A legend in his own right, Gambit the Bottlenose Dolphin who celebrated his 48th birthday last year, unexpectedly and swiftly passed away on 20 April.
Undisputed patriarch of uShaka Sea World, Gambit was father to five and grandfather to one of the uShaka Sea World dolphins and one of the oldest dolphins to ever be documented.
His passing has left a huge hole in the lives of not only the team at SAAMBR who cared for him for decades but also the greater uShaka family says uShaka Marine World CEO, Dr Stella Khumalo. “This is just another sadness for all of us as we face the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown of both uShaka Marine World and our country. Gambit was a legend and is fondly remembered not only by those of us who work here but also the hundreds of thousands of local, national and international visitors who have been fortunate to visit the world’s seventh largest aquarium and enjoy the many shows in which he has starred over the years. Gambit was a central figure in uShaka’s legendary annual Dolphins by Starlight show and has helped all of us to spread a powerful message regarding the need to conserve our previous marine environment as well as the beautiful sea animals that depend on it for their survival.”
As uShaka says goodbye to Gambit, Dr Khumalo says it is important to remember his huge legacy and to continue to build on this, spreading the very many messages of goodwill that emanated from the dolphin shows that remain a major attraction at uShaka. “Gambit brought so much joy into the lives of those who have passed through our turnstiles and, once the lockdown is over and all is back to normal, we will pay our respects to this beautiful symbol of everything that uShaka Marine World stands for,” she added.
