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Listen: The Bluegrass & Old-Time ProgramWoman shakes Flipper's flipper - Marathon, Florida.
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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 Studios. 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.
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 Center.
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