their `finny' menu is thrown in by human hands, but maste ring the art of mutual communication hasn't been quite the walk-over Mr. Hal Roach surmised.

It takes time and patience for a trainer to become proficient at what he or she does since these Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are highly intelligent, and quickly teach their human friends that respect and response is a two-way street.

Humans have long been captivated by the antics of these smiley-faced creatures who have flipped and leapt their spectacular way through countless films and aquatic shows for our delight. But for the Bermudians who joined the Dolphin Quest programme on the South Shore in Southampton, learning to "read'' the dolphins' moods and intereact with them has been something very new and different.

Locals, after all, do not grow up naturally swimming around with 500 zooming pounds of playful mammal. Remaining calm, let alone effectively communicating with it, while being studied and tested, is an acquired art.

So when Jessica Riederer, Jason Hansford-Smith, Robin Chapman-Hilverding , and later Angela Ambrosini signed on the dotted line it was as complete neophytes.

Admittedly awestruck by the dolphins' size and power, the now-qualified trainers took time to overcome the unfamiliar, and are today as devoted to the dolphins as the animals are to them.

Contrary to popular belief, the eight adults and two calves which comprise the Dolphin Quest "family'' are not "in captivity'' -- in the sense that they are kept in a small pool and consigned to a life of endless public performances, as in some other locations.

Instead, they lead a very pleasant, non-pressured lifestyle, for it is not an aquatic circus that Dolphin Quest is about. Rather, its primary focus is to educate people about modern animals in a modern environment through the provision of interactive programmes between the public and the dolphins.

In summer, there are three half-hour shows per day, two for adult viewers and one for children, and the dolphins are rotated -- as are those who are released into the open sea to frolic. In winter, with fewer performances, more time is spent on training.

In fact, life is so good at Dolphin Quest that there has never been a problem with the animals not returning "home'' after an ocean run because that's where their food and friends are.

They are even building a relationship with the two German shepherds who zealously guard the facility at night.

The adult dolphins have varied backgrounds and some are old show animals. At 34, Dolber (an amalgam of dolphin and Bermuda) has exceeded the average age of 20 years but, according to her trainers, "is very much enjoying life'' and shows no signs of aging. Bermuda-born Somers, at one year old, is a vigorous adolescent who loves speed swimming, while the calf born on June 14 is still being closely guarded by mum.

Although they may look alike, the dolphins, like humans, all have individual personalities and preferences, and it seems the males are even a tad Chauvinistic -- they enjoy "rough housing'' with the male trainers, while preferring a sweeter touch from the females.

Intellectually, some learn faster than others, and there are one or two who are classed as "special education'' students.

Patience, rather than force, is the key to success, and in any case all of the training is "voluntary''. It is the trainer's job to understand their various moods, and learn how to work with them.

Child psychology is a definite asset in working with dolphins, who are likened to four-year-olds by their trainers. "Behaviours'' are learned one by one, and gradually.

There is no carrot-and-stick philosophy, and the animals receive their treats whether they perform well or not. Indeed, so good is life for these aquatic stars that they only dine on restaurant-quality fish! Dolphin Quest keeps meticulous daily records on each animal, and regularly monitors their health and well-being. The Bermuda-based American trainers do most of the veterinary care, and the Chief Executive Officer, who is currently in the process of moving to Bermuda from Hawaii, is a veterinarian.

Safety regulations are reviewed annually, and a team of 60 volunteers is on stand-by to evacuate the animals by stretcher in the event of a hurricane threatening their habitat. It takes between eight and 13 people to stretcher one dolphin across the beach to safety, and the dolphins receive weekly stretcher training to avoid panic should an emergency arise.

Dolphin Quest was established in Bermuda in November, 1996 by co-owners and marine mammal veterinarians Dr. Rae Stone and Dr. Jay Sweeney, with assistance of Director of Animal Management Dave Gossman, and Michelle Hammond, who is Director of Operations. It is they who have trained the Bermudians.