Joe Trains Dolphins

Joe trains dolphins. A typical day starts at 8 am. Joe checks that the water is clean and the correct temperature, then prepares the dolphins’ food. Each dolphin eats about 4.5 kg of fish a day. At 10 am Joe starts the training. “ I usually swim with them for a while before the first show,” says Joe. “I always give them fish if they are good.” During the show, the dolphins do a lot of tricks. They jump out of the water, swim backwards on their tails, and take fish out of Joe’s mouth. Joe sometimes rides on a dolphin-like a horse! Joe doesn’t work alone. His friend Carol helps him with the training and the shows. “ We work as a team,” says Carol. “Joe, myself, and the dolphins-Honey, Lulu, Smartie, Cookie and Jerry.” Joe and Carol finish work at 7 pm, but they don’t usually go home until much later. If a dolphin is ill, they stay at the pool and talk to the vet. “It’s hard work, but I enjoy it,” says Joe. “Dolphins are lovely animals to work with.”