Though I hope to be on a few day trips later this month, Monday was my last scheduled dolphin trip of 2016. And, it was a great one! We departed shortly after 1500 and with a tip from another operator, we spent extra time searching an area right at the edge of the shallow and deep waters. At 1619 we were rewarded with bottlenose dolphins! We observed them from the surface for nearly 20 minutes (and saw a group of spotted dolphins nearby!).
Sunday began the final dolphin week of Bimini Adventures' 2016 season. Though it was strange to prep for a boat trip without Nicole, I was happy to meet the new guests and search for dolphins in calm seas. About 45 minutes into the trip, the guests had their first swim break, giving them an opportunity to test their snorkel gear, practice getting on and off the boat and generally acclimate themselves to Bimini's waters. It was not long after this that I saw a splash. It was far, but it was big and soon crewman Michael saw it too.
Thursday was the final boat trip for this week's Bimini Adventures group. It was also Nicole's last boat trip of the season so we were very optimistic that it was going to be a good one! The weather was on our side and the guests saw true, Bimini sunshine for the first time.
Wednesday was yet another cloudy, windy, drizzly day but we set off as usual at 1500, hoping our weather luck would change and our dolphin luck would get even better. Sure enough, less than an hour into our trip (and with lighter winds and no rain) we came across a group of 10 Atlantic spotted dolphins! The waves made it difficult to identify individuals from the boat but Nicole saw at least one female that we know from the White Sand Ridge group. After some good surface observations, we decided to try an underwater encounter.
Tuesday was another cloudy, humid day on Bimini. We spent part of the morning working on our data and then got ready to head over to the Sea Crest Hotel. At 12:30 we met with the tourist group to have a chat about DCP, dolphins and the research we are doing in Bimini.This turned out to be wonderful and the guests had many interesting questions for us. Thank you for your interest - and for supporting DCP!
We grabbed a quick lunch and then Nicole prepared for the boat departure at 1500.
As you may have noticed, DCP has been expanding and growing, with our mission statement reaching farther than ever before. DCP has been fortunate to gain the support and interest of so many people, which was evidenced in our recent matching fundraiser in June—surpassing our fundraising goal of $2,000 by more than 15%! Feeling so grateful about the support received, DCP has decided to give back in its own way. To that end, DCP has started a new program to pay it forward to a conservation organization in two ways.
Monday was a busy, busy day on Bimini! We left the house early, shuttling dog crates and supplies to the ferry; we carried them to South Bimini so we could meet the rest of the team and head up to Resorts World Bimini...oh, wait. We're getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we?
Long story short, Kel is a regular volunteer at local vet clinics and with efforts to get island strays into foster and forever homes.
Wednesday through Saturday were off-the-boat days for DCP. In lieu of dolphin-searching, we filled our days with data entry, photo ID and (Master's) project preparation. We also spent some time preparing for the rescue of 7 puppies and 5 adult dogs found on North Bimini--Island Paws Rescue is coordinating these efforts and we wanted to lend a hand! Stay tuned for details!
By Sunday we were ready for the newest Bimini Adventures tourist group. Nicole was on the boat at 1500 to join the guests on their first boat trip.
The Dolphin Gazette, 20.3, is here! It is jammed packed with exciting announcements and heartfelt reflections. From our Pay It Forward for Conservation initiative (Viva Vaquita!) to strengthening relationships with students and collaborators, we're sure you'll enjoy this issue. And for all you college-kids (and parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings and friends of college kids), be sure to check out the details on our Dec/Jan field course to RIMS. Applications and deposits are coming in - secure your space now!
Click here to download The Dolphin Gazette.
Tuesday was the Hunter and Manhattan College group's last day on Bimini. For their final boat trip we departed from the dock just after 1400, a tad earlier than usual, to do a bit of snorkeling before commencing the search for dolphins. Our snorkel stop was at Bimini Road (known by some as the Road to Atlantis, or some variation of this name). After the students had explored the site, they returned to the boat and we began our search.