George Town, Grand Cayman, February 3, 2009 – This past week students and faculty from Cayman Prep visited the new Dolphin Discovery and were thrilled to participate in the interactive dolphin facility’s highly acclaimed school education programme.
Dolphin Discovery, located in West Bay across from the world famous turtle farm, Boatswains Beach, opened its doors in December 2008, making it the first such attraction in the islands. While swimming with the dolphins is something never before offered in Cayman, the Mexico based Grupo Dolphin Discovery has 14 years of experience operating seven such parks in Mexico and the Caribbean. Altogether, the facilities house 120 dolphins making it the largest company of its kind in the world.
Carlos Moreno, General Manager of the facility has worked in that capacity with the company for eight years and says, “We’re very passionate about what we do.” Moreno and his staff ensure that the dolphins are cared for to the highest standards on a daily basis. In fact, the level of care is even higher than that required by the US Department of Agriculture. All Dolphin Discovery parks adhere to the much more rigorous standards of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums. According to its website AMMPA, “is an international association representing marine life parks, aquariums, zoos, research facilities and professional organizations that is dedicated to the highest standards of care for marine mammals and their conservation in the wild through public education, scientific study and wildlife presentations.”
This emphasis on education both internally and externally, is an essential part of the group’s philosophy. As clearly stated in all corporate literature, “one of the main purposes of Grupo Dolphin Discovery is to build an ecological conscience in our guests through the interaction with marine mammals.” The respect for the dolphins and their natural habitat has been a priority for the company since its foundation.
For the students, Carlos believes that, “coming in close contact with dolphins affords the students the opportunity to reflect upon the importance of respecting our planet through an environmental education message transmitted through our trainers.”
While education is stressed through all the activities offered, Dolphin Discovery also creates special programmes for local students. The first part of the programme involves a lecture in the school classroom that covers information about the ocean and dolphins. Then the students attend a second lecture at the facility to get specific information about the programme followed by a chance to swim with the dolphins.
Moreno further adds, “We are really here to support activities on the island and to support tourism. We have something different for people to do and to help them learn more about these wonderful creatures.”