Gourmet Cuisine For The Multispecies Family
Dolphin Quest Oahu’s aquarist whips up a gourmet meal for our multispecies family, which includes a brown stingray, two green sea turtles and 25 species of fish. Our aquarist ensures that the menu mimics the animals’ natural diets.
A key ingredient is the right blend of calories and fat. Puakenikeni, our stingray, enjoys restaurant quality pieces of squid and capelin. The turtles receive a gel, which our aquarist makes using lettuce, spiralina powder (powder from a blue green algae) and pre-formulated pellets designed for the reptiles’ specific stage of development.
The lagoons contain a buffet of algae and amphipods for the fish. We supplement this food as needed for different species of fish. Grazing fish, for example, must forage to prevent their teeth from overgrowing. To assist with their dental health, we make feeders from floating whiffle balls stuffed with a special gel.
Our aquarist also works with DQO’s trainers and interns to teach individual fish a range of voluntary behaviors – from swimming through hoops to touching a target pole. She carefully monitors the fish to ensure the animals receive the right balance between the food available in the lagoons and the food used to shape behaviors. Visit DQO and enjoy positive reinforcement training with dolphins, stingray, turtles and fish.
