Blair Drummond Safari Park Dolphinarium: 1970 - 1984



BACKGROUND

Blair Drummond was a satellite dolphin show originally operated by Scarborough Marineland & Zoo.


A Review of Dolphinaria states:
The dolphinarium was near the restaurant and childrens' zoo, with a plastic-lined sunken pool, 15.24 x 6.10 x 3.05, m deep, in a free-span building. Trident Television (Scarborough), supplied dolphins from about 1974 to 1978; Trust Houses Forte 1978-83; Mr Nutkins 1984. There is no information about Mr Chipperfield's animals. Dolphins performed under the names 'Flipper' and 'Scottie'. Mr Braithwaite, the trainer at the time, gave the life histories of Flipper (Chemo) and Scottie (Jenkie). Flipper and Scottie wintered in Malta and Gibraltar; later in Scarborough. They may have been the male Flipper and female Jenkie which performed in Mauritius in winter 1976/7. That Jenkie was said, in a press report, to have been pregnant in March 1977, with birth expected in 3 weeks. However, 'pregnancy' sometimes covered other reasons for failure to perform, for example: required elsewhere, incompatibility, illness or death (see Animal List). One of this pair is said to have died at this time, possibly on the return journey. If Flipper died and Scottie gave birth and survived, this fits with Scarborough information. Ms Moore trained the last pair of dolphins to perform here, Sooty and Clyde. She moved with the animals to Knowsley.

PHOTOGRAPHS

The pictures of the opening of dolphinarium below. The trainer is Steve Walton. The white marks on the dolphins skin is not a skin disease but lanolin used to protect their skin when being transported. It eventually wears off the skin within a few days.




 

 







Picture of the pool in its opening season; a roof was added the following year and can be seen of the picture at the foot of this page. The pool is now used for sea lion displays.










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