At the Mystic trainer's recommendation she majored in biology, took psychology courses and completed internships at a dolphin research center in the Florida Keys and at Mystic Aquarium. They transferred to SeaWorld Florida in 1997. McMahon-Van Oss performs in the Key West Dolphin Fest, which displays the animals' natural abilities, she said. You give them toys, fish or attention to increase the frequency of good behavior. New trainers rub down and feed the animals, and the animals, which can discriminate between trainers, view them positively in return.
Trainers direct the animals with hand signals and an extension pole.
To set up an aerial, McMahon-Van Oss swims to the pool bottom, gets into position with the animal, makes sure the other trainer is ready and then goes for it. She admits there is some risk in working with large animals but says trainers won't get into the water if the animals are out of sorts or behaving strangely. Between shows trainers swim, instruct and play with the animals. Senior trainer is the last position before entering management, which is her goal, along with eventually moving into animal breeding, possibly with SeaWorld's false killer whale colony. It seems inevitable that McMahon-Van Oss will master this next aerial.