Linda Erb

Director DRC Training Institute/VP Animal Care & Training

Instructor - PD001 Furthering Relationships and Enrichment;  PD010 Facilitation Positive Social Groups to Increase Welfare 

As Vice President of the Animal Care & Training department, Linda sits on DRC's Steering Committee. This is the team that makes decisions that lead and direct our family's future. In addition to being the VP of the ACT department, Linda is the Director of the DRC Training Institute as well as an instructor. She is an integral part of DRC and DRCTI, one with the heart and philosophy of our unique family and a staff member since 1979.

Linda's primary responsibility as VP of Animal Care and Training is the care and training of DRC's dolphins, sea lions and training staff. Since our dolphins and sea lions are the top priority here, it is of the utmost importance that the individuals caring for them on a daily basis understand not only the animals themselves, but DRC's philosophy about our relationships with them and how we train.

Linda developed the country's first structured dolphin swim program, our own Dolphin Encounter, and since then has assisted with the other programs you see today at DRC. She, Jayne and Mandy pioneered our philosophy not only about animal training but about how we educate our public…not through lecturing, but through "edu-tainment". Our goal is for all of our guests and students to leave DRC not only knowing more about dolphins than when they entered our doors but to have seen a special, loving relationship between our two species, one which motivates them to get involved in the protection of our environment.

Linda has been a part of the Dolphin Research Center family since 1979.  Along with Founders Mandy and Jayne Rodriguez, she helped define and incorporate DRC’s relationship-based training philosophy in our organization’s culture.   As Vice President of Animal Care and Training, she continues to teach DRC’s next generation of trainers this philosophy, which puts the animals’ welfare first.  She is the Director of Dolphin Research Center’s Training Institute, and instructs our students in relationship building with marine mammals.  Linda served as President of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA) and has presented on DRC’s philosophy for over 30 years at their international conferences.

In 1985 Linda developed the first structured dolphin swim program, Dolphin Encounter.  Her years at DRC have given her opportunities to train and work with dolphins in a wide range of activities including:  shows, interactive programs, research, advanced husbandry, open ocean work, and movie & film work.  She participated in the rescue of Buck and Luther, illegally released by animal extremists in 1996.  DRC’s world class education program is under her direction and she played a key role in developing our style of “edu-tainment” – teaching with the goal of connecting guests with the animals, inspiring conservation.

Together with DRC’s Steering Committee Linda is one of the guiding forces directing the DRC family into the future, continuing to be leaders in the best care, welfare and teaching practices of marine mammals.