Atlantis Marine Park facts for kids
Feeding the dolphins, c. 1985
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| Location | Two Rocks, Western Australia, Australia |
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| Coordinates | 31°29′47″S 115°35′11″E / 31.496348°S 115.586320°E |
| Status | Closed |
| Opened | 1981 |
| Closed | August 1990 |
| Slogan | Atlantis marine park for the enrichment of mankind |
Atlantis Marine Park was an abandoned theme park built in 1981. It was located in Two Rocks, a small fishing town about 60 kilometers north of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. The park was a big part of a larger plan by businessman Alan Bond to create a resort area called Yanchep Sun City. Atlantis Marine Park closed in August 1990 because of financial difficulties.
History of Atlantis Marine Park
In the 1970s, Alan Bond bought a huge area of land, about 20,000 acres, in Yanchep. His plan was to build a large resort and homes there. Atlantis Marine Park was built in 1981. The hope was that as Perth grew, more tourists would visit the park.
Six months before the park opened, seven bottlenose dolphins were caught from nearby waters. These dolphins were trained to perform shows for the next ten years. The park was officially opened by the Premier of Western Australia, Ray O'Connor. Mr. Noburu Gotoh, from the Tokyu Corporation, also attended. He explained that Atlantis was the first step in making Yanchep Sun City a top place for fun and relaxation.
In 1988, three baby female dolphins were born at the park. Rules for keeping marine animals changed, meaning Atlantis needed to build a much bigger home for the dolphins. This, along with the park losing money, led the owners to close Atlantis in August 1990.
The Dolphins of Atlantis
Before Atlantis Marine Park opened, seven bottlenose dolphins were caught from the local ocean. They became the park's star performers for the next decade. When the park closed in 1990, there were nine dolphins. Six of them were born in the wild, and three were young dolphins born at the park.
After the park closed, the owners, Tokyu Corporation, agreed to a plan. Dr. Nick Gales, a marine animal expert, suggested releasing the dolphins back into the wild. The company agreed to pay for this project. The plan to release the dolphins started in March 1991. The dolphins first practiced in the park's pools. Later, they moved to a special sea pen at the Two Rocks Marina in October 1991. The dolphins were finally set free in January 1992.
However, the first release had some problems. Some of the dolphins lost a lot of weight. Three of them had to be caught again and brought back to the sea pen. These three dolphins were not released back into the wild. Instead, they were moved to Underwater World, which is now called the Aquarium of Western Australia.
What's There Now
Since it closed in 1990, the park has been left empty and damaged by vandals. However, the site was shown on the CBBC TV show All Over the Place – Australia in March 2014.
The land is currently owned by a company called the Fini Group. They have proposed a plan to the City of Wanneroo to build new shops, businesses, and entertainment areas. The plan includes keeping important parts of the old Marine Park. One key feature that will stay is the large King Neptune sculpture. This sculpture was created by American artist Mark Le Buse.
After several months of work, the King Neptune sculpture and the area around it were reopened to the public in May 2015. The sculpture was recognized as a heritage site by the Western Australian Heritage Council in 2006.
