It really is a shame that this is only a three week internship because I finally feel like I am comfortable at the aquarium. I know what is expected of me, I know how to do most of the jobs now, I have a much better understanding of the training sessions and what goes on during them, I know the dolphins and information about them, and as of today, I can officially enrich the dolphins on my own! It's been exciting to finally feel like I get what's going on now and that I can be more helpful to the trainers.
Today was a really busy day. I started out my morning like always, by doing a lot of cleaning. I then talked with Kimmy all about enrichment, which is basically a way to stimulate the dolphin's mind and keep their environment interesting and changing. It's also a way to encourage natural behaviors, good socialization, and playfulness. I learned all about the types of enrichment that they do in the aquarium, the safety that surrounds it, and about the things I can do to help enrich the dolphins. I actually ended up participating in 3 different enrichment sessions today, which were a lot of fun. We threw jello from the roof into the pools for the dolphins, we played sound and showed them mirrors at the windows, and we even celebrated a birthday today! Jade turned 16 today, so we made her a birthday card and then had all of the kids in the audience sign it. Afterwards, we showed the card and many other birthday signs to the dolphins! It was a lot of fun participating in these sessions. I also enjoy actually being put into the schedule now and knowing that there is a place I have to be, a time I have to be there, and a job I have to do.
My days are starting to go by a lot more quickly, and I think that's because I can do so much more now that I have more ways to fill my time. I also am able to do things like fish prep and kitchen cleans a lot more quickly now, which also helps!
The best part of my day was yet again getting to participate in a mock encounter. As I explained in my last post, one of the newer trainers is learning how to give encounter sessions, which is where guests pay extra to come and have some personal time with the dolphins. Since she is still learning, I get to be her guest that gets to rub the dolphin and play with them! This time we worked with Jade (the birthday girl!) and it was a lot of fun!
My research on Bayley is also going pretty well and I'm hoping that I will soon start to see some clear trends developing. So far I have 9 data sets, which is a decent start, and I'm hoping I will be able to collect even more tomorrow and at the beginning of next week. Bayley is a lot of fun to watch and I have a theory that she knows that I am studying her because every time I go down for observations she spends at least 30 seconds at the window in front of me just staring at me! She's so adorable and I love her playful personality.
Tomorrow is day 10 of my internship and the end of two weeks. After tomorrow I will only have one more week left, which is crazy considering I feel like I just started! I think next week will be the best one yet, and I'm hopeful that I will continue to learn and enjoy my internship experience! Thanks for reading!
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