Flamingoland: 1963 - 1993

BACKGROUND

 
Flamingo Park opened on 28th June 1961 by Pentland Hick as The Yorkshire Zoological Gardens. In 1963, it was the first to display cetaceans in the UK, followed closely by Marineland Morecambe. The original dolphin pool was a small figure of eight facility in the reptile house. As well as bottlenosed dolphins, other whales were imported, including a young white whale in 1964 and a young pilot whale in 1966. In 1965, Hick decided to float the zoo on the UK Stock Exchange, and it became Associated Pleasure Parks. The success for the pioneering dolphin exhibits was due to the insight of the zoo professional Reg Bloom, who later was involved in similar developments at Windsor Safari Park, London Dolphinarium and Clacton Pier.

Dudley Zoo - Dolphins & Whales: 1971 - 1974

BACKGROUND

Dudley Zoo spent a period of time owned by Scotia Leisure, who also at that time owned Flamingo Park. The dolphin and whale pools were modified sea lion pools.  The walls being built to create more depth.

However, these plans fell foul of the local planning laws and the zoo was ordered to return the pools to their original state. The converted sea lion pools were in fact part of a number of listed buildings at the zoo designed by Berthold Lubetkin and the Tecton group between 1936 and 1937. Lubetkin - Tecton were also the designers of the London Zoo penguin pool.

The above schematic is of the original design for the sea lion pools at Dudley Zoo courtesy of the web site of The Conservation of Tecton Buildings group.

As the zoo was not prepared to invest in new purpose built pools, the whale 'Cuddles' was put up for sale. Sadly, the whale died on 6 February 1974 before being remove because of a long-term gastro-intestinal problem. The pools were returned to their original design and now house sea lions.

 

The Google map below shows the two pools. The whale pool was on the right-hand side.

A Review of Dolphinaria states:

The outdoor whale and dolphin pools were adapted from sea-lion pools in the castle moat. The roughly pear-shaped whale pool was about 15.24 x 6.1-10.67 x 3.66 m deep and the adjoining dolphin pool larger, but shallower, only one part being 3.05 m deep. The dolphins wintered at Flamingo; the killer whale may have remained. Dolphins may have been present in 1975. The female bottlenose dolphin, Winkie, from Scarborough was to have performed at the opening, but she died earlier at Scarborough.

PHOTOGRAPHS   

 

 

 

 

 

PRESS

Coventry Zoo Dolphinarium: 1972 - 1975

BACKGROUND
The Coventry Zoo was opened in 1966 by cousins of the Chipperfield circus family. It was notably famous for a large fiberglass Zulu warrior standing at the main gates. Coventry Zoo housed two bottle nose dolphins, 'Chipper' and 'Nero' for a number of years in the early nineteen-seventies in a geodesic dome. The animals had been originally imported from Florida for a dolphinarium in an amusement park in Weymouth in Dorest for one summer season in 1971 before being moved to Coventry. The animals eventually left the zoo and were re-homed at Tierpark Hagenbeck's dolphinarium, Hamburg, Germany.

Cleethorpes Marineland & Zoo: 1966 - 1974

BACKGROUND

 
Cleethorpes Zoo & Marineland was founded by Pentland Hick and was operated as a satellite zoo to Flamingo Park, both of which were later owned by Scotia Leisure. The Marineland complex consists of three pools.  The construction of the pools was interesting as they were made of reinforced prefabricated fiberglass which was assembled on site to form 10 sided polygons.

Clacton Pier Dolphinarium: 1971 - 1985

BACKGROUND

The pool complex on Clacton Pier was a former outdoor swimming pool. It was converted and operated by Reg Bloom and his family; he was responsible for the introduction of dolphins and later whales to the UK at Flamingoland. The main residents were the bottlenose dolphins, Bubbles and Squeak, and later young killer whales. When the dolphins and whales left the pier, they continued to be display with sea lions and fur seals and also a marine aquarium. There continued to be a marine aquarium on the pier, The SeAquarium. It closes in 2023.

Brighton Aquarium & Dolphinarium: 1968 - 1990

BACKGROUND

Detail of the hostory of the aquarium can be found in the guide books displayed below on this page and also in A Review of Dolphinaria published in 1986.

Brean Down Dolphinarium - 1974

BACKGROUND

Brean Down Dolphinarium was one season facility operating in 1974.  It was fabricated  as an in-ground breeze block construction with a plastic liner.

Blair Drummond Safari Park Dolphinarium: 1970 - 1984

BACKGROUND

Blair Drummond was a satellite dolphin show originally operated by Scarborough Marineland & Zoo.

Blackpool Dolphinarium - 1969

BACKGROUND

 
A seasonal temporary show ran for only one summer at Blackpool in 1969 by Joe Raber's Marine Mammals International with two dolphins named "Simbad" (pictured) and "Pronto". "Simbad" was later transferred (along with a number of animals) from Marine Mammals International (Battersea Park Dolphinarium, Royalty Folies) to the company who owned Margate Dolphinarium and other seasonal dolphinaria. These two companies did have business links at one point and the transfer of some animals to Queens Entertainments was agreed when they ceased joint business operations.

Battersea Park Dolphinarium: 1971 - 1973

BACKGROUND

The dolphinarium was housed in an existing building in the Festival Gardens, Battersea Park. It opened in March 1971. Press reports at the time detailed the head trainer as Jean Tiebor with three dolphins called Flipper, Skipper and Buddy. It is reported that these animals were collected from Florida in January 1971.