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We were constituted as company in 1990, since that moment and with only 4 dolphins, we engaged with the Biology Institute of National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) to perform a study of the zone (Holbox Island) where these individuals came from. The study was in charge of the current Research Department Leader of the company, Dr. Alberto Delgado Estrella, this study has been performed until today.
After many months of constancy in the adaptation, development and training of the dolphins, finally in January 1992 we initiated our interactive programs at the dolphin facilities in the Xcaret park.
On September 23th of the same year the first birth of a dolphin calf took place in our facilities. Ixchel gave birth to Xuna, who was our pride since is the first surviving calf of this species born in captivity in Mexico, eleven years later September 14th 2003, Xuna became mother of the first calf of the second generation born in Via Delphi, fact that very few facilities around the world have achieved.
In 1996
we initiated a program with a social approach that would
involve students of public schools from the zone. It would
have the object of increasing children's appreciation ability
and respect to the living beings. The program is still being
performed under these principles with excellent results.
From May to August 1998, five more calves were born in Via Delphi. This fact gave us the great opportunity to carry out important research projects that have been of great interest for the world scientific community.
In April, 1998 we hosted the 23rd Internacional Meeting for the Marine Mammals Research.
During all its history, Via Delphi has collaborated in stranded animals rescues. One of the most gratifying cases has been "Hercules", an orphan manatee calf, which in may 1999 Via Delphi assisted due to a Belize Government request. The manatee was satisfactorily recovered and after being two years under our care, was released at its original place.
In August 1999 the seventh dolphin calf was born in the Dolphin facility II of Xcaret, in the 2000 a year later, the eighth one was born.
The Annual Conference
of IMATA (International Marine Animals Trainers Association)
was for the first time in its history, hosted in a Latin-American
country. In October 2000, 500
of the 900 of its members attended the Conference, this
time carried out in Xcaret park. We were pleased to receive
the People's Choice Award, which is granted by the participants
to the person, group or organization whose contribution
is considered the most important for the conference held.
A reliable year for Via Delphi in the breeding field was 2001, same in which the seven successful births took place in our facilities increasing the number of calves born in the company.
On April 7th we had the great opportunity to assist a uncommon stranded individual: a female species Steno Bredanensis, commonly known as rough teethed dolphin. The animal was moved to one of our Xcaret dolphin facilities and received 24 hours a day assistance with the important collaboration of veterinarians, trainers and researchers. Its rescue and rehabilitation have been the most successful in Mexico, since it was maintained alive for almost five months. During this period, valuable information was gathered about the species, as well as global experience in the handling of the rescue of this kind of pelagic species.
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On August 30th, 2001 the rescue of six manatees Trichechus manatus which lived in Tabasco under improper conditions for their survival, was carried out. This task was performed together with the company Dolphin Discovery and PROFEPA, with the support of Dr. Greg Bossart and Mark Trimm, experts in medicine and handling of wild animals. Two of the manatees, male and female remained under Via Delphis care, today are lodged in a natural lagoon at Xcaret Park which will be their permanent shelter. Nowadays, several biological and medical research projects are performed with them, since in our country they are classified as endangered species. It is pretended to achieve their reproduction in captivity.
"Ek", the calf number 16 was born on June 10th, 2002.
The first calf of the second generation of of dolphins’ first offspring at Via Delphi, was born on September 14th, 2003. This fact, few times seen in the world took place when Xuna gave birth to a little male called "Kananpaal".
On October 6th of the same year "Kóokay" the calf number 18 was born, on the 19th of the same month the first dolphin birth within our dolphinarium at Xel- Há park took place. The calf was named "Xel-Há".
After
14 years of experience, Via Delphi has achieved to be the
only company with a successful breeding program that initiated
2004 in an excellent way with
the confirmation of eight more pregnancies that would take
place at the end of the same year. In this way, we had already
achieved the survival of 20 calves when on February 17th,
"Sáasil" was born, a male whose name means
light or clarity in Mayan language.
On september 2004, The National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT) welcomes Grupo Via Delphi to the National Registration of the Institutions and Technological and Scientific companies, we are the only recognized company dedicated to research on dolphins. With this Grupo Via Delphi is also part of the data base information system about Scientific and Technological research (SIICYT) of the companies that work on this type of activities.
Regarding to a near future, Grupo Via Delphi has planned two new Dolphinariums in Mexico (Costa Maya in Majahual, at the south of Quintana Roo and Cabo San Lucas) which will start operations during 2005.
In the research field, we continue performing behavioral and morphological studies in wild populations and in our dolphin facilities permanently, as well as projects together with the Biology Institute of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Our constant interest
to develop better interactive programs made a reality our
goals in the education and the consciousness on the respect
for the species; our different interactive programs daily
introduce more and more people to the dolphins world.
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