The dolphin's smile is simply the line of its jaw, and life in the ocean is not always worth smiling about. The ocean is a hostile environment and dolphins spend a majority of their time searching for food and avoiding predators. Good or bad, the ocean is definitely stimulating. Here at the Minnesota Zoo the dolphins have no predators and we feed each of the dolphins approximately 25 pounds of fish a day. One of the reasons we train the dolphins is to provide a stimulating environment for them, challenging them mentally and physically.
Dolphins can be fascinating animals to observe, both in the ocean and in a zoological setting.
Unfortunately most people will never get the opportunity to see them in the wild. A public presentation with dolphins performing a variety of behaviors increases the public's awareness of the unique abilities of dolphins, thus educating through entertainment. Most of what we know today about dolphin physiology, reproduction and behavior has been learned from dolphins in zoos and oceanaria. Many questions about dolphins remain as yet unanswered. Information gathered from studying dolphins in a zoological setting, combined with field observations, will help scientists conserve wild populations.