Major Specimens and Exhibits
Pilot Whales featured as "Willie and Winky" Captured off the Newfoundland coast : Wille 12 feet (3.7 m) long weight 1 ton 5 yrs old and Winky eight feet long 600 pounds 1 year old.
Six Porpoises trained in Florida, featured performing spirited fun tricks and friendly acts.
During Aquarama's existence in the 1960s it made quite a splash in family fun entertainment. Aquarama was in some ways like an aquarium, and in other ways like a circus, a venue fine tuned by outdoor entertainment developer George A. Hamid enterprises in 1965 when he leased the financially failing enterprise started in 1962. Also a serious scientific dimension of marine life was encouraged with the addition of the U.S Government, and private corporations General Electric, and Sperry performing various studies of underwater cardiograms, weightlessness, taking recordings and evaluating communications among dolphins /(Porpoises). Sperry featured the Aquarama dolphins in advertisements.
The entrance main plaza had an impressive three-story circular tank. Fish of every size, shape and color would swim endlessly around this giant circular glass tank including two giant 300-pound sea turtles and a human skin diver who would interact audibly and answer questions from the visiting audience. A ramp with a railing encircled the center tank so people could walk around, perusing the aquatic contents. Along the wall were many smaller aquariums filled with exotic fish, other aquatic life and included a porpoise tank.
Trained seals would honk out “How Dry I Am” on a set of bulb horns, and several times a day, dolphins would rescue a clown named "Flippy". The show featured James H. Crovetti, Sr., as Flippy the Clown. The Master of Ceremonies would call out, “Flippy, where are you?” The spotlights would come on and there was Flippy the Clown, hanging 40 feet above the waters of the Aquarama’s indoor arena pool, hanging from a scaffolding he would roll out from the back wall where the holding tanks that the dolphins were kept in were located.. Flippy would throw down various items such as rings, balls, and toys that the dolphins would balance on their noses. At the end of this segment of the show, the Master of Ceremonies would shout, “OK Flippy, come on down, but be very careful!” Flippy would push back the scaffolding, he would pretend to forget to let go of one of the hand bars used to push back the scaffolding leaving him hanging 40 feet above the waters of the main show tank! He would hang there for at least 2 minutes interacting with the Master of Ceremonies saying “Hang on Flippy, we're coming to get you!” Flippy would let go making the 40 foot plunge into the tank feet first so that his flippers would create the biggest splash possible. The dolphins would rescue Flippy. There was no belly flop! He would do this dangerous trick 4 times a day. Attractive young women would swim in the tank(s) to appear like mermaids and entertain the curiosity of the visitors. As lights went on at show time six porpoises, each weighting about 300 pounds and 10 feet (3.0 m) long would start in a "Philly" style dance version of the "Twist" made popluar by home town recording star Chubby Checker. Philadelphia radio and TV personality Gene Arnold hosted many shows there, as did the later "Voice Of The Flyers," Gene Hart.
In addition to the exhibition there was a water arena that included performances of porpoises, starring whales "Willie and Winky" and aquatic events. An outdoor area had open pools for other displays of seasonal exhibits and a place for visitors to meander and wander. Following the show, patrons could wander out into the concession area and spend their spare change on souvenirs, or on watching chickens, ducks and small animals perform tricks in tiny coin-operated booths.
Many promotional gimmicks were used to attract visitors. The premises was rented for parties, teen dances and a movie theater was built on the grounds to increase visitor appeal. This included the 20th century outdoor entertainment enterpetur George Hamid, who leased the facility and brought from Atlantic City the famous Diving Horse attraction. Even this attempt failed as the diver missed the foam rubber bed and wound up in the intensive care unit of the nearby hospital.
Read more about this topic: Aquarama Aquarium Theater Of The Sea
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