You may have heard of or visited the world-famous Dolphin Research Center at MM 59 in the Middle Keys. A serious-minded facility devoted to education and public awareness, the DRC is also the final resting place of the most famous dolphin ever — Mitzi, better known to the world by her stage name, Flipper.
Flashback to the mid 1950s when a Florida Key’s fisherman named Milton Santini began collecting bottlenose dolphins to sell to aquariums and attractions. Two years into it, Milton catches a dolphin who he names Mitzi but before he can transport her to one of his customer’s facilities, a back injury sidelines him. For the next several weeks, Milton hangs out recovering by the dolphin pool and soon he and Mitzi begin to bond.
And then one day Milton accidentally drops a small exercise ball into the pool. Mitzi immediately tosses the ball back to him. Milton can’t believe his eyes! He throws the ball farthr down the pool. Again, Mitzi, retrieves the ball and tosses it back to him. Intrigued, Milton began training Mitzi using fish as a reward. When he tossed the fish too far behind her, Mitzi would swim backwards on her tail to retrieve it. Thus began the “Backward Tail Walk” and a star is born.
By1958 Milton, who had become a pioneer in dolphin husbandry and training, decided to open “Santini’s Porpoise School” where visitors could actually swim with the dolphins. Word of his unique attraction spread and four years later Hollywood came calling. Santini’s beloved Mitzi, along with five other of his dolphins, land starring roles in the pilot movie “Flipper.”
Shot on location at Santini’s Porpoise School, the movie put sleepy Grassy Key on the map. Mitzi’s lively screen presence made the 1963 film (and its accompanying TV series) a huge hit, and she became a beloved celebrity on Grassy Key.
Santini’s Porpoise School continued until Mitzi’s death in 1972. Not long after, a heartbroken Santini sold his attraction.
Eventually Jayne Shannon-Rodriguez and Mandy Rodriguez acquired the property and in 1984, opened the not-for-profit Dolphin Research Center.
Today, the DRC is dedicated to dolphin research, education, conservation and manatee rescue. Currently, the DRC’s 90,000 square feet of pristine seawater lagoons are home to over two dozen dolphins, some of whom are direct descendants of Mitzi’s co-stars, as well as four California sea lions.
In addition to the narrated shows, you can also register for all kinds of interactive programs that include Ultimate Trainer for a Day, Dolphin Splash, Meet the Dolphin, Paint with a Dolphin and the popular Dolphin Encounter where you can actually experience the thrill of a dorsal pull.
If you want to take home an unforgettable memory while you’re here in the Keys, be sure to visit the incredibly special not-for-profit Dolphin Research Center where a touching dolphin memorial pays homage to Mitzi Find it at 58901 Oversees Highway (MM 59 Gulfside) on Grassy Key in Marathon. Open daily from 9am – 4:30pm (except for certain holidays). Info and reservations: 305-289-002; dolphins.org.
Have you ever taken a swim with a dolphin?