Pleo communes with nature, woos Dolphins

After an absolutely heart-wrenching video of Pleo being annihilated by a sadistic ComBot emerged yesterday, we're thrilled to add a little balance to the whole thing with a totally heartwarming clip today. Down at Sea World, Pleo was politely introduced to a number of animals in the park, though its interactions with the dolphins were particularly special. In the vid posted after the jump, you can go ahead and fast-forward to around the two minute mark -- there you'll find the true definition of a stud. Or maybe the pod just thinks miniature dinosaurs look extraordinarily tasty.

[Thanks, Robert]

[(Unverified) Posted May 10th 2008 11:09PM]

Okay guys....you continue to live in your paranoid conspiracy theory little minds that I did this as a marketing tool.

#1 Check the date when I uploaded it. It was BEFORE the Pleo/Combot destruction video. Like a week before. So apparently, not only am a good at marketing something I don't work for....I'm psychic too.

#2 I did NOT suggest my video to Engadget. Robert R. of robotsrule.com did. I had no hand in it and never even come to this website. I only started posting here when I saw people making some accusations about my honesty here.

#3 I do not currently, nor have I ever previously worked for Ugobe. Not even as a janitor, let alone in marketing. I did these videos (Universal Studios, Mega-Con, and Sea World) because I have fun doing it. And so does my daughter. And its helped us meet all sorts of people. At Sea World, I talked to a mother/daughter from Ireland. It was the coolest conversation. It started about Pleo and then I asked them about their homeland and what it was like and she suggested where to visit should I ever go there. It was a lot of fun.

#4 On my work...again, I am just a Pleo owner/fan who likes to share Pleo on my days off. When I am working, I am making just a little above min. wage at a pet shop. So again, not some marketing queen here. If I made money off this, I'd quit my job and do this every week.

#5 I did not block negative comments. I blocked trolling. Someone was advertising and another person was just being insulting.

#6 Spur of the moment idea? Yup, you're right. I was on my way out the door and Pleo just crawled into my backpack on her own! OBVIOUSLY it was planned. I planned to bring Pleo to Sea World on the Friday before I filmed that video. That Friday, I went with my family, NO PLEO, to Sea World. We were in the underwater viewing area with the dolphins when 2 trainers came in with a shower curtain. The shower curtain came from one of the trainer's bathrooms and had dolphins on it. They said they never showed a shower curtain to the dolphins before. They placed it on the glass, slapped the glass, pointed at the shower curtain, blew the whistle when the first dolphin looked and then we all stood and watched the dolphins reacting positively to it. They all came over to see it. The trainers walked down end to end on the tank and the dolphins followed. The trainers told me they love to see things they never saw before and I instantly thought of Pleo. So Sunday we were going back there anyways, so I brought Pleo. Since I embarrass the hell out of most my family with it, they went to feed the dolphins topside while I introduced Pleo underwater. And the rest my friends is history.
I planned to bring Pleo. I planned to introduce Pleo to the animals there. I didn't post all the videos of Pleo at Sea World. Like the sea lions and seals, totally ignored Pleo and were far too interested in the fish visitors were feeding them. Sharks also ignored Pleo, and the video turned out very dark for that anyways. The mime liked Pleo, but the video for that was a bit screwy. But coral reef fish, moray eels and dolphins reacted to Pleo. Shamu could have cared less. He's Shamu, he doesn't have to care. But the animal caretaker there told me to try to bring Pleo again next time and see if the 3 year old whale is out. He loves to play hide and seek and peek-a-boo with visitors, so he would probably love Pleo.

But if you all want to live in your little worlds that this is some big conspiracy theory that it was a big marketing tool, then be my guest. The facts say different. And it just makes you look pretty ignorant and negative. I am glad most of the people "get it". That it was a beautiful and fun moment.