The dark blue water in the pool ripples with movement. Suddenly five pacific white sided dolphins burst from the water and majestically soar 30 feet into the sky. As the 300 pound marine mammals crash back into the pool a gigantic splash of water splatters over the rail and lands at the feet of a five year old girl seated in the front row. The pint sized fan claps, raises her arms enthusiastically and laughs as the crowd erupts in applause. As the girl’s family leave the Oceanarium, still smiling and talking about the show, Jessica Whiton, an animal trainer at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, reaches for a shovel and heads to the seal habitat to shovel feces out of a drain. Welcome to the world of dolphin training.
