Rocky & Adelaide the Sea Lions: Painters extraordinaire

During my time at Dolphin Marine Magic, I got to spend time with several animals. Two animals in particular were Rocky and Adelaide who are Australian Sea Lions. Both animals were taught how to paint in response to signals given by trainers. I got to personally oversee the training techniques utilized with a female sea lion named Adelaide. Her learning capabilities allowed her to easily recognize the signals required to paint which was absolutely amazing. First we would set up a child size paint stand and canvas. After set up we place the brush in the sea lion's mouth; at this point the animal is not allowed to chew on the brush but must hold it in its mouth. Next we signal the seal to the canvas where it is directed on where to move the brush. Over time, the sea lions learn how to paint properly and no longer require these direct signals. To reinforce this behavior, they are given fish or pats at the completion of each task when done correctly. This was definitely one of my most memorable experiences while working there. Adelaide covered me in the paint, but who can get mad at an animal that cute?

Baby Sea Turtles

One day on the job we were learning how to clean the turtle tanks. Upon walking into the turtle's tank I saw what appeared to be baby turtles lining the perimeter of the tank. I asked the instructor if they had any baby turtles, but she said they did not. When we got to where they were sitting the instructor saw that they were babies but she assumed they were dead. Knowing better I quickly got a bucket with water and place the babies inside. I got the LSS (Life Saving Support Team) to take care of the turtles and nurture them back to good health. We used nail polish to help strengthen the turtles shells so they would survive better. Thanks to our quick action they recovered and were not eaten by the older turtles. They are currently at the front of the center for all the visitors to see. In total all eight turtles survived and were named after famous sea turtles from movies.

Turtle Autopsy

One of my many interesting experiences while in Australia was taking part in a green sea turtle autopsy. The lead veterinary technician drew a photo for me leaving instructions and tools for dissecting the turtle. I had previous experience dissecting other animals so I was slightly better prepared than other interns for the job. This particular turtle was one that had been tagged and released by Dolphin Marine Magic so we were curious as to its cause of death. Upon cutting into the turtle I could see that there were white patches on the turtle’s organs which were larvae from worms that were living in the turtle’s intestine. I inspected the lungs under the suspicion that the turtle had drowned. We found that it had air in its lungs showing that our assumption that it had drowned was correct. After confirming the cause of death we took blood and tissue samples from all the major organs to see the levels of blood cell types and trace elements found in the blood. This was a great hands on experience and built useful skills for my future endeavors.

This photo displays a green sea turtle during a postmortem procedure

Hokey Pokey

One of the exercises we learned at the Dolphin Marine Magic center was the process they use in training the animals. However since I am not a payed employee I had to train a fellow intern the hokey pokey. We used the Premack principle which states that "high-probability behavior reinforces low-probability behavior", so if you teach the animal the hardest part of a trick and then move onto the easier parts it will have higher success. I determined the spin at the end of the Hokey Pokey would be the most difficult part of the dance so I taught that to the intern first relating the movements to certain signals. Next I taught her the motion of moving her hand in and out, which according to the Premack principle is easier and as suggested led to greater success in teaching this trick. After reinforcing the intern we perfected the trick and performed it for the animal handlers who were impressed with our performance. This exercise taught me more key skills in the field of animal care & entertainment. Overall it was a wonderful experience that I won't likely forget.

Goals to Accomplish During My Internship

My Goals- Personal and Professional:

My main goal is to learn the processes that contribute to a successful marine park. I hope to gain insight into running a facility, along with caring for the animals and maintaining enclosures. I am also interested in learning the different behaviors that marine mammals exhibit and the way in which they adapt to living in the facility. I am excited to observe the training of dolphins by means of reinforcement, bridges, discriminative stimulus, and least reinforcing stimulus. Dolphin training is one of the many skills I hope to acquire from working with the marine trainers.

While I love learning and acquiring new skills in my field, I find it much more fulfilling to share the knowledge with others. I would like raise awareness on environmental issues in my community and instruct others on how to improve the conditions of our oceans and the surrounding areas. Through my internship, I hope to share my passion for marine life with visitors and inspire them to become not only more aware of marine life but more active in the preservation of our oceans and its inhabitants.

Another goal of mine is to network. Through networking, I will meet others who share my enthusiasm for marine life. I hope to meet as many people in the field as possible—people that I can both learn from and teach. Since these new people will be potential business partners, I look forward to the opportunity to share ideas.

