment and training opportunities.
The Sea Lion staff would like to thank the Fall/Winter
Interns: Mike Dray, Meg Marshall, Jonathan Hodge,
and Halle Bertovich for their hard work and dedication
this past season.
Dolphin Connection – Duck Key, FLORIDA
Dolphin Connection was once again honored by a
visit from former President Jimmy Carter, former First
Lady Rosalyn Carter, and their family, who celebrated
the Christmas and New Year holidays at the facility.
Dolphin Connection’s website continues to expand
with the addition of a new game designed to quiz
people on the knowledge of dolphins, dolphin training,
local wildlife and all things Florida Keys. Check it out
at dolphinconnection.com/dolphin trivia and a big thank
you to the design team, Lunar Cow. Dolphin Connection
welcomes new Assistant Trainer Alexa Miller to the team.
Dolphins Plus – Key Largo, FLORIDA
Dolphins Plus and Dolphin Cove would like to
welcome the newest members of the animal care and
training team, J.P. Rivera and Marcus Reamer. Also,
welcome to Joy Middleton as veterinary assistant to Dr.
Robert Stevens. Both facilities would like to congratulate
Melissa Lopes, Kate Lawrence and Joy Middleton for
receiving their Masters of Professional Science degrees
in the Marine Biology and Fisheries/Marine Mammal
Science track from University of Miami’s Rosenstiel
School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
Both training teams continue to work towards
voluntary in-water restraint behaviors with the
pregnant females. The goal is to achieve early
voluntary restraint with newborn calves, allowing to
acquire blood samples. This milestone will improve
the facilities’ collective management of neonate health
and behavior.
Additionally, Dolphin Cove’s staff is pleased to
announce that Isaac, the 20-month-old male calf, has
successfully added two vital husbandry behaviors to
his repertoire. Isaac successfully gave a voluntary blood
sample after approximately 8 weeks of training, allowing
for insight into DNA comparison, as well as hematology
and blood chemistry values. He is also now successful
at voluntary hydrations. Currently, Isaac continues to
expand his husbandry behavior repertoire and is learning
how to beach on a scale for weekly weights.
Dolphin Research Center – Grassy Key, FLORIDA
Dolphin Research Center is proud to announce the
newest addition to the family. On 3 December 2012,
Santini delivered a healthy baby boy, named Reese
in honor of his grandmother, Theresa. Reese is the
third successful calf born at DRC through artificial
insemination, thanks to the help of Holley Muraco. His

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Volume 38, Number 2

23

Photo Credit: Dolphin Research Center
Santini with calf.

dad is 18-year-old Brisby, who calls Six Flags Discovery
Kingdom home.
DRC continues to work with the country’s military,
hosting the Wounded Warrior’s Project Odyssey,
once again, in October. A dozen men were given the
opportunity to play with the dolphins enjoying swims,
training and enrichment sessions. In January, Wounded
Warriors visited DRC with the Charles Evans Soldier
Ride. Over 40 heroes were bicycling over the Keys and
stopped to swim with the dolphins and enjoy lunch with
the staff. Flags were waving and a wonderful time was
had by all.
In September 2012, DRC hosted a Southeast
Regional Workshop where 200 guests attended various
training sessions with dolphins and sea lions. There
were enrichment sessions, and workshops on a variety
of topics, including sea lion training, dolphin assists,
and a question and answer session about the new
Marine Mammal College. DRC would like to thank all
who attended, making the workshop a huge success.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium – Clearwater, FLORIDA
Clearwater Marine Aquarium has completed another
successful introduction. A bottlenose dolphin calf
named Hope, now two years old, was introduced to
Winter, a 7-year-old resident bottlenose dolphin without
tail flukes. Despite the clear difference in their abilities
at swimming, they have acclimated well. Normal
displays of dolphin behavior have taken place between
them and they regularly interact in a healthy way with

one another along with and an estimated 40-year-old
bottlenose dolphin named, Panama.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium would also like to
welcome new staff member Sue Young, Senior Trainer,
and Hada Herring who is now Clearwater Marine
Aquarium's first ever full-time stranding coordinator.
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
– Fort Walton Beach, FLORIDA
During the off-season at Gulfarium, several facility
updates took place including work on the African
penguin (Spheniscus demersus) habitat to expand living
space for a growing population and incorporate different
ground textures. Gulfarium has also enjoyed being host
to 5.0 harbor seals from the Virginia Aquarium.
In January, the Gulfarium was thrilled to host the
inspection team for IMATA's Trainer Training program
and Alliance facility accreditation and is now eagerly
awaiting the results from the inspection. Gulfarium
Marine Adventure Park invites everyone to visit their
new website, www.gulfarium.com, featuring animal
flash cards, an interactive park map, online ticket sales
and encounter reservations. This includes two brand
new programs to begin in the spring of 2013, Discover
Otters and Sunset Camp.
The Gulfarium extends a grand welcome to Assistant
Supervisor, Cat Rust.

