European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 9, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Close encounters with dolphins new rage or an outrage by Lynn Smith los Angeles times n Cheryl Burton s Lisl of fantasy adventures swimming with dolphins ranked somewhere Between visiting angkor wat and making love among the pyramids. But alter two weeks in Hawaii at the Hyatt Regency Wai Koloa Burton still had not been picked for the hotel s daily Dolphin encounter a 30 minute experience in which a half dozen guests Are allowed to join six captive dolphins in the Hyatt s Lagoon so Burton became More methodical in her quest to have her name drawn in the hotel s daily Dolphin encounter lottery from which approximately 30 guests a Day Are selected to swim with the hotel dolphins. The 39-year-old san Francisco financial marketer admits she tried offering $250 bribes to hotel employees and lottery winners and was ready logo up to $500. But then a Winner did t show and Burton Lound Hersell in the Lagoon nuzzling a 300-Pound animal with a permanent Grin Burton is just one of thousands of Dolphin enthusiasts flocking to the Hyatt s Dolphin quest program and to other centers in Florida eager sometimes desperate to swim with dolphins Lor reasons ranging from the desire for an unusual vacation to a search for sell improvement and spiritual awareness. As a result of the Hyatt s Success resort hotels from Las vegas Nev to Washington dc., Are scrambling to open their own Dolphin lagoons. But As fascination with the legendary Large brained mammals continues to grow so does the controversy Over whether such encounters Are Good Lor either the dolphins or people and whether they should be allowed at All. A Federal Agency that handles Marine mammal permits is investigating the deaths of twp dolphins at the Hyatt there Are unconfirmed reports of injuries elsewhere and some experts have warned that diseases could be transferred Back and Forth Between the swimmer and the Dolphin. Environmentalists complain that such swim with Dolph programs remove the highly social dolphins irom their diminishing families and Force them to interact with humans As a merchandising tool. All this they say is contrary to the resorts in the United states Are capitalizing on a loophole in a Federal Law protecting Marine mammals Here Are patrons who paid to swim with Atlantic bottle nose dolphins at theater of the sea in the Florida keys. Purpose of the Federal Marine mammal Protection act which requires Bona fide educational benefits irom the capture and display of dolphins. Our major concern with the swim with programs is that they Are proliferating to facilities that Are not educational facilities. They Are hotels said Lesley Scheele Small cetaceans coordinator Lor Greenpeace International based in Forl Lauderdale. Fla captive dolphins do not Breed Well Scheele said adding that the continued capture and exploitation of the water dwelling mammals could seriously Impact their populations at sea. Responding to complaints As Well As the growing number of requests to operate Dolphin swim centers the National Marine fisheries service now is scrutinizing the programs run by Dolphin quest and three other facilities. Those concerns also have prompted the Agency to review provisions of the 1972 Marine mammal Protection act for the first time in 15 years. The service will decide by the end of the year whether or How to further regulate existing Dolphin display or swim permits which expire dec. 31. The Dolphin quest program at the Hyatt a fantasy themed hotel on Hawaii s big Island Koala coast is the latest and perhaps most successful use of dolphins As a tourist attraction. When the hotel opened last november the half hour $55 Dolphin encounters were booked three months in Advance by guests who were making their hotel reservations around the dolphins availability. Management switched to a first come first served system with 48 hours notice but Dolphin encounter slots were usually booked 20 minutes after Telephone lines opened. Eventually the lottery system was installed Lor applicants who include islanders and guests of neighbouring hotels. Every hotel in Hawaii wants to put a Dolphin in the swimming Pool Lor their guests said Georgia Cranmore an ecologist with the National Marine fisheries service. In addition to the Hyatt the service has issued permits to dolphins plus Dolphin research Center and theater of the sea in the Florida keys. Another the zoo vet Center operates a swim program at Hawk s Cay resort in Florida while its permit is pending. And outside . Jurisdiction the Dolphin experience at the International underwater explorers society on grand Bahama Island also operates a Dolphin swim program. Meanwhile the Federal government is investigating As yet unconfirmed reports of injuries to humans in the swim with Dolphin lagoons As Well As the cleanliness of the pools and the propriety of flying dolphins thousands of Miles to be used for encounters. The eight Atlantic Boltl Enose dolphins in the Hyatt Lagoon were captured in the Gulf of Mexico by Dolphin quest operators who trained them to accept petting As Well As fish As rewards for Good behaviour before flying them to Hawaii. 01 the dozens of species of dolphins Atlantic Boll Enose Are preferred because they do not Migrate and Are More comfortable in shallow Waters unlike the Pacific bottle nose and spinner dolphins native to the seas in the hawaiian islands said Rae Stone Dolphin quest owner and veterinarian. Trainers insist the dolphins Are not forced to interact with humans. If the captive dolphins did not like being petted and played with by strangers All Day Long they would t do it Dolphin quest training manager to Hay said. There is a free zone in the 35,000-Square-foot Lagoon where people Are not allowed but the dolphins choose not to use it. She said. Security guards watch the Lagoon 24 hours a Day to prevent people from jumping in with them. Still if dolphins do not voluntarily swim from their holding Lank to the open Lagoon where humans Are wailing for them a net is used to Force them out. They Are like children. They la lest you like saying do i really have to do this we say yes you do " Stone said. Once they re out in the open Lagoon it is totally voluntary she said. They re not fed during that  trainers at the Dolphin experience in the grand Bahamas and dolphins plus in key Largo fla., said that they allow some dolphins to leave their pens every Day for the open Ocean. Territorial and aware of their food source they always return spokesmen said. The dolphins at the Hyatt also have been exposed to the open sea which is connected to the Lagoon but showed no interest according to trainers once in the Hyatt Lagoon with humans Stone said dolphins Are protected in a variety of ways required life vests prevent swimmers from chasing the dolphins and dorsal Fin rides Are forbidden. Swimmers Are told not to touch the dolphins blowhole. They Are encouraged to stroke the dolphins skins and to act enthusiastic i they want the dolphins to play with them with hoops and balls. Stone insists that Dolphin quest which raises research funds and holds Field trips for local school children is More educational than entertaining and helps create future conservationists by hands on Contact with the mammals. Spokesmen for Greenpeace Hawaii and the West Hawaii humane society agree that the program is Well run. But ecologist Cranmore said. Obviously a hotel can never primarily provide Marine mammal education let s face  saturday septembers 1989 the stars and stripes Page 13