BACKGROUND
The zoo was developed by businessman Don Robinson who was also involved with Scotia Leisure the one time owners of Flamingo Park Zoo and it's satellite zoos. Scarborough also supplied dolphins for Blair Drummond Safari Park and had associations with the directors of Margate dolphinarium and supplied animals for one season at Gwrych Castle.
During two winter seasons it supplied dolphins for shows in swimming pools in Bolton and Belfast.
The Marineland closed in 1984. The site was then developed into Mr Marvel's
Theme Park which ran until the early nineteen-nineties. The site is currently derelict.
A Review of Dolphinaria states:
A Review of Dolphinaria states:
The dolphin pool was 13.72 x 6.89 x 3.05 m deep, surface area 95 m2 ; open in summer but covered with a temporary timber structure in winter. The second, glass-sided tank, 12.19 x 4.88 x 2.74 m deep, surface area 60 m2 , was used at times as a dolphin holding or isolation pool and had a temporary wooden roof in winter. Three portable holding tanks of about 5,000 gallons each were noted in October 1974. The dolphins usually wintered elsewhere: Malta (1974 at least), South Africa (1975-1976), Gibraltar (1977?), Windsor (1978-1985), Christmas 1983/4 Belfast. Some animals travelled between Scarborough/Flamingo and Mr Robinson's establishment at Hemingford, Quebec in Canada about 1970 - 1974. Natural sea water was used in the early years, but artificial salt water later for improved water quality control. The dolphin pool was cooled in summer. Scarborough was run with Flamingo from 1969-1973, but there were earlier connections as Mr Robinson was one of the Flamingo founders. At that time Flamingo also supplied Dudley and Cleethorpes. Fran 1974-1978 Scarborough supplied the Blair Drummond dolphins. The Scarborough dolphins performed under the names of 'Flipper' and 'Jenkie'.PHOTOGRAPHS
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| Picture Copyright Amy Walton |
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| Dolphins being caught from the underwater viewing tank at Scarborough Marineland and Zoo. They are being transported to the newly built dolphinarium at Blair Drummond Safari Park in Scotland. |
Scarborough Marineland 1976