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute’s Marine
Mammal Research and Conservation Program
Fort Pierce, FLORIDA
Members from HBOI-MMRC attended the Hong
Kong IMATA conference. MMRC presentations
garnered recognition as co-authors on the 1st place
Editor’s Choice Award, Farglory Park, Taiwan and 2nd
place for Research Advancements. The highlight of the
trip was meeting and sharing ideas with fellow marine
mammal first responders.
On 17 December 2012 MMRC assisted Florida
Fish and Wildlife by stabilizing an injured West Indian
manatee at Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park, Florida. The
adult manatee was transported by FWC to Miami for
rehabilitation but unfortunately the animal succumbed
to its injuries the following day.
In January 2013 MMRC staff and a Florida Atlantic
University Post-doctoral fellow continue ongoing
research entitled Acoustic Behavior and Analysis of Right
Whale Social Vocalizations Used in Their Critical Florida
Habitat. The work has recorded, documented, spectrally
analyzed, and statistically categorized more than 1000
right whale calls. These calls types have been evaluated
with respect to group composition and behavioral context
and sequential affinities. The calls have been segregated
into 8 different call types. The structure and stabilities of
these call types have further evaluated machine learning
programs, characterization and regression tree analysis.
Since 18 December 2012, five new mother calf pairs have
been recorded in Florida waters.

anniversary throughout 2013. Additionally, the MDA team
welcomes Sarah Bryce as Supervisor of Animal Training.
Memphis Zoo – Memphis, TENNESSEE
For the last month the sea lion staff has been
introducing Teva, a California sea lion pup, to the main
exhibit. She now spends most of her day on exhibit
along with Chloe and Callie, two of the adults. When
Teva is off exhibit, she is offered a variety of fish,
from goldfish to pieces of herring and capelin, to help
encourage weaning.
After months apart, the 1.1 polar bears are back
together for the breeding season. Reintroductions
are going well. The staff is happy to say that the 1.3
wolves (Canis Lupus) were hand injected with their
vaccinations.
Photo Credit:
Memphis Zoo

Teva on exhibit at the Memphis Zoo.

Miami Seaquarium – Miami, FLORIDA
On 1 February 2013 Miami Seaquarium opened a
one-of-a kind Seal Swim Program to paying participants.
Trainers welcomed the guests into the water to
experience a unique deep and shallow water interaction.
The adventure begins by putting on masks and freely
swimming alongside harbor seals and California sea
lions. Trainers then personally introduce the guests to
the animals for a fun and memorable experience.
The animal care and veterinary staff is proud to have
released Wooden, a West Indian manatee. Wooden
was an orphan suffering from cold stress when he was
rescued and brought to Miami Seaquarium. He was
released in Homosassa Springs, Florida on 4 February
2013. Also in November 2012 Deputy, a green sea
turtle (Chelonia mydas), was released after a successful
rehabilitation. When she arrived at Miami Seaquarium
in June 2012 she was missing part of her shell and one
of her front flippers.
The training department would also like to
congratulate Amy Spaulding on her recent promotion to
Assistant Supervisor of Animal Training.

Photo Credit: Marineland
Dolphin Adventure

Photo Credit: Miami Seaquarium

Staff and guests of Marineland Dolphin Adventure
celebrated the 60th birthday of Nellie on 27 February
2013. Nellie is currently the oldest known dolphin at
any zoo or aquarium in the world.

Marineland Dolphin Adventure –
Marineland, FLORIDA
In celebration of the many generations of families
who have visited the park in all of its many incarnations,
Marine Studios, Marineland of Florida, and now
Marineland Dolphin Adventure special activities,
programs, and giveaways will highlight the park’s 75th

Photo Credit: Gulfarium
New penguin exhibit at the Gulfarium.

24

Volume 38, Number 2

SOUNDINGS 2013

SeaWorld – Orlando, FLORIDA
1.2 juvenile Short-finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala
macrorhynchus) rescued from a mass stranding 4
months ago by Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
and SeaWorld Orlando has been deemed non-releasable
by the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS).
Estimated at less than a year of age at the time of
their stranding, experts from NMFS suggested that the
whales were dependent calves therefore unfit to survive
on their own in the open ocean. SeaWorld’s experience
with caring for rescued animals coupled with the fact
that 0.1 rescued pilot whale is thriving, contributed
to SeaWorld Orlando being selected as a permanent
home for the three calves. While the goal is to return
every animal that is rescued and rehabilitated to its
natural habitat, SeaWorld accepts the responsibility of
providing these animals with lifelong care.
In early January 2013 the whales were transported
from a backstage quarantine area to the park’s Whale
and Dolphin Theatre. SeaWorld’s animal trainers are
continuing the foundation training the calves responded
to while quarantined, with an emphasis on husbandry
and moving between backstage pools. It is the hope
that these three young animals will contribute to the
knowledge base and affect the guests for many years
to come.
THE SEAS?, Disney’s Animals, Science and the
Environment – Orlando, FLORIDA
In a new project in collaboration with Dr. David Mann
and PhD student Danielle Greenhow from the University
of South Florida, members of The Seas Marine Mammal
and Research Teams are examining how dolphins
use their beam-steering capabilities during a freeswimming task. One Atlantic bottlenose dolphin at The
Seas, Calvin, is performing a matching-to-sample task
using echolocation in which the sample object that
he inspects is placed in front of a grid containing 25
hydrophones and two video cameras. As Calvin inspects
the object, the hydrophones will record every click so
it can be determined exactly where the echolocation
beam is pointing. Dolphins rely on their sense of
echolocation, or bio-sonar, to navigate and explore their
world. Echolocation clicks are made inside the dolphin’s
blowhole by clapping two structures together. The fatty
tissue inside the melon focuses the clapping sound into
a narrow beam, much like shining light through the lens
of a flashlight. Until recently, it was widely believed that
the direction the echolocation beam pointed was fixed
so the dolphin could only steer the beam by moving its
head. However, it was recently discovered that it is
possible for a dolphin to affect the direction of the beam
even when holding its head still.
By comparing the direction of the beam to the
direction that Calvin’s head is pointing, we will be
able to determine how Calvin uses his beam steering
capabilities in a real-world task. This may help us
better understand how dolphins use this active sense to
investigate things they encounter in their environment.
U.S. SOUTHWEST REGION
Brittany Harris, SeaWorld – San Diego, California

