Dolphin Blog
Brookfield Zoo’s seven bottlenose dolphins, accompanied by a team of veterinarians, animal care specialists, and support staff, have arrived safely to their temporary home at Minnesota Zoo. The animals’ stay in Minnesota allows for their habitat at Seven Seas to receive necessary updates and renovations.
Follow along to see our dolphins' adventures in Minnesota.
May 14, 2023
Celebrating Mother's Day with Tapeko!
On Mother's Day, there's no better time to celebrate bottlenose dolphin, Tapeko! 41-year-old Tapeko is the matriarch of our group of dolphins, and mom to Noelani (born in 2003) and Allison (born in 2005). She is also the mother of Merlin, who was born in 2013, and moved to Texas State Aquarium last year in order to join a juvenile male dolphin pod.
Tapeko and her offspring, as well as our other dolphins Lucky, Allie, Kai, and Spree, are all doing well at their temporary home at Minnesota Zoo while renovations continue in Seven Seas. Stay tuned to our website for updates!
April 1, 2023
Happy Birthday, Allie!
It's a cetacean celebration! Our bottlenose dolphin Allie turned 36 years old on April 1, and our staff in Minnesota helped mark the occasion. Here are some fun facts about Allie:
-She actually used to live in Minnesota Zoo more than a decade ago, in this very habitat! This helped with a smooth transition for her temporary move during our Seven Seas renovation.
-Allie's favorite toy is a basketball!
-She participates in five training/care sessions per day, two of which are public presentations. This is terrific for Allie, because she loves the enrichment and learning new things!
-Her favorite acrobatic behavior is a one-and-a-half forward somersault!
February 14, 2023
Always in our Hearts!
While our dolphins may temporarily be at Minnesota Zoo, they are always in our hearts! Happy Valentine's Day from our sweet cetacean crew.
Our dolphins have now settled into their habitat at Minnesota Zoo, and are available to be seen by the public! Daily dolphin demonstrations are being held at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The dolphins can also be seen throughout the day in the Discovery Bay underwater viewing area.
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December 22, 2022
- Cetacean's greetings!
Our holly jolly dolphin Lucky and animal care specialist Bethany are sending holiday wishes from Minnesota Zoo while our Seven Seas building undergoes renovations.
BZ's dolphins and their care staff are all doing well, and the dolphins continue to settle into their temporary home at Minnesota Zoo's Discovery Bay. They can now be seen via their underwater viewing area or their upper-level viewing area. This space is also home to Ola, a Hawaiian monk seal, and the two species are separately rotated between the public-viewing pool and their behind-the-scenes pools. And, dolphin presentations at Minnesota Zoo's Discovery Bay open to the public on Friday, December 23!
November 21, 2022
Behind the Scenes: Dolphins Move to Minnesota Zoo
Recently, our seven bottlenose dolphins moved to Minnesota Zoo. They'll be there for several months while Seven Seas undergoes renovations. Find out more about this massive endeavor in the above video!