On the Las Vegas Strip, Erica Kiewice has quite possibly the most awesome job. She’s the curator of dolphin care at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage. Yup, that’s right, in the middle of a desert, Kiewice is in charge of caring for the 10 dolphins who call the habitat home.
For 24 years, Kiewice has built relationships with each and every dolphin, watching four generations flourish. “They’re my family now, they’re my pod,” she says. “Twenty-four years went by fast. The dolphins really are my family. You worry about them. You look forward to coming in and seeing them every day. It’s always changing. You learn new things—new projects, new research. You’re always expanding your mind. There’s always that goal to make sure the dolphins have the best home and a safe home.”
Before her tenure at the habitat, Kiewice, born in Pennsylvania and raised in Dallas, attended the University of North Texas. After graduation, her first job with animals was as a zookeeper at the Austin Zoo. In 1996, she moved to Las Vegas and heard that the habitat was expanding by building the Secret Garden portion for the big cats. She got the job as a tour guide, but a year later she found out a position in dolphin care opened up.
Over the years, Kiewice moved up the ladder from dolphin-care specialist to lead dolphin care, then supervisor. Four years ago she was made curator.
“I oversee the care of the dolphins, simply put,” she says. “I’m very grateful that I’ve managed to work through and work up and get to where I am. But it was a process. It didn’t happen overnight—it was a lot of hard work and dedication. There were a lot of goals that I set for myself. Even as curator I’m still looking to build my skills and to keep growing in my career.”
Product: The Dolphin Shop
Take a piece of the habitat home with you when you stop into The Dolphin Shop. The gift shop has fun gifts, toys, collectibles and tons of educational merchandise. Check out some popular pieces like the Under the Sea activity pack, various books, a 1,000-piece ocean life puzzle and the 1 Tree Mission bracelets, where for every bracelet purchased, one tree gets planted. Guests can also check out the sustainability center connected to the shop and learn about the habitat and ocean life.
Benefit: Visiting kids receive a free folder filled with fun and educational activities about the habitat.
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