Guests strike a pose with Sandy during their Seal
Swim at Miami Seaquarium.

care, behavior, research training, acoustics, enrichment,
and training. Seven speakers from different universities
and organizations participated as well as trainers and
students from around the country.
SeaWorld San Diego’s family of killer whales
(Orcinus orca) has a new member. Shouka, a 19-year-old
female from Six Flags Vallejo, came to SeaWorld this
past August. Shouka has acclimated and adjusted really
well to the other eight whales and has quickly won the
hearts of many trainers.

Photo Credit: Mike Aguilera
Shouka, the newest addition to the family of killer
whales (Orcinus orca) at SeaWorld San Diego.

Monterey Bay Aquarium – Monterey, CALIFORNIA
The Sea Otter Staff at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
is sad to announce the loss of the sea otter Mae on 17
November 2012. As vital member of the sea otter family,
surrogate mother for five SORAC pups, and a companion
with many sea otters throughout the years, she will be
missed. Although she was reluctant at times to raise
pups; she was a rock star at training on exhibit, having a
large and complex behavioral repertoire.
While the exhibit is still being remodeled, Abby and
Rosa have been living behind-the-scenes. When Rosa is
not in training and learning new behaviors, she can be
found serving as a companion animal for otters slated
for release. Abby, who had never been a surrogate
mother, was recently placed with her first surrogate pup
and is doing very well.
The Mirage – Las Vegas, NEVADA
The Mirage Dolphin Habitat and the training team
are busy gearing up on preparations for hosting the
IMATA Annual Conference in September. The staff is
very excited to be hosting this event and cannot wait to
see everyone in Las Vegas!
The Mirage Dolphin Habitat is also pleased to
announce the creation of a new interactive program,
Painting with the Dolphins, where guests have the
chance to interact and collaborate with one of five of
the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins to create a unique work
of art. The training staff wished to create a new type
of interactive program that differed from the current
interactions offered, such as the Trainer for a Day
program or the V.I.P. behind-the-scenes educational
tours. Painting with the Dolphins is a creative avenue
to mentally challenge and engage the animals, while
allowing the guests to get up close to learn about the
dolphins and threats to their species in the wild.

REGIONAL REPORTS is compiled by Martha Hill

SeaWorld San Diego – San Diego, CALIFORNIA
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute and Dolphin
Quest sponsored an exciting conference from Animal
Concepts on marine mammal welfare, cognition
and behavior. During the 3 days, topics ranged from
anatomy, physiology, sound, communication, veterinary

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25

Two Americans have pleaded not guilty to charges that
they participated in a decade-long international smuggling
operation that, according to federal officials, brought
narwhal tusks into the United States. www.nytimes.
com/2013/01/12/us/2-linked-to-smuggling-narwhaltusks-plead-not-guilty.html?_r=1&
www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2215044/
British-zoos-failing-animal-welfare-says-new-BornFree-report.html#ixzz2ILdzJnsH
www.bornfree.org.uk/index.php?id=34&tx_
ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1126&cHash=180ab48a
31780090d9ff6b411aa2e77d

The Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks
and Aquariums is an international
association of marine life parks,
aquariums, zoos, research facilities,
and
professional
organizations
dedicated to the highest standards
of care for marine mammals and
to their conservation in the wild
through public education, scientific
study, and wildlife presentations. The
Alliance closely monitors legislative
and regulatory activity around the
globe that may impact member
organizations like IMATA. The
following briefs have been reprinted
with permission of, or furnished by the
Alliance for Soundings.

Bolivia has enacted a law to protect endangered
Amazon river dolphins. It bans fishing for the
freshwater dolphins and encourages programs to
protect them and their habitats, which have been
damaged by erosion, pollution, and woodcutting
in the river basins. www.huffingtonpost.com/huffwires/20120918/lt-bolivia-dolphins/
The Born Free Foundation and the University of
Bristol reviewed reports completed by governmentappointed zoo inspectors following inspections of
192 licensed zoos in Britain and allege that only a
quarter of the zoos met criteria regarding welfare,
conservation, and education. Since 1981, zoos in
the UK have been licensed under the Zoo Licensing
Act, which requires them to meet certain standards
of care. The British & Irish Association of Zoos
& Aquariums said it was difficult to use the zoo
licensing reports, on which the study was based, as
an assessment of welfare in zoos as they contain
limited information about a “complex subject.”

