Customer Reviews

Behind the Dolphin Smile: A True Story that Will Touch the Hearts of Animal Lovers Everywhere

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although it has been several years since I read this book, it made a lasting impression on how I feel towards captivity of marine and other non-domestic animals. In addition, it opened my eyes to animal neglect and, by my defination, cruelty. For those that love animals, it's worth finding!

A wonderfully compassionate look at dolphins in captivity from an ex-industry insider; inspiring story that makes you want to change the world for the better.

I think this book is well worth reading. I am a person that use to love marine parks, however my view has changed. Much is do to this book, plus my own research on the web. I have found out that most dolphins & whales in captivity don't live very long. There are exceptions like Miami Seaquarium's Lolita the killer whale. She is old for a captive whale, however she lives in a tank without other orcas & the tank is way too small, among other things. Do your own investigation on the web about her terrible living conditions. Ric O'Barry has been trying to do the right thing for dolphins which is freedom! He was Flipper's trainer. I don't agree with some of Ric's personal beliefs, however he is right on about dolphins. How you can support marine parks after reading this book would be extremely difficult. I have been on whale watches and if done properly, I feel are a better way to see God's creation. Ric says the best thing regarding marine parks is "Don't Buy a ticket". These dolphins are not fed enough so that they will do tricks. Read the book, then you decide!

This is one of the best books that I have read in a long time. It should be read by anyone who loves animals and who believes in animal-rights. Besides that it is an interesting autobiographical sketch of Richard O'Barry and gives you a closer glimpse of people like Dr. John Lilly. It also gives one an idea of how films like Flipper are made and what becomes of the poor dolphins in the end.

Although the writing is at times amateurish, this book provides an extremely interesting behind the scenes view of dolphin training, working at Miami's
Seaquarium, and of course the filming of Flipper. O'Barry's heart is in the right place.

I read the other reviews, 2 of them raved about the book and one sounds like it was written by a dolphin catcher with a Phd... I read this book and then went to the Flipper Productions Dolphin Encounter near Nassau in the Bahamas, even encountering at least one of the dolphins mentioned in the book. Every celebrity you could think of had their picture in the photo shop with dolphins. The Phd was right about the book jumping around too much. It would have been nice for continuity to hear more about his wife and how her role in his quest for example after we are introduced to her in the begining and then she is hardly mentioned through the rest of the book. This said I have to say that he is right about dolphins in captivity. I had a blast, selfishly, swimming with, dancing with, kissing and hugging dolphins- but it quickly becomes obvious that they are way to intelligent to be doing tricks for tourists for fishy treats. And they are better off being free to swim in the open ocean than being trapped in penned in areas for "research" and "education". I won't do it again and I will avoid buying Japanese anything until they stop the slaughter.

This was an excellent book if it was considered fiction. Even though the story is true, O' Barry's views are totally outdated, marine parks in the 60's are VERY different from what they are now. An awesome book, but O' Barry needs to get his head out of the past.

This book is filled with inaccuracies and misinformation regarding dolphins in captivity. The authors jump from topic to topic, frequently leaving the audience wondering whether the authors even wrote a rough draft of this book. Primevil and narrow minded, O'Barry infers that animal training techniques of the 1960's are still in use today. O'Barry frequently uses the book as a soapbox to promote himself as an all knowing dolphin expert who can do no wrong. Although the text does offer O'Barry's sometime clouded, but interesting history of the "old days"...the reader is left with an over all bad taste in his mouth as the book ends. The best part of the book are the archival photos of dolphins in 1960's "Flipper" television series.

Dr. Roger H. Cranium, PhD

My summary about sums it up. If you want to now everything about Karl Shapiro's later days, this is the book for you. It is not one I would recommend for doing essays or reports.