Can you still pet dolphins at SeaWorld?

[MomPOM]

I went to Sea World in San Antonio ages ago and one of my favorite things from the trip was petting the dolphins and feeding them. It wasn't just for special guests, everyone could do it. Do they do this in Orlando? My son desperately wants to pet a dolphin and thinks mom is pretty cool because she's done it.

 

[Amity 3]

you can pet and feed dolphins and stingrays in the Key West section of the park.

 

[Seahunt]

They still allow it, even though a couple dolphins were a little "nippy" in August - this lady was from my town and I am really glad she didn't overreact with a lawsuit, etc. like you hear about all the time. She (and her son!) really had a great attitude about the whole thing when they were interviewed on TV

A Port Orange boy celebrating his birthday with a sleepover at SeaWorld Orlando was bitten on the hand Sunday morning by a dolphin he was petting

This is the second incident in three weeks in which a dolphin bit a child at SeaWorld's Dolphin Cove, a popular dolphin-petting attraction. It took two adults to pry the dolphin's mouth open so that 7-year-old Hunter Hovan Quidor's hand could be freed, his mother, Hollie Bethany, said.

he dolphin bite left Hunter's right thumb bruised and swollen. It did not break the skin.

"It felt painful," Hunter said. "He was pressing harder every time I yanked."

The boy, who is fascinated by dolphins, was celebrating his birthday with friends during a sleepover in the Dolphin Cove underwater-viewing area. After breakfast, Hunter, accompanied by a SeaWorld employee, went to pet the dolphins when one bit down on his hand.

"Maybe he thought it was a fish," the boy said.

His mother said she heard the boy screaming and looked up in horror to see his hand inside the animal's mouth.

"It was scary, but when you are a parent you need to be calm," Bethany said.

After the boy got an ice pack to place over his thumb at the first-aid station, he went back to pet dolphins, encouraged by his mother.

"Dolphins are really something he loves and I don't want him to be scared," Bethany said. "It's important for kids to know that wild animals are wild. Sometimes things will happen that will scare you, but you have to give them another chance."

SeaWorld spokeswoman Becca Bides said no changes are being planned for the attraction.

"We feel very confident the way it is set up," Bides said.

She said the incident was caused by an overexcited 3-year-old animal.

"We do have animals that, as animals of any age and even humans, they get excited and get rambunctious," Bides said.

An animal expert present during the incident, Bides added, reported there was no aggressive behavior from the dolphin, just playful activity.

In July, a 6-year-old Georgia boy was bitten on the arm at the same attraction. He, too, had minor injuries.

As for Hunter, he plans to pet dolphins again as soon as he has the chance.

"I'll just remember really good how this one looked like so that I can stay away from him."

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I agree they do still allow it, however this is very popular and if it is busy you will struggle to get near enough, best tp try it first thing in the morning (though that is probably what everyone else is going to do )

 

[dcassetta]

There are designated times when you can feed the dolphins. The schedule for when the feeder booth is open will be posted, so head over to Key West early to help plan your day. But, be aware that the dolphins may come only close enough to take the fish, but not quite close enough to be touched.

Make sure and check out the underwater viewing. It's amazing.

As to the child getting bit: I think we forget sometimes that although these animals live in a marine park, they are still wild.

 

[Patnl34]

That was one of my daughters favorite things to do while at seaworld

she loved feeding the dolphins and petting them.

the only problem I have found with the dolphin petting is tha people forget that dolphins have the blowhole on top of their head.
sometimes people do not realize and put their hands on there.
I can imagine a dolphin wanting to take a little nibble then

here is a picture of her petting the dolphin.

 

[Gdad]

Yes they do- our kids loved it.

 

[Ware Bears]

Beautiful photos

 

[MomPOM]

I'm so glad to hear they still do it. My son is so excited about Disney but he keeps saying, "We're going to Sea World first to see the dolphins, right???"

Love the pictures!!!!

 

[Gdad]

I'm so glad to hear they still do it. My son is so excited about Disney but he keeps saying, "We're going to Sea World first to see the dolphins, right???"

One thing I forgot to mention- if you want to touch them you need to buy the food. They can definately see who has food for them and who does not. If you don't they will stay just out of recch.

 

[iHEARTflorida]

yep yiu can still pet the dolphions and its always crowded at key west.

on our last trip the dolphins were jumping up on to the legdes so you could give them a good old proper rub on the corners, so stand by the corners hopefully they'll jump up.

we have has an amazing photo on our camera, but that was n the days of film and we seem to have lost the print

 

[american pie]

I'm trying to do my budget for my upcoming trip, and was hoping someone could help me out. How much does the food cost to feed the animals?

TIA!

 

[iHEARTflorida]

i think it is something like $3 to feed them

 

[RabFlmom]

I think the trays are $5. You get a discount ($1 off) if you have a season pass. I think you get 4 or 5 fish in the tray. We haven't been there since early in the summer so it has been a while since we bought any, but that seems like the price.

 

[Amity 3]

I think the trays are $5. You get a discount ($1 off) if you have a season pass. I think you get 4 or 5 fish in the tray. We haven't been there since early in the summer so it has been a while since we bought any, but that seems like the price.

yep, still $5.00 per tray before discount. same with rays and sea lions/seals.

 

[Figment22]

on our last trip the dolphins were jumping up on to the legdes so you could give them a good old proper rub on the corners, so stand by the corners hopefully they'll jump up.

We had this exact same experience on our visit it June. It was absolutely amazing. The dolphins were staying up on the ledge for 30-40 seconds at a time! Just incredible.

 

[lawgs]

we were just there ...

one of the things we "used" to like to do was to go to the dolphin pool in key west to see and interact with the dolphins

those days are no more ....they have most of the area chained off and if you want to interact you have to buy the "feed" to get into the "chained" area

the "gatekeeper" we talked to, implied this has been done for over two years out west ( if he meant seaworld san diego, we did not see any of this type of "segregation" when we were there last march ) with great success and accolades from "park goers" and that it helped in modifying behaviours and husbandry????

the areas where the "non feeders" were allowed at seaworld orlando was towards the far end of the dolphin pool and although there were some dolphins in that area they did not come to the "wall" at all while we were there ( we were there just before they started to sell food for feeding )

yes busch has the right to model their business any way they wish but they seem to be more and more pecuniary and it left a "malaise" feeling with us and several others we had conversations with .....when we recalled the days when everyone could interact

it would be a bit different if they only chained the area off during feeding times, but the gatekeeper said the "chains" were there all day long ( of course we did not go back to see if this was true ), perhaps they do allow people in when feeding is not taking place

we would appreciate if anyone can clear that aspect up for us

the husbandry and behaviour explanations given seemed more like spin than factual

 

[robvia]

That is too bad. It was always fun to hang out and watch others feeding, especially when the trainers come out with buckets of fish and toss it to the dolphins making them do tricks. The food goes so fast, it's over in a flash.

It never seemed to be a problem before, and the huge crowds made it seem like something special. Now it will be like the sea lion area, where only a few people buy the fish. SWF is shooting themselves in the foot on this one. They'll sell less fish and pictures as people walk past the area if they can't hang out and watch.

I used to buy a beer at the snack stand, then walk around and watch others feeding from the back. Now that's gone, so I'll probably keep walking past that area.

 

[flying_babyb]

can you still get close to them at sea world in CA?

 

[Amity 3]

I think it's a great move. I'm sick of fighting with people who lay on the wall and don't buy the food. they crowd you, sit on the best spots, and take your time away from the interaction.