Aqua Pacifica - Seattle
Aqua Pacifica will soon open another park, located in Seattle. The park will become the home of Bottlenose dolphins. It is yet to be determined if they park will keep other animals as well. The goal is to set up a successful breeding program for Bottlenose dolphins. Aqua Pacifica parks' owner Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone didn't want to reveal where the Bottlenose dolphins for the brand new park are coming from. She did say that 'No animals will be taken from the wild' and that 'Seattle's marine park will also rehabilitate stranded, injured or abused animals to release them back into the wild'.
The design of the main pool (in the center of the park) is made by the same team that designed 'de Lagune' in Dolfinarium Harderwijk in the Netherlands. The main pool can be connected with four smaller pools (including the nurseries). These smaller pools can be used to temporarily seperate animals. The sixth pool (bottom right) is completely seperated from the other pools. Along the borders of the pools are a lot of small platforms. The trainers will use these platforms when they train the animals. The animals will perform educational shows only, because the park wants to raise awareness about Bottlenose dolphins, other marine life and the importance of these animals.
The gift shop. There is an underwater viewing underneath path around the giftshop.
One of the trainers' buildings.
# The first animals
We're also happy to announce the first animals arrived at the park. They are from a German park that wasn't allowed to keep its Bottlenose dolphins, and a Japanese park that closed. Three dolphins were brought to Seattle from Germany last week, while the five Japanese animals came to Seattle the day before yesterday. The trainers are working on introducing the animals to eachother. We hope to be able to place them together shortly.
The animals:
Rocco ♂ (Japan)
Reef ♂ (Japan)
Ocean ♀ (Japan)
Sun ♀ (Japan)
Luna ♀ (Japan)
Patches ♂ (Germany)
Tula ♀ (Germany)
Fay ♀ (Germany)
# The Lagoon
This is the viewing platform behind the gift shop. Underneath it is an underwater viewing for the guests. The photo was made from the pool where the dolphins live at the moment. You can see Tula swimming by.
The gift shop seen from the other side. Guests can enter the platform on both sides of the shop. They can only enter the underwater viewing on the right side though.
This is the largest nursery pool. At the end of the pool you can see the underwater viewing.
Trainer Manon sitting in the underwater viewing area.
This is the main pool. The small platform to the right (next to the rocks) is only accessable with the canoes which the trainers often use when they train the dolphins.
# Odysé and Roxy
Two Bottlenose dolphins were brought to Seattle today. The male, Odysé, stranded in March 2010 and was released into the wild two months later, but he stranded again within a few weeks. A French rehabilition center was taking care of him from then, while they were looking for a better place for Odysé to live.
In October 2010, another Bottlenose dolphin beached on the French coast. This female, named Roxy, was taken to the same rehabilition center. Roxy became too attached to humans which made it impossible to release her back into the wild. She was moved into Odysés pool after a few weeks at the center, and they got along great.
Odysé went to Marineland France in January, because the park needed a male for their breeding program. Unfortunately, he couldn't get along with other dolphins at all and that's why he was brought back to the center, where he was re-united with Roxy. This couple needed a pool for them alone and that made it hard to find a new home for them. Luckily, Aqua Pacifica Seattle will make an enclosure for them. They will live in the largest nursery pool until it is finished.
Odysé
Roxy
# The first young
Three calves have been born at Aqua Pacifica Seattle. All of them are males. Their names are Kai (Luna + Patches), Pilot (Sun + Rocco) and Juno (Tula + Rocco). The calves and their mothers are in good health.
Kai
Pilot
Juno
# More Bottlenose dolphins
Fay (front) and Pilot (back)
Reef (front) and Juno (back)
Sun (right) and Astro (left)
# In sickness and in health
Juno, one of the juvenile Bottlenose dolphins has been seriously ill last week. The keepers feared for his life, but Juno managed to survive. He is doing much better now. It's unknown what kind of illness he had. All of the other dolphins have been tested, but luckily they're all healthy. Juno is still being kept seperately but he may join his group very soon.
