Sunday, January 08, 2006

Hurricane Katrina struck dolphins are safe, meanwhile human misery continues


Sixteen dolphins from a marine park that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina -- including several that were swept out to the Gulf of Mexico and later rescued -- have been moved to a resort in the Bahamas.

The dolphins, which have been housed at temporary locations around the country, were transported to Mobile, Alabama, and loaded onto an airplane for the final stage of their trip, officials said.

The mammals lived at Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, doing jumps and other tricks in programs for tourists, before it was severely damaged by Katrina on August 29.

Some of the younger dolphins had been moved inland to hotel swimming pools ahead of the storm. Eight others were pulled out to sea during the storm when their Oceanarium tank was destroyed.
Biologists located and rescued them on 10th September through aerial surveys.

The dolphins will be reunited and live in seven interconnected resident pools at Atlantis, a resort on Paradise Island.

The resort will also take on 24 sea lions and 22 exotic birds from Marine Life.

The dolphins have been at the center of a legal battle between the two owners of Marine Animal Productions, the company that owns the dolphins.

One of the two, Dr. Moby Solangi, had opposed moving the dolphins out of the United States.

Meanwhile the human misery continues for
Hardy Jackson, who is still searching for his wife Tonette. Her body was washed away on the day Hurricane Katrina struck.

For a moving video, see the BBC search facility.

1 comment:

Suz said...

Life's priorities are upsidedown