A Clearwater Marine Aquarium trainer kneels on a platform across the pool, holding a football in each hand over the water. One bears the logo of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the other the Kansas City Chiefs. A male bottlenose dolphin named Nicholas — who has correctly picked the winners of his last six sports predictions — glides through the water to touch one of the balls with his rostrum (nose), solidifying his pick for which team will be the Super Bowl LV champions.
“A lot of people think we train him for a specific choice, but we don’t,” said Heather Dring, a Clearwater Marine Aquarium senior animal care specialist.