DNA evidence suggests that the mixing of the
Northern Cuban dolphins is much more variable
and widespread than in other areas, and aligns with
Cuban government officials’ study observations that
population numbers drop in certain months around
the island when many of the animals are believed to
mix with dolphins to the North in Bahamian waters.
Cuban officials made a presentation at recent IMATA
regional meeting in Cuba on population studies
that are the basis for their collection of a limited
number of dolphins annually. Cuba’s National
Aquarium Web site lists both the completed
population research undertaken from 2002 to
2010 as well a study that began last year and will
be completed in 2015—“Population and clinical
parameters of dolphins Tursiops truncatus in the
coast north of the Archipelago Sabana-Camagüey.”
www.acuarionacional.cu/ciencia-tecnologia/
projects.html
The German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture,
and Consumer Protection’s revision of Germany’s
guidelines for the public display of mammals is
nearing an end. Representatives from Dolfinarium
Harderwijk in Holland and the Nürnberg Zoo
participated on the marine mammal working group
and emphasized that any revised standards should
be based on objective indicators of animal health
and welfare that can be applied in a uniform and
transparent manner.
The International Air Transport Association’s Live
Animals and Perishables Board accepted changes
to its Live Animal Regulations (LAR) recommened by
the Alliance. The Allaince’s proposal for revisions
to the LAR container requirements for marine
mammals were submitted at IATA’s request.

At the 64th annual meeting of the International
Whaling Commission (IWC) in Panama from 11
June to 6 July, the IWC’s Scientific Committee
warned about the grave state of Mexico’s vaquita
porpoise and the Maui’s dolphin in New Zealand,
recommending that the two countries ban all fishing
gillnets from the critically endangered animals’
habitats to prevent entanglement deaths.
www.boston.com/business/news/2012/07/06/
whaling-meeting-ends-with-mixed-results/
HGpuUnA7ibofJ6zt9OlNOK/story.html
The Animal Welfare Board of India has advised
all state governments against granting permission
for dolphin marine parks, alleging that the animals
are collected through cruel methods like “drive
captures,” separated from their families, and
“subjected to a life of captivity and cruelty.”
Reportedly, there have been no dolphins on public
display in India since the 1990s. However, proposals
to build facilities in a number of Indian states have
been discussed recently. http://india.blogs.nytimes.
com/2013/01/11/india-moves-to-block-dolphinshows-citing-cruelty/
Taiwan has added new rules to its Wildlife
Conservation Act to prohibit the import,
export, and sale of marine mammals and their
products without special permits from the
governing agency. www.chinapost.com.tw/life/
environment/2013/01/09/366764/New-rules.htm
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
recently issued final rules that will require U.S.
zoos and aquariums to add information to their
current contingency plans and increase reporting
on itineraries for animals taken off-site overnight
for exhibition purposes. Links to fact sheets on
the rules follow. www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_
welfare/content/printable_version/contingency_
rule_faq.pdf ? www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_
welfare/content/printable_version/traveling_
animal_faq.pdf

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service held a meeting 13
December to discuss U.S. negotiating positions on various
proposed resolutions, decisions, and amendments that
will be on the agenda of the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, 3–14 March 2013.
Last month, the agency published a Federal Register notice
seeking comments on its proposals, which focus on sharks
and many turtle species. The agency is also proposing
to uplist polar bears from Appendix II to Appendix I. To
obtain information on other FWS proposals, go to the
agency’s Web site dedicated to the meeting. www.fws.
gov/international/cites/cop16/ ? www.federalregister.
gov/articles/2012/11/28/2012-28897/conference-ofthe-parties-to-the-convention-on-international-tradein-endangered-species-of-wild
?
www.fws.gov/
international/cites/cop16/cop16-polar-bear-proposalfactsheet.pdf
After publishing a proposed rule on 2 June 2011 that
would revise critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal
under the Endangered Species Act, NMFS is extending the
deadline for the final revision to the rule for an additional
six months to further analyze data and consider concerns.
Comments on the proposal indicate disagreement on the
“sufficiency and accuracy of the data and analyses.” www.
federalregister.gov/articles/2012/06/25/2012-15441/
endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plantsproposed-rulemaking-to-revise-critical-habitat-for#p-3
Animals in Rhode Island can now have a human advocate
in court when their welfare is at stake. The governor signed
a law that allows a state veterinarian to act as an advocate
for animals in abuse and neglect cases. The advocate
would be responsible for making recommendations about
what’s best for the animal. Representatives of the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals may also serve as
advocates. www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/
articles/2012/06/15/ri_law_now_allows_for_animal_
advocates_in_court/

