Jinx
Indo Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops aduncus
Jinx is captive bred, born on November 14 2005. Making her current age at the time of this photograph almost 11 years old.
Sired by Squeak and Delbert, making Jinx a 3rd generation Captive Bred dolphin on her dame’s side. Delbert Jinx’s sire was wild caught and transferred to SWGC from Marineland GC and is estimated to be approx. 53 years old. Squeak’s dame (Jinx’s grandma) was a dolphin named Splash, she was a wild capture in approx 1966 when she was estimated to be 15 years old and then transferred to SWGC from Marineland GC in 1976, she died in July 2010 at the estimated age of 59 years. Squeak’s sire is currently data deficient.
Jinx currently performs in the dolphin show. She is also a part of the breeding program having had her 1st calf Dusty on 9th December 2016.
While observing a trainer feeding two dolphins in lagoon number 2 from the walkway leading from pool 1 near the gate that links lagoon 2 and 4 we noticed one of the dolphins had missing teeth. We asked one of the trainers that was taking us through this area the name of that dolphin and was told it was Jinx. We then went onto ask the age of the dolphin and was told around 10 years.
We had asked Trevor earlier if there were problems with the dolphins chewing on enclosures and gates, his response was to tell us usually the gates were left open so the dolphins could choose where they wanted to go. Only using gates to separate social groups if needed. We didn’t get a direct response to the issue to problems with teeth. However while taking these photographs of Jinx a few minutes later we were stand over the gate that divides lagoons 2 and 4 when a loud banging on the gate, was heard by two of us. This happened 2 or 3 times.
