Wild With Kyle Flip(pers) Out At Georgia Aquarium With Dolphins

ATLANTA, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Due to my constant headache after riding a roller coaster 101 times without stopping, and my voice being hoarse after screaming like a little girl driving a race car 130 miles per hour, I thought it would be best to calm down just a little bit for this segment.

My Georgia adventures took me back to Atlanta, to the Georgia Aquarium for some more up close and personal time with some fishy characters.

After swimming with the Whale Sharks and Beluga Whales last summer, the crew at the aquarium invited me back to help train the dolphins for a day. 

My morning started with a typical trainer in training routine; swim the length of the dolphin pool and back, then tread water for five minutes with my hands above my head. I think they felt badly for me, though, because I’m pretty sure I heard the trainers say, normally they have to swim the length of the pool under water too. Thankfully, they took pity on me.

The second task was to prepare the dolphins meal for them. The dolphins are fed three types of fish; herring, capelin, and squid. Each fish must be thoroughly checked over to ensure no breaks or tears or markings have mauled the fish. If there is anything that appears to look “off”, the dolphin doesn’t eat it. The basic rule of thumb- if it’s not good enough for a person to eat it, it’s not good enough for the dolphin to eat it. 

Once the fish have been sorted out and put on ice, it’s time to meet the dolphins. My first task is to get to know them. I would be spending my time training with Makana, a male who’s name means The Gift. It didn’t take long before Makana and I were best friends. Who wouldn’t be, after being fed some delicious sushi, playing basketball (yes, dolphins play basketball) and getting a full body massage?

Then, it’s time for the big show. My task is to get Makana to listen to my command, to swim as fast as he can and jump nearly 15 feet out of the water to touch his nose to a ball suspended from the ceiling. If he listens to me, my job for the day was a success.

Each day, thousands of people pour into the Georgia Aquarium to see a performance unlike any other. With lights, spraying water, music, and dancing, the dolphin trainers and dolphins themselves entertain viewers with one of the most spectacular Broadway-style shows I’ve ever seen.

The performance hits its climax, when Makana surges out of the water, and in perfect sync with the music, touches his nose to the ball. It’s here where I’ll meet my fate. But with training like mine, I’m confident Makana will perform perfectly.

And he does. Perfectly timed with the music, and not a moment before hundreds of ‘Oos’s’ and ‘Ahh’s’ erupt from the crowd, Makana did just what he is supposed to.