Family being towed in boat pulled by Flipper (Mitzi) - Marathon, Florida

Title

• Family being towed in boat pulled by Flipper (Mitzi) - Marathon, Florida

Image Number

• C033201D

Year

• 1966

Date Note

• May 1966.

Series Title

• General: Department of Commerce collection

General Note

• Flipper shown here was Mitzi, a bottle-nosed dolphin. She played Flipper in the 1963 film of the same name, created by Ricou Browning. He later followed up with a television series (1964-1967) produced by Ivan Tors studio. On the TV series, Flipper was played by five female dolphins and one male dolphin. Mitzi became a star attraction at Santini's Porpoise School, where Browning first discovered her. She is buried on the property.



General Note

• Santini's Porpoise School was opened in 1958 by Milton Santini, a former Estero fisherman. It was most famous as the home of the original Flipper. In 1972, he sold it, and it became Flipper's Sea School (1972-1977). Jean Paul Fortom-Gouin then closed it to the public and conducted research as the Institute for Delphinid Research (1977-1983). And in 1984, Jayne and Mandy Rodriguez turned it into the Dolphin Research Centre.

Photographer/Personal Author

• Barron, Charles.

Physical Description

• 1 photoprint - b&w - 4 x 5 in.

Subject Term

• Flipper (Dolphin)
• Dolphins
• Boats and boating--Florida--Monroe County--Marathon
• Tourists--Florida--Monroe County--Marathon
• Tourism--Florida--Monroe County--Marathon
• Attractions--Florida--Monroe County--Marathon
• Aquariums
• Working animals
• Aquatic animals
• Human-animal relationships

Geographic Term

• Marathon (Fla)
• Monroe County (Fla)

Subject Corporate

• Santini's Porpoise School (Marathon, Fla)

Shelf Number

• Shelf number: 000940.

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