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January & February 2026 

By: Jessica Massie (DRCTI Graduate & Marine Mammal Trainer), Chris Faber (Animal Care & Training Staff), Sheri Pieloch (Volunteer Resources Coordinator) with photos by Cole Griffith (Visual Communications)

My 2026 New Year's Resolution is to...

Ace - Learn lots of new things
Aleta - Let Bowie grow up but also keep her safe from beaching on all the docks 
Atocha -  Keep working on my “zoom” behavior
Baby - Find my way around all of the new habitats
Blue- Get access to an unlimited supply of nuts
Bowie -  Figure out how all the other dolphins beach themselves so well
Buck- make more hiding spots in papers and bags
Cacica - Beat my record for number of baby nurse sharks caught
Calypso- Lose weight and exercise
Calusa - Work towards being the boss lady of the lagoon
Cane - Show off all of my behaviors that I know to the new trainers 
Cayo - Wear my ped band
Clyde - Know all of the trainers and the new habitats of DRC
Delta - Get checked off on my flip
Diamond - Make friends with all of my new roommates 
Diva - Ask for extra fish every night this year
Flagler - Collaborate with Tanner to create a “dive over” behavior
Gambit - Try to convince trainers only to feed me herring 
Gypsi - Finish a back flip
JJ - Make a new friend that can show me the DRC ways 
Jax - Learn crowd splash and splash the world
Lina - Show all the new friends the best parts about living at DRC 
Louie - Keep working on my tan (but don’t forget the sunscreen)
Luna - Learn lots of new “wait and go” behaviors 
Merlin - To keep calm and not fly off the handle 
Merina - Keep adding new trainers to the “who are they” game 
Morada - Maybe learn to water this year 
Mr. P - Try to develop a taste for different veggies and fruits
Pandora - Get checked off on my 180 degree tail walk
Pax - Keep being an ambassador for dolphins everywhere
Rainbow - Practice my balance and high perching outside
Raleigh - Show all of these new trainers how clever I can be 
Ranger - Make a best friend in the boys' group
Reese - Show all of the big boys that I am just as big in spirit 
Samantha - Learn as many new signals at DRC that I can
Sandy - Encourage everyone to have joy in life 
Santini - Break the Guinness World Record for the highest dolphin jump
Speedy - Dig an underground tunnel to the other side of the yard
Summer - Keep working on my back tail walk
Talon - Finish my banana jump 
Tanner - Perfect my “mark” behavior with research
Tursi - Start learning a couple of tactile signals for later in life 
Windley - Be even better at helping with special needs swims 
Ziggy - Get more walks with friends and practice for a tortoise feeding program

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