Call it the flight of the dolphins.
Call it the flight of the dolphins.
Three young dolphins will be airborne between Dolphin Quest facilities in Waikoloa and Oahu, under a permit the company is seeking from the state Board of Agriculture.
Under the application for intrastate transfer for commercial use, two Atlantic bottlenose dolphins will fly from Dolphin Quest in the Hilton Waikoloa Village to Dolphin Quest Oahu Inc. located at the Kahala Hotel &Resort Oahu. The animals will stretchered and then placed in transport carriers. They will fly in 500-gallon carriers suspended by a sling, according to the application.
Another dolphin, the progeny of two dolphins imported in 1988, will make the same transfer in reverse.
Michelle Campbell, vice president of animals for Dolphin Quest Inc., said the shuffle is an initiative of the company’s 25-year-old breeding program.
“Exchanging males with our sister facility on the Big Island keeps our animal population stable and well represented from a genetic standpoint,” she said.
BOA Chairman Scott Enright and Neil Reimer, administrator of the Plant Industry Division, said they were not aware of any similar application or permit during their tenure at the agriculture department. However, Campbell said the company has done such transports in the past. For instance, in 2012, one animal was moved between Hawaii Island and Oahu with all necessary permits in hand, according to Campbell.
In its application, Dolphin Quest lays out a detailed plan for moving and caring for the animals, saying a veterinarian and other staff will remain in visual and tactile contact with the dolphins during the five-hour transport, and that animals are conditioned beforehand to reduce discomfort.
Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are widely dispersed through the world’s oceans. Dolphin Quest animals are kept in lagoons and do not interact with open waters or native species, according to documents submitted in support of the application.
“Dolphin Quest aims to achieve program goals consisting of exhibition, education, breeding, research and training,” the application states. “The dolphins will serve as ambassadors for marine mammal conservation through interactive programming, with the goal of inspiring conservation initiatives.”
The Board of Agriculture will take up the request at its meeting today in Honolulu.
Email Bret Yager at byager@westhawaiitoday.com.