Lastly, I would like to experience personally the cultural differences between Americans and Australians. As an American, I automatically picture the stereotypical “Aussie.” Do they really eat shrimp on the “Barbie”? Do they all act like crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin? Probably not. After doing a little research, I discovered that Australians work to live, while Americans live to work. Their cuisine is also quite different from that of Americans. They enjoy a paste made from yeast extract called vegemite, and I am excited to try it on my toast. Aussie lingo and conversational mannerisms are also very different from American culture. Certain words in the American language that are hurtful or rude are considered playful slang terms in Australian culture. These are just a few differences in the culture, and I am sure I will experience many more. Adjusting to these cultural differences may prove challenging, but I look forward to immersing myself in a new culture. My internship abroad is not only a learning experience advantageous to my career path, but a worthwhile opportunity contributing to my inner growth.

Dress Code

What will I be wearing?

The dress code at Dolphin Marine Magic entails wearing comfortable sneakers or water shoes. I went out and bought new sneakers and yes I bought crocs. My supervisor suggested crocs and I was skeptical at first because they aren't exactly the most appealing shoe. They are pretty comfortable though and have a roomy fit. I also bought button accessories that pop into the holes of the shoe. The buttons include an anchor, octopus, clam, angler-fish  dolphin, and puffer fish. Yes, you can call me a dork, but the little sea creatures make me smile when I look down.

Croc Ocean Charms

Dolphin Marine Magic provides uniform consisting of a hat, shirt, and jumper. I provide my own shorts and pants and they have to be blue or black. I went and bought old navy shorts in the 5" and 7" length. Though it's winter here in Jersey, in Australia it's summer time and the temps are in the 80's. 

I also need to bring bathing-suits for when I interact with the dolphins. This part of the job is truly exciting because It's not everyday you get the chance to work with Dolphins.  

This is going to be a dirty job since it's more than likely that my clothes will become wet and soiled, so packing enough shorts and bathing suits is essential!

Duties as an Intern

My Job Description

My usual work day at Dolphin Marine Magic will be from 7:30 to 4:00. During my internship, my duties will include assisting with food preparation and animal feeding; cleaning food buckets, the fish kitchen, and enclosures; and assisting guests in show participation. 

In the morning, my duties will include assisting photographers and the marine staff and trainers in the fish kitchen. My mid-day duties will include preparing reef tank and penguin feedings, feeding the fresh and saltwater turtles, washing and emptying fish buckets and pouches, assisting with crowd control for kissing and feeding interactions and during shows, and cleaning. My afternoon duties will include assisting trainers with training, weighing seals, and other odd jobs. I will also assist with the feeding and walking of animals while supervised. 

When first placed at the Dolphin Marine Magic, my expectations mostly included working with the animals. While I intend to execute my other duties around the park with enthusiasm, I am most excited to work with marine specialists. Melinda Bathgate, my host advisor, has confirmed that I will be working mainly with the trainers in the marine department. Because the park is so small, Melinda says that I will be seeing my fair share of animals.

 It is my hope that by learning the processes conducive to a successful marine park, I will be better equipped to build new programs and facilities in my community.

My Internship Site

Dolphin Marine Magic

I leave for Australia in 6 days. I will be interning there for ten weeks at Dolphin Marine Magic as a Marine Mammal Trainers Assistant. I am extremely excited for this experience and the opportunities that may arise from it.

About Dolphin Marine Magic:

Dolphin Marine Magic is located in Australia’s Coffs Harbour and is a major tourist destination. Many visitors fly in from Sydney because the travel time is relatively short, and the airport is close in proximity. 

Hec Goodall founded Dolphin Marine Magic, originally called Pet Porpoise Pool. The facility opened on Boxing Day in 1970, with its main purpose being the rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals. The facility has since become a permanent home for mammals with severe injuries and mammals unable to be released back into the wild. 

Today, the facility still focuses on rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals, but a tourist element is now included—the animals being cared for are displayed to the public. Displays include bottle nose dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, endangered Australian sea lions, little blue penguins, sea turtles, both short neck and Eastern long neck freshwater turtles. Dolphins are among the many animals that have been trained to do tricks. Remaining true to their slogan “be touched by magic,” the park even offers guests the opportunity to be kissed by a dolphin or seal. Perhaps most notably, Dolphin Marine Magic is one of only two facilities in Australia that display cetaceans, making it a great tourist destination.

Check out their website:
Dolphin Marine Magic