R.I.P Amity – A Sea World Icon

Black Cove

On Sunday February 10, the news was shared on a cetacean-interest Facebook page that Amity, Sea World Gold Coast’s oldest dolphin had died.  The comments that followed were mostly from people who had known and worked with Amity during their careers, and it was clear that there was a genuine fondness for this captive dolphin.

Amity received her name from the area where she was collected – Amity Banks in Moreton Bay, Queensland.  Estimated to be around 3 or 4 years of age, Amity was  captured sometime in the mid to late 60’s when wild dolphin capture was still legal in Australia.

It is likely that Amity belonged to the resident population in that area, and as a juvenile Australian Humpback dolphin (Sousa sahulensis), she would either have been taken from her mother or would have recently become independent, as calves of this species usually stay with Mums for around…

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