Off the Shelf
100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth’s Most Endangered Species
by Jeff Corwin, reviewed by Erin Weber
In the book 100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth’s Most
Endangered Species, renowned naturalist and conservationist,
Jeff Corwin, examines some of the numerous issues facing
threatened and endangered species in the world today. He does
well integrating personal anecdotes about each of the species
he discusses with population statistics and conservation facts.
Presented in a manner that is both informative and engaging,
the reader is given an in-depth look into a variety of factors
contributing to the population status of several different
species. While reading this book, one literally joins Corwin on a world-wide tour to
visit critically endangered animals across our planet.
The book starts by introducing the “Hundred Heartbeat Club”, which is a group
dedicated to any species that “literally has fewer than 100 hearts beating on our
planet.” This is just the beginning of an array of extreme eye-opening facts that this
book presents. Ranging from mountain gorillas and panthers to crested toads and
honey-sucker birds, the reader learns about a wide variety of animals – some that
many are well aware are struggling to survive, and some that one might have never
even heard about, perhaps in part due to their dangerously small populations.
This book is a great read for someone interested in taking an in-depth look at the
problems with which many animals are being forced to deal, while still being able
to enjoy an assortment of remarkable interactions with extremely unique animals.
We get to look at a variety of issues risking the lives of these very animals. Some of
these issues are caused by humans, while some are merely acts of nature; regardless,
Corwin gives ample background on many major topics (loss of habitat, hunting, global
warming, lack of genetic diversity, invasive species, etc.), as well as possible solutions
for the future. We are able to read success stories, like the work done with locals in
Madagascar to raise awareness of the status of Bamboo lemurs and help promote
their well-being. These animals were previously threatened by habitat destruction due
to the logging industry, and with a little effort and dedication, conservationists were
able to educate people, which led to laws increasing protected areas for the lemurs
to reside. Corwin also describes current conservation projects set in place, such as
aversion conditioning to keep condors away from power lines when released, or
using a “double-clutching” strategy for increasing birth rate and success in Mauritius
kestrels, which all leave the reader with a vision of hope for many of these threatened
species. The diversity of animals covered in this book allows readers to learn enough
information about these critical species, as well as build a heart-warming connection
to each and every story. I, for one, definitely recommend this book.
OFF THE SHELF is compiled by John Widick.

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Q U E S T I O N : We’ve recently run into a problem

with gating our animals. They are gating inconsistently,
by refusing or preventing other animals from gating, but
are still reinforced if they choose to participate in a show
or session. Is there a way to work through this issue so
that both scenarios are rewarded appropriately?

ANSWER 1
When training animals to gate, like many
behaviors, it is very important to establish a good foundation. We view a
good foundation as (1) making sure all animals involved are comfortable
and attentive to their trainer while any animal is asked to go into another
area and (2) all animals are comfortable when a gate is being closed while
the group is together. Then we can build on that in order to close gates
that may separate groups of animals. I think most trainers would agree
that if you are experiencing behavioral breakdown of a certain behavior,
go ahead and take a step backwards and re-work some basic aspects of
that behavior.
Because you are having inconsistent gating that is being reinforced
by participation in shows one of the first questions you might want to
ask yourself is it absolutely necessary to gate animals during or before
a show? Ideally you want to have sessions where you can take the
necessary time to make some smaller approximations, just working on
animals staying at station while slowly desensitizing the animals to the
gate moving slightly at first, then more and more until you can open or
close a gate while the animals remain at station. You might also want to
practice having animals going in and out of other areas without closing
or opening gates to provide variability. It is helpful to avoid closing a gate
every time an animal enters another area. When you do gate, you need to
vary when and how long the animals are gated for. Remember having an
animal gate or shift reliably is one of the most important behaviors you
utilize to manage your animals, and this behavior needs to be reinforced
very well.
If you need to gate animals prior to a particular session or show, it is
important to look at how each trainer is handling the incorrect response.
All trainers need to be consistent. Although we all understand that
sometimes “the show must go on,” it is important to develop a plan that
minimizes the reinforcement of gate refusal. If an animal refuses to gate,
ask a second time and if the animal refuses again, do not keep asking the
same behavior. The animal is then practicing gating refusal; your session
is no longer positive and the animal is practicing poor behavior. It may be
a good idea to ask a few (2 to 3) simple behaviors, that you can bridge but
do not reinforce, to put some time in between when the animal refused to
gate and when they started receiving primary reinforcement again. Then
try and make a small approximation, maybe stationing next to the gate or

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even just moving toward the gate. The most important point is to get a game
plan in place for how you’re going to move forward in a positive manner
by lessening criteria or changing other factors (when they are asked in the
session, changing animal groups etc.). It is also important to consider are
social factors. For instance, are some animals reluctant to leave a group
or reluctant to join certain groups? By looking at your group composition,
and how each animal fits in with the rest of the group you may find some
animals are more likely to gate with certain animals and you may increase
your chance of success just by adjusting the group composition. Of course
as trainers we strive to remain flexible, when one approach is not working,
try another approach. I know it sounds corny but teamwork is vital to the
success of your organization, make sure everyone understands the agreed
upon plan of action and what their role is in accomplishing your goals.
Rita Stacey Vondra
Curator of Marine Mammals - Seven Seas
Chicago Zoological Society - Brookfield Zoo
After discussing this question with our training
ANSWER 2
team at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, we have come to some potential
solutions. Reading your question it sounds like starting gating much
earlier would help. We’ve all been in a situation where we realize that
an animal will find his or herself in a reinforcing situation despite the
fact that they were poor behaviorally. That’s the time when we usually
start kicking ourselves because we should have set the animals up better
in the first place. If you begin your gating 15, even 30 minutes ahead of
time, you’ll find that you have the opportunity to walk away if one or more
of your animals fail. This way you avoid reinforcing undesired behavior
while gating i.e. refusal to gate, displacement, rushing of the gate, and
it gives you time to think about what you could do to solve the problem.
If you do find yourself forced to perform a show despite a failed gating
session, then do your best to minimize reinforcement for that animal
in the session to follow. Save their reinforcement for gating later. You
might even find that you have the chance to practice gating during show
while the other animals are still performing. Either way you would want
to dedicate as much of that days reinforcement as possible to correcting
the problems that arose during gating. It would be nice if gating were like

