Newsmaker
Monday, January 26, 1998
Name: George "Paka" Nishimura
Age: 39
Position: Sea Life Park curator
Education: Jeff Davis University, Miss.
Pastimes: Playing music, caring for his children, volleyball
Marine mammals weren't on George "Paka" Nishimura's mind when he graduated from Kamehameha Schools in 1976 and went to the mainland. Minding marine animals
"At the time, I was really focused on entertainment," he said. "I was singing, dancing and doing hula." All of his family members were entertainers and still are, he said.
He hoped to pursue a marketing degree and return to apply that to the family business, he said.
Instead, he got involved with amusement parks and the opportunity to work with marine animals. For a boy who grew up around water, he said, "It was a dream come true.... Ocean environment is a natural attraction for me."
His new career drew him into entertainment in a different way: assisting with commercials and film shoots involving sea animals.
He was one of the head trainers for Universal Studio's movie "Flipper," filmed in the Bahamas and starring Paul Hogan. His daughter, Alexa, also was in the film.
Nishimura held senior trainer positions with Sea World of Florida and Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla. He was curator of animals at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada, Fla., and worked for Dolphin Encounters in Nassau, Bahamas.
He was marine mammal curator at Walt Disney World's Living Seas Pavilion before joining Sea Life Park, a place he often visited as a kid. "Ever since I've grown up, I've known the people who have been here.
"The difference between Disney and the rest of the world is pretty obvious," Nishimura said. But Sea Life Park is considered one of the better marine facilities, he said.
"There are a lot of unique, wonderful opportunities here. It is a beautiful setting."
His responsibilities will be the same as they were at Disney, he said: "to take care of the animals first and make sure programs are moving along."
Nishimura said his wife, Neana, is a talented singer and seamstress who does smocking for children's clothes. She and a cousin plan to start a business.
"I'm just so glad to be back here for lots of reasons," he said. "I had always dreamed of coming here, raising my family here. This opportunity is providing me with something I always dreamed about doing."
His children -- Alexa Iwalani, 6; Marina Kalei, 4; and Lily Kainoa, 1-1/2 -- will benefit growing up with the family values and cultures of Hawaii, he said.
Helen Altonn, Star-Bulletin
