Georgia Magazine - May 2011 - (Page 19)

s haka knows who’s boss at the ripe old age of 27, whistling, clapping, snagging the limelight and generally sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. Lily, 20 years her junior, takes a backseat. A couch potato with a penchant for nuzzling, she inspects her surroundings before diving right in. In the dog kingdom, Shaka (Hawaiian for “hang loose”) would be the border collie and Lily the Lab. At the Georgia Aquarium, they are just two of the 11 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins starring in the new AT&T Dolphin Tales gallery and show that opened last month. The $110 million, three-year project is the largest expansion to date for the world’s largest aquarium, located in downtown Atlanta across from Centennial Olympic Park. Since the aquarium’s opening in 2005, dolphins have topped the most-requested list of marine animals among 13 million visitors, says aquarium CEO and Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus. “The kind of emotion these ani- ‘The kind of emotion these animals inspire in humans helps them make better choices and take action to protect dolphins in the oceans.’ —Bernie Marcus, Georgia Aquarium, CEO mals inspire in humans helps them make better choices and take action to protect dolphins in the oceans,” he adds. “AT&T Dolphin Tales is an inspirational and motivating experience, and is a reﬂection of our mission to promote the conservation of aquatic animals.” Guests who purchase the Dolphin Combo pass ($37.45 for adults, $25.95 for children ages 3-12), are ushered into a lobby featuring a 25-foot-long underwater viewing window. There, they can watch dolphins splash, scoot, blow bubbles and wave “hello” in sync with their new human friends. The environment is a loose interpretation of a coral reef (in reality, bottlenose dolphins prefer estuaries, bays and ship canals no deeper than 20 feet). Five pools, holding nearly 2 million gallons of water, include the dolphins’ playground, training areas and a medical home for regular physical exams. The lobby leads to the 1,800-seat indoor theater, bathed in shades of ocean blue. Following a conservation-minded preshow, it’s time for the main event: a 25-minute performance with dizzying, Guests of all ages come face-to-ﬁn with curious Atlantic bottlenose dolphins at AT&T Dolphin Tales underwater viewing Broadway-style lighting, sound and water window. More online at www.georgiamagazine.org Y GE COURTES IA ORG AQ RI UA UM effects (spoiler alert: the audience stays dry). The show boasts an original music score by acclaimed composer Timothy Williams, Emmy awardwinning producers and directors, and a bedazzled ﬁctional main character named StarSpinner (think Jack Sparrow meets Indiana Jones in an Elvis costume), whose ship has been attacked by evil sea monsters. But let there be no confusion: The dolphins are the heroes in this tale. They perform synchronized ﬂips—20 feet in the air, ﬁve at a time—and then plunge rapid-ﬁre into the depths of the pool. They balance trainers who are riding surfboardstyle on their backs. They somersault, shake hands and gracefully ﬂoat. Since arriving in June from accredited zoological facilities in Hawaii, Florida, Bermuda and the Bahamas, the six females and ﬁve males have spent two to three hours a day training for this moment. Originally scheduled to open in November, the production was delayed to allow the dolphins more time to adjust to their new environment. It was no small feat to transport these 8- to 10-foot-long mammals thousands of miles. First, trainers spent months developing relationships with the dolphins in their former marine sanctuary digs. The transport involved a charter plane, custom-designed, climate-controlled holding pools and a small army of veterinarians and trainers to put the dolphins at ease. Shaka even took a 19 A long, wet journey COURTESY GEORGIA AQUARIUM May 2011 http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - May 2011

Georgia Magazine - May 2011
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Georgia’s Energy Outlook
Special Energy Report
Dolphin Tales
Agrability in Georgia
Creature Comforts
Georgia@home
Around Georgia
My Georgia
Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - May 2011