Swampy’s Tuesday Ads – Santini’s Porpoise Training School, Marathon.
on March 13, 2012
at 3:12 pm
Here’s an advertising card of Santini’s Porpoise Training School. Indeed, ‘Flipper’ lived at this location in Marathon. It was the story of Santini and his Porpoise School that inspired movie stuntman, Ricou Browning, to compose the story of a porpoise, Flipper, who could save the day. Today Santini’s dream still exists in a slightly different form as the Dolphin Research Center. Click here for more history of Santini’s.
The blonde haired kid in the boat with his hand in the water is me! I used to have a few copies of this but they’ve been lost over the years. So cool to see this again!
Sure Steve Milton was my dad Normans uncle he trained flipper doubt that’s u
I met Mr. Santini when I was 10ish (about 1969) at a “house/restaurant” on Goodland Island. I only remember the place looking like a horrible old white colored building (I wish I could remember the name) and I loved it so much because I always got stone crab – we always visited Marco at Christmas time. The owner introduced him as Flipper’s trainer and Mr. Santini joined us and told us how he caught Mitzi and why they used the name Flipper for the movies. My family was invited to the school in the Keys and my dad agreed – I got to jump in the water and “ride” with the dolphins – I remember the bathing suit I was wearing 50 years ago that’s how special it was to me. I hope if you read this it brings you a smile – your family sure brought a joy to my heart that I will never forget. I wish I could remember the name of that old restaurant on Goodland Island – all I remember is that Stone crab was always on the menu and there was only 2 other options every night – my parents must have loved me because neither of them liked the water or seafood.