Bahamas News

The world’s largest open-air manmade marine habitat houses over 50,000 marine animals, contains a state-of-the-art laboratory and hospital, an education centre and sits in our backyard.

Atlantis unveiled its latest facility, Dolphin Cay, Monday during an exclusive media tour over Paradise Island.

Currently, there are 20 dolphins and 11 California Sea Lions at the facility.

Dolphin Cay provides each dolphin with 250,000 gallons of Bahamian ocean water and each guest the opportunity to get up close and personal with the mammals.

Millions of gallons of seawater are filtered, decontaminated, chilled or heated depending on the temperature outside, in order to get it to the optimum temperature.

Officials say Dolphin Cay was created with the goal of enlightening visitors about the ocean’s inhabitants.

The new dolphin habitat is also home to 17 displaced Hurricane Katrina dolphins and is the first rescue and rehabilitation facility in the Bahamas.

The dolphins were displaced from their previous home in Gulfport, Mississippi after being swept to sea during the hurricane’s devastation of the Gulf States. The Katrina Dolphins were the first residents of the 10 million gallon state-of-the-art habitat at Atlantis.

The 11-acre lagoon contains three 10-foot deep coves for interaction with the marine mammals in a lush, tropical setting.

Guests to Dolphin Cay will experience an informative introduction to dolphin behaviour, physiology and the importance of marine life conservation before entering the water for their intimate experience.

Atlantis also offers two dolphin interaction programmes. The shallow-water interaction takes place in waist-deep water with one dolphin, two trainers and 10 guests. The deep-water interaction consists of a group of six guests who are allowed to swim with the dolphins in the centre of the cove for closer, more natural contact.

The interactions last for 30 minutes with the complete experience lasting two hours.

Officials also unveiled the state-of-the-art Education Center to learn more about dolphins and marine life conservation.

While guests are not allowed to bring in personal cameras and camcorders, they can order a personalized photo and video of their experience and purchase it at the gift shop at the end of the interaction.

According to officials, a portion of the proceeds from the dolphin programmes will be donated to the Kerzner Marine Foundation.

In addition to the interactive coves, the facility serves as the first marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation centre in the Bahamas.

The dolphins will live in seven interconnected resident pools containing more than six million gallons of crystal-clear seawater.

The pools will also provide space for quarantined or stranded dolphins and other marine mammals, medical procedures and care for pregnant and nursing mothers.

Teri Corbett, vice president of Marine Mammal Operations, said Dolphin Cay prides itself on the care of its animals.

“We believe that the first thing is to take care of the animals and we feel very strongly about teaching people to care for the dolphins and other animals in general. That falls in line with our conservation effort,” she said.

“Obviously we want it to be an intimate experience, so we allow the guests to check in very similar to a hotel, so they come in at a specific time and they check out. We have a concierge desk to answer any question and ready to assist people.”

By Rogan M Smith
The Bahama Journal