SeaWorld dolphin bites 7-year-old's hand, Again

napnet

Active Member
Original Poster
Hrm, i doubt he was just 'petting' the dolphin... something tells me he did something it didn't like.

A Port Orange boy celebrating his birthday with a sleepover at SeaWorld Orlando was bitten on the hand Sunday morning by a dolphin he was petting.

This is the second incident in three weeks in which a dolphin bit a child at SeaWorld's Dolphin Cove, a popular dolphin-petting attraction.

It took two adults to pry the dolphin's mouth open so that 7-year-old Hunter Hovan Quidor's hand could be freed, his mother Hollie Bethany said.

The dolphin bite left Hunter's right thumb bruised and swollen. It did not break through the skin.

"It felt painful," Hunter said. "He was pressing harder every time I yanked."

The boy, who is fascinated by dolphins, was celebrating his birthday with friends during a sleepover in the Dolphin Cove underwater-viewing area. After breakfast, Hunter, accompanied by a SeaWorld employee, went to pet the dolphins when one bit down on his hand.

"Maybe he thought it was a fish," the boy said.

His mother said she heard her the boy screaming and looked up in horror to see his hand inside of the animals' mouth.

"It was scary, but when you are a parent you need to be calm," Bethany said.

After the boy got an ice pack to place over his thumb at the first-aid station, he went back to pet dolphins, encouraged by his mother.

"Dolphins are really something he loves and I don't want him to be scared," Bethany said. "It's important for kids to know that wild animals are wild. Sometimes things will happen that will scare you, but you have to give them another chance."

SeaWorld spokeswoman Becca Bides said no changes are being planned for the attraction.

"We feel very confident the way it is set up," Bide said.

She said the incident was caused by an overexcited, 3-year-old animal.

"We do have animals that, as animals of any age and even humans, they get excited and get rambunctious," Bides said.

An animal expert present during the incident, reported there was no aggressive behavior from the dolphin, just playful activity, Bides said.

In late July, a 6-year-old Georgia boy was bitten on the arm at the same attraction. He, too, had minor injuries.

As for Hunter, he plans to pet dolphins again as soon as he has the chance.

"I'll just remember really good how this one looked like so that I can stay away from him."


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...rl-dolphin2106aug21,0,6568854.story?track=rss
 

Shaman

Well-Known Member
Are they sure it wasn't a shark who thought it was a dolphin? :lookaroun

I'm thinking the boy put his hand inside or near the dolphins mouth....nice to see the parents looking at such a situation intelligently for a change. Glad to hear the kid is okay and that he went back and pet some more dolphins....
 

napnet

Active Member
Original Poster
I'm sure the parents beleived 'lil angel johnny' who said 'i was just petting it' when infact he was trying to put army men down the Dolphin's blow hole. I always lied to my parents like that when i did something bad... what kid didnt? :)
 

Hakunamatata

Le Meh
Premium Member
I'm sure the parents beleived 'lil angel johnny' who said 'i was just petting it' when infact he was trying to put army men down the Dolphin's blow hole. I always lied to my parents like that when i did something bad... what kid didnt? :)

The kid probably said something like "Ever seen the inside of a tuna net"? The dolphin took offense and said "Ever been bitten by a dolphin?" And from there it got ugly....
 

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Kinda reminds me of another Family Guy episode:

Chris: Dad, what's the blow-hole for?
Peter: I'll tell you what it's not for, son. And when I do, you'll understand why I can never go back to Sea World.

:lookaroun :lol:
 

steviej

Well-Known Member
Are they sure it wasn't a shark who thought it was a dolphin? :lookaroun

I'm thinking the boy put his hand inside or near the dolphins mouth....nice to see the parents looking at such a situation intelligently for a change. Glad to hear the kid is okay and that he went back and pet some more dolphins....

couldn't agree more, especially with how lawyer happy everyone is today.
 

CAPTAIN HOOK

Well-Known Member
This is the second incident in three weeks in which a dolphin bit a child at SeaWorld's Dolphin Cove, a popular dolphin-petting attraction

Dolphin Cove is NOT a petting area - it is a close up dolphin viewing area with the opportunity to hand feed the dolphins with fish at certain times of the day. There aren't any Dolphin petting areas within the park (except for the stuffed toy ones in the shops)
 

napnet

Active Member
Original Poster
Dolphin Cove is NOT a petting area - it is a close up dolphin viewing area with the opportunity to hand feed the dolphins with fish at certain times of the day. There aren't any Dolphin petting areas within the park (except for the stuffed toy ones in the shops)

Do they have shark petting anywhere? I'd love to try that :)
 

TheMommie

New Member
Hi

Do they have shark petting anywhere? I'd love to try that :)
Actually if you do the preditor tour you get to pet baby bamboo sharks :animwink: You also get to do that at some of the slumber parties. We have petted them like 8 times now.