other behaviors that can simply be put off to work another day, but it is
often so critical to our operation in aquariums that this is not possible.
Finally, the most important solution is the proactive one. Increase
the number of gating sessions your team does dramatically. Do ten times
the gating you were doing before if possible. The reasons are manifold.
Most of the time when animals refuse to gate, or attempt to control the
outcome of a gating session, it is because the outcome has become
predictable and some outcomes are more reinforcing than others. Bear in
mind that gating will always become predictable, with the same animals
winding up in the same places at the same times of day, if we only gate
them at when we have to, because we usually follow a set schedule of
shows or guest-interactions.
Please consider your balance of reinforcement. If you are a show
facility, show pool is most likely where the animals receive the majority of
their reinforcement. Ensure that your animals find other pools reinforcing,
as well! Do more sessions in other pools, give play time in the back pools.
Make leaving the show area just as reinforcing as staying and doing a
show!
One of the ways we practice variable gating at Clearwater Marine
Aquarium is to hold all 3 of our female bottlenose dolphins in one pool,
and then send each of them one at a time to a station in the next pool.
We close the gate every time, but then we quickly reopen it and send
the dolphin back. We might send them in pairs as well. Then at the end
we might leave all the gates open and let them have free reign, but
whatever we do we try to make it different every time as this not only
sets them up for success, it makes it more interesting. If you adopt these
two techniques: starting earlier and increasing the sessions in which
you practice variable gating scenarios, you may find that it solves your
problem before shows, and if it does, you may find yourself easing off
the practice after a little time has gone by. You need to keep it up, quite
literally, forever! Never forget that maintaining behavior is harder than
training it! Hope we were of help!
Clearwater Marine Mammal Training Team
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Clearwater, Florida

ANSWER 3

Animal trainers face a multitude of challenges
when training and maintaining behavior. At times the focus may shift to the
higher priority goals and behavior; however emphasis and reinforcement
must be placed on the fundamentals of animal training.
Remember gating is a behavior so the behavior needs to be reinforced
appropriately. Set up your animals for success by starting with easy (less
difficult) gates to build the reinforcement history and trust. Provide clear
criteria of the gating behavior. Do not draw too much attention on the gate
or the movement of the gate. If you’re reacting, the animals will react.
Behavior should be calm and maintain position in pool regardless of the
activity of the gate.

When training the gating behavior it is important that the bridge and
reinforcement come as a result of the completion of the gate movement.
Don’t associate the movement or sounds of the gate with reinforcement.
There are a many reasons gating can become inconsistent. There
may be a lack of primary reinforcement or a variety of reinforcement.
The social dynamics can also have an effect on gating, so trainers must
pay close attention to reinforcing and maintaining healthy relationships
among all animals. The animals that are having issues with one another
should be reinforced while sitting calmly together in different scenarios
(shows, sessions, and gating). The more dominant animal should receive
its reinforcement as a consequence of a correct response; allowing the
subdominant animal to receive reinforcement.
If your facility engages in shows or interactions one technique that
may assist in increasing cooperation during gating is asking the behavior
at least 15-30 minutes prior. If this is not feasible for your facility you may
want to wait until show/interaction time and if you see failure, continue
with the original plan with the animals that are cooperating and end the
interaction with the animals that are choosing not to cooperate.
Having a clear gating plan and being proactive about making these
types of sessions a priority seem to always benefit us. If we see the same
animal having the same gating problems, we may limit who interacts with
the animal for these sessions to maintain consistency.
As you start to see improvement in the behavior, you can start to
challenge the animals by asking for more complex gates and separations
during times that you know the animals are more likely to succeed. Having
a clear plan, consistency and balance in your reinforcement will help
maintain your success in gating.
Some questions to ask yourself: How is your balance of reinforcement?
Are you seeing a problem only during non-show or non-session time? Have
you devoted time and reinforcement to gating sessions? Do you have a
clear plan? Has your plan been communicated? Have the scenarios in
which you’ve seen issues been clearly communicated to the entire staff?
Are you using VRRV (Variable ratio reinforcement variety) to maintain
the gating behavior? Do you provide opportunities to gate as a session
instead of a means to another type of session? Are you modifying your
plan if an animal is successful during a difficult gating scenario (Instead
of performing in a show/interaction, on a variable ratio they are able
to return to a more desirable location and/or social structure? Are you
drawing more attention to the correct or incorrect behavior? Have you
looked into what is maintaining the incorrect behavior?
As trainers, we face many challenges, however by clearly
communicating and providing a variable ratio of reinforcement variety,
your animals will perform the basics of training in any situation.
SeaWorld San Diego Shamu Trainers
SeaWorld San Diego


