Approximately 700 children attended the grand opening of the new Almaty dolphinairum on May 12 that was accompanied by a charity show, Tengrinews.kz reported, citing Vitaly Staragin, public relations and marketing director of the dolphinarium chain Nemo.
The facility is currently located in the vicinity of the Almaty-1 train station but will soon be relocated to the Central Park of Culture and Recreation, according to Staragin.
“It will be a permanent, year-round, large and beautiful building that will meet all maintenance standards [for mammals]. Within [the next] six months we will move there. Now, the building is being prepared. … We employ highly-qualified specialists and use modern equipment. The water is cleaner than in the sea, and the content is ideal [for the mammals],” said Staragin.
In addition to the facility’s entertainment shows, the dolphinarium will hold scientific shows that will recount in detail the secrets of maritime wildlife and night shows involving different artists and diving sessions, including a dolphin therapy programme for the treatment of autistic children and children with infantile cerebral paralysis (ICP).
“When we move into a stationary facility, we will bring a beluga dolphin. From time to time, we will bring new fish and mammals, and it will be a surprise for our audience,” Staragin said. Currently, the new dolphinarium has six animals and mammals: a Pacific bottlenose dolphin named Nicole; two Black Sea bottlenose dolphins: Kate and Yumi; two South American fur seals Anfisa and Vasilisa; and a sea lion named Zlata. All of them were transported to Almaty from Odessa, Ukraine.
As previously reported by Tengrinews.kz, the dolphinarium in the Central Park of Culture and Recreation is expected to be 1,000 square metres with a 750 seating capacity.
