Life of a Sea World trainer gets seal of approval
Published on 12 May, 2009
Surfing on dolphins, playing with seals and hosting whale-watching may seem like the best job in the world - and it probably is.
"But most of the time we are covered in fish scales and squid juice," says Tacha Mulligan, a CQUniversity graduate who considers herself to be blessed every day.
Tacha volunteered to work at Sea World while completing her Bachelor of Science degree at CQUniversity Rockhampton, where she lived at Capricornia College on campus.
She also did volunteer placements with the Mon Repos turtles near Bundaberg and with native animals at Currumbin Sanctuary.
The keen student continued to volunteer at Sea World during her holidays and started as a paid employee back in 1997 only 48 hours after completing her studies, thanks to her experience and tertiary qualifications (which included a Zoology major).
"Within 2 years of working at Sea World I was fortunate enough to participate in a trainer exchange program with Dolphin Quest Hawaii.
"I spent just over a month on the Big Island of Hawaii learning new training techniques and skills," Tacha said.
Tacha gets up close and personal
"Up until the end of 2000 I worked in our Dolphin Bay interactive team. This involved working with inshore and offshore bottlenose dolphins, an indo pacific humpback dolphin and a false killer whale, conducting interactive programs, taking the public swimming with the dolphins and dealing with any celebrities that came into Sea World.
"We also filmed numerous televison and film projects including The New Adventure Series of Flipper, Mermaids, and The Ring of Endless Light.
"At the start of 2001 I transferred over to Dolphin Cove-show dolphins. I stayed here until the end of 2005 performing twice daily in Sea World's Dolphin Cove Show. This included surfing on the dolphins and doing the rocket ride, where 2 dolphins push you to the bottom of our 8m pool and then propel you at high speed about 6-7m out of the water into a leaping dive. So much fun!
"From there I transferred to Seal Theatre where I currently work. I train and work with numerous species of seals including Californian sea lions, New Zealand fur seals, Sub Antartic fur seals and Australian sea lions. All of these participate in both shows and programs.
"In 2007 I was fortunate enough to be one of the 4 trainers chosen from Sea World to film the movie Nim's Island with Jodie Foster, Abigail Bresilin and Gerard Butler.
"The film featured 2 of our Australian Sea Lions 'Spud' and 'Friday' in the main role of 'Selkie the sea lion'. We moved the boys out to Movie World Studios for 5 months and worked both at Sea World and on the movie set 7 days a week.
"Even though seal theatre is my main home base, on any given day I may be called to do an interactive program with our dolphins or perform in Sea World's new dolphin show 'Imagine'.
"I love the variety of being able to work in all 3 marine mammal areas in Sea World, sometimes all in the one day!"
Tacha said she had an incredibly personal bond with her seals and dophins.
"Everything we do with our animals is based on trust and rapport. There is no way you could get a 240kg dolphin or a 350kg sea lion to do something if it doesn't trust you! You also need to be able to trust them too.
"Both dolphins and seals have 10 times the jaw pressure of a doberman dog, and the water is definitely their domain. Seals can also run faster than humans on land.
"By forging an incredibly strong relationship with your animals, you are able to train them complex show behaviours, to have patience in interactive behaviours and to be able to relax during medical procedures.
"My animals make me laugh everyday. I get so excited when they achieve a behaviour for the very first time and they do too.
"They very much respond to affection and attention and that is one of the many reinforcers we use when we are training our animals.
"I have been blessed by so many opportunities and experiences in this job. I have witnessed over 15 dolphin births ... I have even been in the water with the mother during one of these - an incredible moment.
Meeting the wild and wonderful
"I have trained and looked after these babies right up to doing full shows or interactive programs. Watching my baby dolphin jumping for the first time in a show is pretty exciting!
"I have trained baby seals also for participating in shows and programs. Baby seals are so much fun, just like having puppies with flippers.There is honestly nothing like having your 100kg baby seal or dolphin curl or swim up into your lap and fall asleep.
"We also train 3 pelicans that participate in our seal show and having a trust relationship with them is incredibly important. These birds are fantastic if they know you and trust you but if they don't recognise you, watch out!
"I have also been incredibly fortunate to participate in the rescue and rehab of many different marine mammal species. Humpback whales, melon head whales, pilot whales, false killer whales, indo-pacific humback and bottlenose dolphins, spotted and rough toothed dolphins, dugongs, New Zealand fur seals to name a few."
Tacha said that fitness was a key to success in her job.
"Strength in swimming and lifting is important as is cardio-vascular fitness as we on our feet all day and constantly moving around with our animals.
"Having good breath-hold ability and being comfortable underwater is obviously important too."
Tacha said the job was not all glamour as she had to get in the water all the time, even during rainy or cold weather.
"The show must go on! It also can be a 24-hour 7-days a week job if you are looking after a stranded orphaned baby dolphin, dugong or seal that needs to be fed every 2 hours.
"When I helped raise our 2 orphaned dugongs my schedule would be work from 8am-4pm, go home for sleep till 11pm, get up and do the 12am 2am, 4am and 6am feeds, then back to work at 8am and start all over again. Hard work but very rewarding."
Tacha also works during whale season as a host on Sea World's whale watch boat 'Migloo'.
"Whale watching season is from June-November and I love heading out onto the ocean to introduce people to the amazing world of the humpback whales.
"Seeing these majestic animals in the wild really makes me appreciate my job at Sea World.
"I am so lucky to know all of my Sea World animals personally; they all have such different and unique personalities, and I wonder what the whales' personalities might be like.
"It also inspires me to motivate people to protect not only these amazing animals but also their environment."
Tacha said that strong relationships with her animals reduced the risk of injury but could not rule it out completely.
"I have had a 170 kg dolphin accidentally land on my head during a mis-timed water hurdle," she said.
"I have also been bitten by a baby seal who was trying to get me to play (similar to puppies or kittens nipping for attention). Unfortunately he was 60kg at the time and my skin isn't quite as tough as seal skin!"
