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Diving into Marineland

Observing Animals: Dolphins at Marineland

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Marine Studios brochure c. 1950-60s (From the St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library)

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Marineland brochure from the 1970s (From the St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library)

 

During the 1950s and '60s Marine Studios was still mainly reliant on tourist infatuation with the facilities, again featuring images of the Marineland Motel, the Dolphin Restaurant and bar, and finally an image simply captioned "architectural beauty." This brochure featured an interior photograph of the facility to show off their 300 viewing windows, as well as an image of some fish to depict "the most amazing display of live marine specimens ever assembled!" The cover shows an action shot of a primitive diver interacting with one of Marine Studio's sharks. This image was meant to capture the action and excitement waiting to be seen under the simulated sea. At the time, the facility was just beginning to experiment with brief dolphin performances comparing their intellect to that of a chimpanzee or a dog; Marineland began experimenting with animal training in 1949. 

Although the Sarasota Tribune claimed that 1951 was Marineland's best year on record, most people recognize the 1970s as the attractions absolute height. It was during this time that Marineland's famous dolphin shows, coined "The School for Educated Porpoises and Whales," were brought to the public. During such shows, dolphins exercised their many skills such as ringing a bell, jumping through hoops, and shooting a basketball. During Marineland dolphin performances, the marine mammals were not only exhibiting their skills, but also interacting with performers and props. At the time, Marineland considered the training of their animals to be "unequalled." 

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Marineland brochure, late 1970s. (From St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library)

In the 1970s and 1980s, Marineland attracted tourists by diversifying their animal collection, advertising sharks, eels, and otters. The newest attraction of the late '70s was the Aquarius Theater, which showed a multidimensional film: Sea Dream. Following the park's history of technological advancement, Marineland promised a viewing experience that explored the "sensations and wonders of doing things you'd never dare do." This was the final step before tourists flocked to join the sea life within Marineland's massive tanks. 

Bibliography

Dillin, John W. “Flippy the Educated Porpoise.” Natural History 61(April 1952): 152-159. Accessed February 28, 2015.http://research.flagler.edu:10391/eds/

Hanson, Elizabeth. Animal Attractions: Nature on Display in American Zoos. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002.

“Marineland Reports Its Best Year Ever.” January 12, 1973.  St. Augustine Research Library Archive.

Peterson del Mar, David. “Our Animal Friends: Depictions of Animals in Reader's Digest during the 1950s.” Environmental History 3, no. 1(January 1998): 25-44. Accessed February 10, 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3985425.

“Things I Never Knew About Marineland Until I Went Up to Find Out.” Daytona Beach Morning Journal. July 8, 1939. St. Augustine Research Library Archive.

“The World’s Original Oceanarium.” Sarasota Herald Tribune. August 8, 1993. St. Augustine Research Library Archive.

Work Projects Administration. The WPA Guide to Florida: The Federal Writers’ Project Guide to 1930s Florida. New York: Pantheon Books, 1984.

Observing Animals: Dolphins at Marineland