And now I have to start ALLL over typing the facts about what happened Ugghh
 

TheMommie

New Member
Trying again

Okay I wrote this looonngg all the details post and it wouldn't post :hammer:

Okay this is Hunter's mom HI:wave:
Not sure why people are dissing my porr kidlet but anywhooo here is the scoop the whole scoop and nothing but the scoop.

We did the Birthday slumber party in the underwater viewing area of Dolphin cove (can also do it in Manatee, Penguin encounter, or Buluga Whales)
After a slow start we got to the Florida classroom and had an educational tour of the animals in teh classroom to include a baby alligator, Red ear Slidder Turtle, a Boa, Scorpion and Soft sheel turtle and a fresh water fish tank.

We then headed over to Shamo Show and had very nice reserved seating for the show.

After Shamo was pizza party and cake then our craft project tie-dye pillowcases.

Then we went back int o the park which was closed by now empty excepting for us and the workers on the night shift. We went backstage at Shark encounter petted our bamboo sharks (remember two fingers and pet near the tail)
Into Shark encounter to see it with no one eles around (OHHHHH)
Then off to Manatee to see the slumbering manatees and watch them do thier domino effect thing to get air while sleeping pretty funny.

Then off to set up our sleeping bags in the underwater viewing area of Dolphin Cove. Opened presents than lights out about midnight. The dolphins are pretty much asleep excepting for a few that were still checking out the kids.

In the morning we awoke to scuba divers pressure washing the rocks inside the tank very funny. THe dolphins were not digging the sound or water of the pressure washers and would swim up to and then fast away from the divers. We went to the bathrooms and changed out of our jammies and brushed teeth. then back to pack up our stuff and load it in the van.

We then went off to breakfast with muffins as big as the kids heads fruit, juice, milk and coffee for the grownups. From breakfast we went to see the new baby dolphin in the dolphin nursey he is 2 cute! One Aunt was very inquisitive about the kids and kept looking up at us.

Then off to the stingray tank where we were very lucky that with only a few little hands out the sting rays were actually interested in being petted and occasionaly splashing the kids for squeals and giggles. Hunter was given a stingray tooth to keep and they showed us the barbed stinger of a stingray.

Then we went to the Dolphin Cove and watched from the higher sidewalk while the trainers had a wild and rauchous good time during thier morning feeding and behavior time. After the trainers moved out the kids went down with our great camp counselor Cindy and us parents were pulling out our cameras. Hunter was beside Cindy and the first to put out his hand and the adorible Beetle who still was charged up ready to play swam up and came out of the water (just his head) and bit down on Hunter's right thumb.

Hunter was screaming and trying to pull his thumb free and Beetle just seemed to be looking at him as if to say "Dude Let's Party".:p

So Cindy was trying to pull on Beetle's mouth and then a trainer ran over and got the mouth open. Beetle quite aghaust that his playmate was screaming and crying and not jumping in for a swim promptly did a breach jump and splashed us. He even swam along the pool as we left to go to the first aid room. The other kids stayed with a trainer and another trainer kept Beetle to the other side of the pool. Hunter had a line of red with two darker round marks on the top side of his thumb running from the lowest joint up to the middle joint where the other dark red mark was and one larger red area at the base of the thumb on the inside.

HUnter was given an ice pack and a small Shamo stuffed toy and when he said he didn't want to pet the dolphins anymore I assured him Beetle was only showing how much he liked him and reminded Hunter what we had learned that dolphins show affection and part of thier socialization is biteing so he must have really liked him.

So Hunter went back and the trainer got another dolphin to come up and allow the kids to pet her tail and back. Then the kids played Peek a boo with a dolphin and Hunter threw Beetle some fish after admonishing him "Don't bite again".

We then headed back to the classroom to get our tie-dyed pillowcases and have a surprise visit from Shamo Character for pictures and hugs and special SeaWorld gift bags and a medium sized Shamo toy for Hunter.

We went back in the park after everyone was seen off and a trainer took Hunter into the "VIP" area and let him feed some more and pet some dolphins.

We stand firmly behind SeaWorld and this was an accident no more than hopping a 3 year old up on sugar and them biteing another child. We have spoken with the Florida Wildlife Commision investigator and stated very strongly that we do not support charges being filed.

From information we have been given we believe the Gerogia Boys family may be planning a lawsuit so we want to make sure that we will be on SeaWorld's side.

Please do not use this accident as a reason not to go to SeaWorld it is an amazing educational and fun park for our kids. And we have done the dolphin swim at Discovery Cove earlier this year and reccomend it highly as well!

So that's the story and don't be dissingon my kidlet no more:zipit: :animwink:
 

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