My hero... Betty Brothers died March 12th 2019, she was 100 years old. Betty was the first person in the United States to have a long-term relationship with a pair of dolphins. Her husband gave her the first one( I believe 1964) she found a mate so the dolphin wouldn't be alone ,one male and one female. She lived in big pine key not far from key West Florida. When I was 7 years old my family went there. Betty was my grandmother's sister, my great-aunt. I don't have perfect recall though I fondly remember meeting the dolphins. She had a big lagoon where they lived and I remember a little boat with a rope that had a noose at the end and the dolphin would put his nose through and pull the boat around. She also wrote a book and gave me a signed copy . Titled Rahoo the porpoise.
I called her in 1997 and ask some questions about the dolphins and about John Lilly the famous dolphin researcher. She said oh yeah he came to see me, because of her relationship with the dolphins.I have read so much about dolphin intelligence and about how self-aware they are. On a scale of animal intelligence dolphins are the closest to us in brain size to body mass. Known as EQ. I don't believe any dolphins should be captured or kept as pets or performing shows, Betty Brothers agreed with this but of course in 1964 we knew very little about dolphins. So even though I told the story I wouldn't want someone to have dolphins as pets today. She also told me after she got the dolphins she kept them in the lagoon for two years and then opened the gate so they could go into the ocean she said they came back at feeding time every day without fail but around age 30 day Beached themselves.
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One picture is my Aunt Betty Jo with Betty Brothers the one with white hair.