I am very, very excited for this and the coming field reports! Last Wednesday, Nicole Danaher-Garcia (intern-Masters Student-research assistant-extraordinaire) arrived on-island and has been busy updating our photo-ID catalog and prepping for our current field course. Dr. Radhika Makecha (check her out in the collaborator section under the Research tab) arrived on Sunday with 12 students from Eastern Kentucky University (EKU).
Marie Trone, Ph.D., is a DCP collaborator (see her DCP page here). She left on June 8 for Peru. Because internet access is sketchy in the jungle, Marie will send Kathleen updates about once every week or two for posting to DCP’s field blog.
Thursday was the last boat trip for the SMC group and everyone was hopeful it would be a great one, in part because high winds kept all of us on land on Tuesday and Wednesday. The wind was to our backs at the start of the trip, which was a good thing because the seas were still rocky! Thankfully, we did not have to go far to see the dolphins.
With a radio tip of a large group traveling, we stayed close to shore.
If you donate $8 to DCP this month, the Dolphin Communication Project's board will match* it, turning your $8 into $16. Donate $22 and it becomes $44. Donate $107 and you really give $214.
DCP relies on the financial support of our supporters and now, you can have an even greater impact that you thought possible. Why does DCP need your money? DCP has just begun our annual research season studying wild Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins off Bimini, The Bahamas.
On Wednesday morning, I visited the students and gave a talk on photo-ID; why it is important and how it is done. They are a great group and I hope they enjoyed my visit as much as I did. Thursday brought another opportunity for me to join the visiting researcher & student group. So far, 2016 has been a high-return year! Only 27 minutes into the dolphin trip we came upon feeding bottlenose dolphins.
On Monday, the second wave of students from St. Mary’s College of Maryland arrived on Bimini. After an evening of settling in, I met with the students on Tuesday afternoon to show them the still cameras and slates, and give them tips on taking underwater photographs for the purpose of photo-identification.
The latest Dolphin Gazette is here!
With the wind in our faces, and rocking the boat, we were hopeful that Tuesday’s boat trip would bring some cooperative dolphins. The students were fresh off some great juvenile spotted and crater feeding bottlenose observations (Sunday) and Caribbean reef shark and southern stingray interactions (Monday). I was ever hopeful that my presence wouldn’t break their luck…
Sure enough, at 16:28, Dr. E saw several dolphins surfing the swells right toward us! It was a very cool sight to see.
Check out this video from our friends at Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organization and Loggerhead Productions.
Saturday snuck right up on me and brought another dolphin trip with Bimini Adventures’ student group. On Friday, the students and researchers were able to observe a feisty juvenile group, including Inka (#93). They got some great video and photographs, which will contribute to DCP’s archive, in addition to their own work. Saturday’s trip began smoothly and though the wait was longer than the past few days, it really wasn’t long at all before we saw some big splashing in the distance.