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Dolphin Encounters began in 1989 when two bottlenose dolphins from a defunct aquarium in Nassau were rescued to be relocated to a large seawater dolphin habitat on Treasure Island (aka Great Guana Cay), Abaco, Bahamas Soon after, six more dolphins joined our marine mammal family in Abaco This created the foundation of what is today known as Dolphin Encounters in Nassau

The Abaco facility enjoyed instant success In order to provide the state-of-the-art care for the dolphins, the company opened a new facility on Salt Cay (Blue Lagoon Island), only 3 miles from Nassau, The Bahamas

The dolphins were carefully moved to the beautiful natural seawater facility on the island, better known as Blue Lagoon Island In 1995, the facility underwent a multi-million dollar expansion and was re-named Dolphin Encounters

In 1996, Dolphin Encounters was chosen by Universal Studios to help produce the movie "Flipper" starring Paul Hogan and Elijah Wood The company provided three dolphins - Fatman, Jake & McGyver - to play the famous aquatic star, and two trainers for a period of five months The movie was filmed in the Bahamas, near Clifton Pier in Nassau, on the western side of New Providence Dolphin Encounters was also involved in the making of several well-known commercials for companies such as Sony, Visa and Heineken and several music videos, all of which were filmed in the Abacos Some of our dolphins, Shawn and Fatman, also starred in the Mary Kate & Ashley Adventure Film

Dolphin Encounters Ltd is a member of IMATA, the International Marine Animal Trainers Association, the largest organization of its kind In 1997, Dolphin Encounters also became a member of the prestigious Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, confirming its status as one of the top marine parks in its field

During its short history, Dolphin Encounters has transformed itself from a dolphin rescue project with two dolphins and three employees to one of Nassau’s foremost tourist attractions with seventeen dolphins and over 130 dedicated staff

The facility further offers a multitude of special education and marine conservation programs to local schools and underprivileged children Over one million visitors from around the world have participated in our dolphin programs Dolphin Encounters provides this rare opportunity in a safe environment with an emphasis on education and entertainment Our main objective is to let guests interactively experience dolphins to heighten their awareness and understanding of these truly magnificent animals and similar species Come visit us on magnificent Blue Lagoon Island or just learn more about the marine environment and the dolphins under our care through our Education pages

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