DOLPHIN Quest successfully weathered Hurricane Fabian but remains mystified by the death of three-year-old Heydon two months ago.

The Dockyard-based facility's general manager, Christine Mihelcic, said a staff of five remained at Dolphin Quest throughout the storm as a precautionary measure. Staff and dolphins survived the fierce winds without injury.

"Five Dolphin Quest staff members displayed fearless commitment and stayed with the dolphins at the lagoon inside the Bermuda Maritime Museum for the entire duration of the storm," she said. "This kind of loyalty to the welfare of the animals is remarkable and noteworthy.

"It was actually difficult to keep other staff members at home. They all wanted to be at Dolphin Quest, ensuring the well-being of our animals. That just proves how wonderful a team we have at Dolphin Quest Bermuda. Their dedication and professionalism during this time is unparalleled."

The programme moved to the Maritime Museum pool from its previous premises at the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel in 1999 after the facility suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Gert.

That hurricane, which passed about 120 miles east of the island with sustained winds of 35-40 mph and gusts of 70-75 mph, damaged the dolphins' pool, freeing four of them to the wild. A temporary move to Dockyard became permanent after it became obvious that repairs to the damaged facility would cost in excess of $3 million, after which there would still be no guarantee that it could withstand a hurricane.

A category three storm when it hit Bermuda, Hurricane Fabian was accompanied by winds in excess of 145 mph. The damage caused by the storm's ferocity will see Dolphin Quest's former landlord, the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel, closed until spring.

The new location, even prior to Fabian, provided the group with a greater sense of comfort, the general manager said.

"There were two aspects - the fort itself creates a natural buffer against large surges and debris and wind, but the large difference is that we now actually have offices and areas for the staff to conduct observations of the dolphins. We didn't have that at the Princess; somewhere the staff could go and remain save themselves. We try not to think about what might have happened had we still been there. We were very blessed."

In July, Heydon was found dead in the pool he shared with three other dolphins. There were no marks on his body or suspicions of foul play. A six-hour necropsy by Bermudian doctor Ian Walker from the Baltimore Aquarium - who just happened to be on the island - found nothing. Samples sent abroad for further tests returned with negative results, Ms Mihelcic said.

"We had several tests done, all which proved negative. A toxology report ruled out any sort of possibility that (the death was due to) environmental or human factors; we found nothing conclusive. There is no formal outcome as to how he passed. We may never know the answer.

"Although it is frustrating that we don't have a concrete answer, unfortunately, sometimes, there just aren't answers.

"But all the other animals are perfectly healthy. We do daily dolphin assessments where we take a look at them and make sure everything is in working order. So I don't think, from an environmental standpoint, there was anything else we could have done."