Meanwhile, the rescue team has left to check on a call about a stranded dolphin. The people who were already at the beach were unable to tell what species it is. The rescue team will inform the park as soon as they get there. If the dolphin is still alive, it will be brought to Aqua Pacifica Seattle immediately. A couple of keepers are already preparing one of the rehabiliation pools.
# New rehabilitation pools
One of the new buildings. The pool next to the building is for dolphins that should be released back into the wild. When they no longer need daily medical attention, they will be moved to this tank to prepare them for their release.
# Guest area
# Lost
The stranded dolphin turned out to be a Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens). They're quite common on the west coast, but strandings of this species don't occur often. The Pacific white-sided dolphin was in poor health when it was found. A team of rescuers (local rangers and Aqua Pacifica staff) is still preparing the animal for transport to the park in Seattle. The weather is terrible which makes the operation even harder. Hopefully the helicopter is able to take off very soon, or it might be too late for this poor animal.
The Pacific white-sided dolphin on the beach. He is being prepared for transport.
# Victor
The Pacific white-sided dolphin has survived its travel to Aqua Pacifica Seattle. The dolphin is a male and he is approximately 2 years old. He is severly underweight and is most likely suffering from pneumonia.
The helicopter arriving at the park.
Harold and Mariska are helping the Pacific white-sided dolphin into its pool. After they examined the dolphin, they started feeding him fish.
The Pacific white-sided dolphin is named after the man who found him, Victor.
# Rehabilitation pools
The Intensive care building. Victor is currently being kept in the pool in the right of this building. There are two pools inside and one outside.
The outdoor pool has an underwater viewing, so the zoo keepers can observe the animals better.
The construction of another building next to the IC building is almost done. There are two pools (larger than the ones in the IC building), which both can be seperated into two parts. The smaller pool is connected to an outdoor pool. Like the other buildings, there are a view offices for the staff as well. There's also a kitchen (you can see it in the back of the screenshot) and an observation room.
# Odysé and Roxy's new enclosure
Odysé and Roxy have been moved to their new enclosure quite recently. They are both doing great. The zoo keepers are hoping Roxy will get pregnant, although they don't know if Odysé can handle being a father.
Odysé swimming in his new enclosure.
Odysé and Roxy swimming together.
The pool of Roxy and Odysé is connected to a smaller pool through a 'corridor'. They can't always access the smaller pool.
Their main enclosure also has an underwater viewing.
# Code red
A mass stranding occured on the west coast. A group of 22 False killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) have been stranded. A large group of volunteers, including locals and Aqua Pacifica staff, are trying to get the animals back into the water. Two animals already died and five others are in critical condition. They may not survive if their helpers succeed in getting them back into the ocean. That's why Aqua Pacifica staff member Manon is trying to pull off a rescue. She wants to take the injured animals back to Seattle to give them the treatment they need. Because the animals stranded on a remote beach, they were discovered very late. If they were discovered earlier, all of the animals could probably have been pushed back into the water.
Volunteers are trying to get the animals back into the water.
One of the false killer whales on the beach.
# The animals in Aqua Pacifica - Seattle
Bottlenose dolphins
Reef ♂ (Japan)
Rocco ♂ (Japan)
Ocean ♀ (Japan)
Sun ♀ (Japan)
Luna ♀ (Japan)
Tula ♀ (Germany)
Fay ♀ (Germany)
Pilot ♂ (Sun x Rocco)
Kai ♂ (Luna x Patches)
Juno ♂ (Tula x Rocco)
Astro ♂ (Fay x Rocco)
Prince ♂ (Luna x Pilot)
Coral ♀ (Tula x Kai)
Pearl ♀ (Ocean x Rocco)
Cooper ♂ (Sun x Reef)
*Odysé ♂ (stranded March 2010, France)
*Roxy ♀ (stranded October 2010, France)
Dolphins in rehabilitation
Victor ♂ (Pacific white-sided dolphin, stranded June 2011, Washington)
Deceased dolphins
Patches ♂ (Germany)
# Map of the park