It may sound odd, but the residents of Scottsdale and greater Phoenix are eagerly awaiting the dolphins. Dolphinaris Arizona is set to open next month in conjunction with the new OdySea in the Desert complex off of the Loop 101 and Via de Venture Road.
Actually, five dolphins have already moved in and made Scottsdale their home. Their grand introduction to the public will take place on October 15, when Dolphinaris Arizona is slated to open.
Dolphinaris Arizona is a part of the parent Mexican company, Dolphinaris, that owns and operates five other facilities throughout Mexico. This is their first venture into the states. And the dolphins felt more heat with their arrival than just the scorching temperatures. There has been some scrutiny about whether keeping captive dolphins anywhere is humane, let alone in the desert. But Dolphinaris has the backing of researchers and was licensed as a zoological facility.
A zoological license reviews space, water quality, veterinary care, food storage, animal transportation and research. All of these elements were closely inspected before the license was granted. And as one of the primary focuses, research will be a big component of the facility. In fact, Dolphinarias is partnering with Texas A&M University and researchers across the United States and Mexico to study the mammals.
The Scottsdale dolphins are inshore Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins ranging from 6 to 20 years old. These specific dolphins are third generation captive-bred dolphins, so they have only known human care and have never been in the wild. But in the wild, these dolphins are known to hang out in shallow water less than 10 feet deep and are usually smaller than the out shore species, sometimes by up to 200 pounds. Their life expectancy in the wild and in captivity are roughly the same at about 25.
At Dolphinarias Arizona, almost one million gallons of salt water fill the dolphinarium, including three connected pools that go from two to 10 feet deep. Glass walls in the pools can be moved to create larger or smaller pools and to fully enclose the pools to manage air and water temperatures. The water is turned over about 16 times per day and filtered for dust and particles.
The dolphin residents moved from the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in northern California where their habitat was much smaller. Before moving east, the dolphins spent time with their Dolphinaris trainers so they could start bonding. Some of their previous Six Flags trainers also joined the Dolphinaris team, making the transition a little smoother. By the time the facility opens to the public, the dolphins and trainers will have spent at least six months together.
Veterinarian Dr. Molly Martony notes how important familiarity and the bonding time is. “They already had familiar faces, familiar trainers that they had established that baseline with,” she commented. “That helps us take better care of them too because when there’s little things that we’re like ‘is that normal for her?’ and then we’re like ‘oh yeah, this one hates ice; this one loves Jello.’ It’s important for us to really know what works for them.”
One of the best parts of the new Dolphinaris Arizona is that local residents and visitors can really get up close and personal with the mammals as they learn more about them. The facility will offer dry encounters, shallow encounters during playtime, submerged encounters and a trainer experience. Education and conservation will be at the core of every experience.
To snag your Dolphinaris Arizona tickets, your best bet is to make reservations and book online. Tickets range from about $55 to $200+, based on the experience and mid-week versus weekend dates. A portion of tickets sales are also donated to marine life conservation and education.
The OdySea Aquarium and Dolphinaris Arizona are making Arizona golf communities a true desert oasis! To find your own piece of paradise and be neighbors with the dolphins, contact the Matheson Team and start browsing golf homes for sale in Scottsdale AZ!
Don Matheson
Realtor | Founder
The Matheson Team – RE/MAX Fine Properties
21000 N. Pima Rd., #100, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
602-694-3200 or 888-656-4830
don@scottsdalerealestate.com[gravityform id=”1″ title=”false” description=”false”]