The nine marine residents of Dolphin Quest weathered Hurricane Gonzalo safely behind the thick stone walls surrounding The Keep pond shelter, general manager Christine Mihelcic said.

Staff were on hand throughout the storm to watch over the dolphins.

“It’s something we’ve done, unfortunately, numerous times,” Ms Mihelcic told The Royal Gazette. Dolphin Quest employees kept watch over water quality and kept the area free of debris while the Dockyard facility was effectively cut off from the rest of the Island by the hurricane — although winds were too high to make checks during Gonzalo’s actual impact.

Much of the job consisted of feeding the dolphins well. Ms Mihelcic called it a “thanksgiving dinner before the storm comes”.

“We were anticipating high surges, which we didn’t get, thank goodness, or the facility could be compromised,” she said. “We didn’t lose power or internet. The beautiful National Museum has definitely become our sanctuary — it’s one of the safety places on the Island. The Dockyard community came together as a family — we mentioned to the police that we were staying there overnight, and when they checked at around 3am to make sure we were safe, we treated them to coffee.”

The nine dolphins, which include two babies, reacted to the incoming Gonzalo by sticking to the centre of their swimming area, she said.

“I’ve watched this several times now. They tend to be closer knit and stay together when there’s a hurricane.”