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The condition for successful gating is that you
ANSWER 4
have the full attention from the animal/animals and that they will be
following you wherever you go. The separation of the animal group
should be a natural routine just like any other training so make sure
you act that way yourself.
The animals should want to be with you because you are fun and
interesting. They know that they will get your full attention and be
well reinforced.
The most important thing is the full attention from and eye contact
with the animal at all times. Therefore, if you have to move around the
enclosures, it’s possible, just take no shortcuts and never run.
Question: What should you focus on?
Answer: Attention from the animal and eye contact.
That means that you should not think about:
? That the gate will close/open
? That the gate will close
? That another animal is swimming away from its trainer
? What the other trainer is doing
? That other people are moving around the enclosure
Don’t let go of eye contact if you need to talk to another trainer. If
one of the animals swims away, give your attention to the ones that
are doing it right. Don’t take any notice of the animal that swam away
and just stick to the plan, even if you planned to close the gate. Do
not wait for the animal that swam away but when it comes back, you
will give it attention. Do not reinforce the animal for coming back,
reinforce that it is staying with you.
Exception: Never close the gate if one individual is left alone
in enclosures.
? If one animal shows aggression towards another one, you have
failed. (because it is more interested in another animal). Think
over the situation and do it better next time. You have to be 100
percent focused towards the animals to be able to get their
attention back. See the animals as our mirror.
? If you are not sure about the reason why an animal swims away
from you- reinforce no one.
? If you are not sure what animal caused another one to swim
away- reinforce no one.
? If animal 1 shows aggression towards animal 2- reinforce all
animals except animal 1. Animal 1 gets reinforced when it
allows animal 2 to come back. (After reinforcing animal 2)
Gating session:
1. Plan the gating session well. What animals are to be parted?
What trainer takes what animals? Who closes the gate? Is the
gate to be closed? How long is the gate to be closed for? Where
do we start? How do we finish the session and where? Read
the journal about the last gating session. Follow the steps.
2. Go to the starting point. One trainer is gathering the animals.
3. Go and “get” your animals from the trainer who is staying.

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4. Walk a few meters apart. Check with each other that everything
feels ok by saying “ok.”
5. If you need to get more attention from your animals, train one
or two behaviors.
6. Start moving and wherever you go, make sure you keep close
contact with the animals at all time. The animals should not
swim a small lap and then come back. A good thing is to make
short stops and reinforce. Just vary where and when from time
to time.
7. When you reached your destination and you are ready to close
the gate, say “ok” to the person who closes the gate.
8. Remain focused on your animals and reinforce them for a while
after the gate is closed. You should never finish the session
directly after the gate has been closed.
9. If an animal swims away and won’t come back to its trainer,
close the gate anyway - reinforce the animals that are staying
- open the gate again - reinforce your animals and then finish
the session.
10. Gating is a training session like any other. If you have failed
in a gating session with one animal, it does not mean that
that animal cannot participate in the next training session.
Sometimes we start a new training session after ten minutes.
Time to open the gate:
1. Plan where and how you will finish the session.
2. Gather the animals at the same time and just like before, with
a lot of focus.
3. When you have total focus from the animals, say “ok” to the
person at the gate.
4. Reinforce the animals a lot because they have focus on you
during the time the gate opens and for a while after.
5. Start moving as you did before, stop and reinforce if you need.
6. When you are all in the same enclosure again, train a few
behaviors together to prevent aggression once the session
ends.
7. When the session ends, stay awhile and study the animals.
8. Do not train the animals at the same time you do the separation.
The animals, focus should be on you, but you also want them to
beware of what is going on.
If a problem emerges:
Have a discussion about it and decide a strategy and try it a few
times. If the problem remains, have a new discussion and decide a
new strategy. Don’t change strategy too often. We have to give the
animals some time to understand and accept, and that might take
some time. To document and discuss gating is very important because
there are no “already made” solutions. You should see gating as a
“living” challenge and it might change from day to day. There will
always be special circumstances like when females are in heat,
changes in the social structure of the group and special gating plans
regarding mother with calf. Sometimes we might have to add trainers
participating in a gating session.
Jenny Eastham
Dolphinarium, Sweden
Nordenberg, Kolmarden

&

Notices Announcements
ASZK CONFERENCE
The Australasian Society of Zoo Keeping Inc. will be holding its 2013
conference in Auckland, Australia. Visit www.aszk.org.au as updates
become available.

WAZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums annual conference will
be hosted by Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, on 13-17
October 2013. Continue to visit www.waza.org for more information.

BIAZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums will be
holding its annual conference 13-16 June 2013, at the National Marine
Aquarium in Plymouth, United Kingdom. Updates can be found at
www.biaza.org.uk.

ICEE CONFERENCE
The 11th International Conference on Environmental Enrichment
dates and venue have changed. The conference will now be
hosted by the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa
from 15-18 October 2013 at the Kwalata Game Ranch.
Visit www.enrichment.org for more changes and updates.

ZACC CONFERENCE
Zoos and Aquariums: Committing to Conservation will hold a
conference in Des Moines, Iowa 8-12 July 2013. The conference will
be hosted by the Blank Park Zoo. Visit www.zaccconference.com for
more information.
ABS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The 50th annual conference for the Animal Behavior Society will be
held in Boulder, Colorado, during the dates of 28 July to 1 August 2013.
Continue to visit http://animalbehaviorsociety.org for information.
AZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The American Zoological Association annual conference is being
held 7-12 September 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be
hosted by the Kansas City Zoo. Please visit ww.aza.org for updates.
FIELD COURSE WITH THE DOLPHIN COMMUNICATION
PROJECT
A special course is being made available for marine mammal trainers
who are interested in field work with the Dolphin Communication
Project in the Bahamas. This week long course is scheduled for 1522 September 2013. Please contact Kathleen Dudzinksi at Kathleen@
dcpmail.org or Kelly Melillo Sweeting at Kelly@dcpmail.org, or visit
www.dolphincommunicationproject.org for more information.
AZAD REGIOINAL CONFERENCE
The Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents is holding a
regional conference at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle,
Washington. The tentative dates of 19-22 September 2013 have
been announced but are subject to change. Continue to check
http://azadocents.org for updates.
AAZK NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The American Association of Zoo Keepers conference will take place
in Greensboro, North Carolina, 22-26 September 2013. Continue to visit
http://aazk.org for information.
EAZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria will hold the 2013
conference in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, on 24-28 September 2013.
Updates can be found at www.eaza.net.
CAZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums will hold its
annual conference during the dates of 25-28 September 2013.
This event will take place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and
be hosted by the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo. Visit
www.caza.ca for updates.

ZAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Zoological Association of America will hold its 9th annual
conference 10-14 November 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona. This event will
be hosted by the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium and Bearizona.
Continue to visit www.zaa.org.
SMM BIENNIAL CONFERENCE
The Society for Marine Mammalogy will be holding the 2013 biennial
conference in Dunedin, New Zealand 9-13 December 2013. The
conference is being hosted by the University of Otago. Please visit
www.marinemammalscience.org for more information.
PHOTOS NEEDED
All IMATA members are invited to submit photographs and/or slides for
use in Soundings magazine. Good quality digital images are encouraged,
300 dpi is preferred, width of 12.7cm (5 inches), minimum 6.35 cm (2.5
inches) wide, no stipulation on height. Please identify the photographer
for credit and mail your photos to “IMATA Photo Archivist” as well as
“Soundings Chief Editor” at the IMATA Central Office, info@imata.org.
IMATA LIBRARY
Are you looking for an article from a past conference or an old issue
of Soundings? IMATA’s library is available online to Associate, Active,
and Professional members! Go to imata.org and click Publications. Our
searchable index is also found there.
CHANGING ADDRESSES, JOB TITLES,
OR EMAIL?
Keep your information current on IMATA’s website. You have the
ability to update your information. It’s as easy as 1, 2, and 3.
1. og onto the member’s section of the IMATA website with your
L
username and password.
2. lick on edit profile and update your
C
current information.
3. fter updating your information, click on submit at the bottom of
A
the page and recheck the information you just entered.
That’s all you have to do. Your changes are immediately entered into
the website. If you have any problems, click on feedback, and write
your questions in the comment section.
WEBSITE
Visit us online at www.imata.org.
NOTICES & ANNOUNCEMENTS is compiled
by Haley Merritt.

AAZV ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The American Association of Zoo Veterinarians annual conference
will take place 28 September – 4 October 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Updates can be found at www.aazv.org.
AZFA 2013 CONFERENCE
The Aquarium and Zoo Facilities Association conference will take
place 6-9 October 2013. This event will be hosted by the El Paso Zoo in
El Paso, Texas. Visit www.azfa.org for updates.

TRAINER'S FORUM is complied by Sarah Sayre

SOUNDINGS 2013

Volume 38, Number 2

31

Soundings FAQ
Q: When will Soundings be completely digital-only?
A: Starting with the first quarterly issue of 2014, Soundings will be announced
via email and delivered to all IMATA members exclusively through our website at
www.imata.org.
Q: What has been the membership’s response to the upcoming enhancements?
A: Our members have told us that they search out online publications, news portals,
and web sites because they bring forth current information faster than most print
publications. In fact, in 2012, more than half of Soundings readers opted out of
receiving the hard-copy edition and transitioned to the electronic product.
Q: How often will Soundings be produced?

Q: Will the enhanced Soundings be available for translation?
A: Upgrades will further ease translating Soundings content into languages
other than English. Digital magazine technology has developed significantly over
the past several years and will continue to bring increased value to IMATA’s global
membership,
Q: Why didn’t IMATA just keep the old magazine?
A: The simple fact is that over the past four years, the costs associated with
the manufacture and mailing of Soundings have risen dramatically. Continuing
to produce a printed magazine would have certainly led to an increase in annual
membership dues. By having Soundings delivered electronically, IMATA has been
able to keep the cost of annual membership dues low, while enhancing the value
and benefits that members have come to expect.
Q: How long will I continue receiving the hard-copy magazine?

A: Soundings will continue to be produced quarterly. As a digital product, Soundings
will be able to deliver information sooner than it did as a print publication; long lead
times will be a thing of the past. Printed versions require a long lead time as well as
a long delivery time, up to eight weeks for members living outside the USA.

A: Those with memberships that were activated before 3 February 2013 may receive
hard-copy delivery of Soundings until their individual expiration dates approach and
their membership is renewed.

Q: What will be biggest difference between the old and new Soundings formats?

Q: If I am entitled to a hard-copy magazine, can I opt-out of the mailing and chose
to “go green?”

A: The enhanced Soundings will surpass the print version in presentation,
editorial quality, and photography. For the first time, IMATA will be able to harness
the power of streaming videos that will be embedded with columns, articles, and
Regional Reports.

A: Yes. Members can login to www.imata.org and edit their member profile to
support the paperless Soundings option.
Q: What if my membership was activated after 3 February 2013?
A: Those IMATA members who joined the organization or renewed their membership
on or after 4 February 2013 have already transitioned to the new electronic-only
format and will receive the premier issue of the enhanced digital Soundings with
2013's second quarter edition.

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