Dolphin painting project

I noticed that one dolphin of the group was looking more "aware" than the other, so I decided to see how she will do with painting. I've seen a LOT of facilities where doing this already, so nothing was really new at first. That's why I wanted to push the experience further, to see if this dolphin could be aware of what she was doing, instead of just holding a pencil, and having someone moving the sheet, like I noticed in some other facility. In my case, the frame is stable on a platform and I'm not holding it or touching it. Also, the dolphin is outside as well and stable, so what she wanted to do is also not influenced by the movement of the water.

As you can see, the video speaks by itself, and I was quite pleased by the results. This dolphin was so enjoying it at the end, than even sometimes she was doing it without any primary reinforcement. Look correctly at the video, you can actually see her looking at what she did between each time she draw. :)

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• dolphin
• painting
• marine
• mammal
• sea
• water
• trainer
• training
• animal
• pet

[Irobrc]

it would be nice if you make a front shot of the painting after the dolphin has finished. so we can se the resulting pice of art.

[frenchorcatrainer]

@Irobrc I will definitely think about that, if I make more video in the future like that. :)

[baskerzeke]

I would never paint if I had to do it with my mouth.

[frenchorcatrainer]

@baskerzeke Some people unfortunately do it too, because they don't have other choices.

[ASwiftHippie]

I learned something from this. Elephants are much better painters than dolphins. But I imagine an elephant nose is a lot easier to paint with.

[frenchorcatrainer]

@ASwiftHippie If dolphin had hands, they certainly be better painter though ;)

[Redflowers9]

great, now sell it as modern art! Leonardo Dolphinci

[Werewolphe]

It looks like she is having problems seeing what she is painting.

She keeps turning sideways, then turning back to the painting.

What if she held the paint brush sideways?

[rpvtca65]

Way cool! Try giving them a boomerang shaped brush so they can see it better and set the canvas to the side. .^. oh yeah, and give them a choice of which brush color to use.

[Velox415]

@frenchorcatrainer Should get some of those pens or markers or whatever that you can use underwater and let it use them; it'd probably have a much better time of it then.

[abionsky1]

your dolphin is amphibian!

[baskerzeke]

@frenchorcatrainer That would be some intense dedication. I can paint and draw with my feet fairly well.  But again, some people don't have that option either.

[IStehSHIT]

@frenchorcatrainer the thinks you have to do just to get some fish

[Pixelfyed]

This is scary (for me)