October 3, 2011
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Mourns the Passing of Terry, the Dolphin, at Age 51
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom staff are mourning the passing late Saturday night of their beloved dolphin Terry, the park’s oldest Atlantic bottlenose dolphin and at 51, one of the oldest dolphins residing in a North American marine mammal facility. The cause of death is pending results from a necropsy, though it can likely be attributed to her advanced age.
“Terry had well surpassed the commonly held lifespan of this species both in captivity and in the wild,” said Michael Muraco, Animal Care Director. “Each day that she lived in recent years was really a milestone and we’re thankful so many individuals were able to learn from her and enjoy her lively spirit. Amazingly, her age at 51 is comparable to a human at 95 years old.”
Terry had been a resident of the park since it was originally located in Redwood City. She was one of the hundreds of animals that moved to Vallejo when the park re-opened in 1985 aboard the “traveling ark.” While the average dolphin lifespan is up to 25 years; there are some rare individuals, such as Terry, that have managed to live beyond expectations. As a senior animal, most people wouldn’t have noticed if Terry was older, except she had lost the majority of her teeth, which never impaired her appetite or ability to eat since dolphins swallow fish whole.
Over the past couple of years, she slowed down, but her mind was quite active and according to her dedicated trainer staff – all of whom counted her as their favorite - she was still able to fit in her favorite activities, such as sitting next to people, sleeping and swimming with her fin holding a small hoop that has been characterized as her “purse.”
As the most reliable of all of the dolphins during interactions with guests, she stayed agile and friendly all of her life. Up until her passing, she was still adept at performing most of her behaviors, including her wave, a kiss and hug, an air spin (albeit barely out of the water) and squirt gun — where she would spit at the person facing her. Guests could enjoy seeing her up-close during Dolphin Encounter opportunities and during the Dolphin Discovery in-water dolphin swim program.
In August 2010 on the occasion of her 50th birthday, Terry was made an honorary member of the Red Hat Society, the international society dedicated to reshaping the way women over 50 and beyond are viewed in today’s culture.
“Terry has been the most special dolphin any of us here have ever worked with and she has touched all of our lives in indescribable ways,” said Kim Lara, marine mammal manager. “She was the epitome of what we imagine an animal her age would be like – she had a gentle, loving nature but yet she was playful and very funny. She will be missed by all.”
