New Toys

 

All of the dolphin, from youngsters like Delta and Gypsi to older guys, like Pax, love the enrichment hula hoop.

Whenever a new object is introduced to the dolphins, there is a designated tester in the lagoon who tries it out first. Up in the front, the kids get together and decide who it is, and then sends them over to see if the new item is scary.

Even as one of the younger dolphins, Delta showed that he was a fearless little guy when it came to a new toy the trainers made that resembled a hula hoop with wings. In the past, the dolphins have been a little distant towards new objects with pieces that flail out, like the floating Kong toy with its long tails of material. However, this toy seemed to be a source of entertainment.

While the rest of the dolphins watched from afar, Delta grabbed at the tassels on the hula hoop to pull them off. However, not one to be outdone, Gypsi realized that the new toy was circular and she could swim through it! This led to a tiny tug of war between the two.

Before we knew it, the two of them tried to go through the hula hoop together. They’re both smaller dolphins, but when they attempted to go inat the same time, it just didn’t work. As their trainer watched to see who would make it out first, Gypsi showed her dominance as the older dolphin and wiggled to the other side. Delta followed right after, while the rest of the kids in the lagoon kept their distance.

After Delta and Gypsi went through the hoop a few times, the trainer took it out of the water. You always want to keep the dolphins wanting more, so it was essential that their experience with the new toy end on a positive note. Maybe next time the rest of the kids will want to play too!