Category: Bimini 2008

Hello from Bimini!  Yesterday we headed out a little late, but we were able to observe scattered spotted dolphins.  No single group was larger than 7 animals, but every time 1 sighting ended, we would move on and another sighting would begin!  It turned into a 6 sighting day & included Tina (#14), Billy (#64), Stefran (#82) and un-named #75 & 86. This morning I woke to patchy thunderstorms, but more importantly everyone here is keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Fay. 

 Buster (#04), Romeo (#10), Juliette (#12), Tina (#14), Freckles (#15), Lumpy (#17), Split Jaw (#22), White Blotch (#29), Cerra (#38), Lone Star (#56), Nemo (#76), Leslie (#80), Stefran (#82) and un-named #25, 78, 79 and 87.  Perhaps I’ll be able to ID even more once I review the video! Thursday was a bit calmer, but unfortunately we did not see any dolphins.  On our way home we did see a large shark though!  It was likely a tiger shark – between 10-12 feet long.  Could this be why the dolphins kept their distance? 

  Yesterday we were able to observe Romeo (#10), Lone Star (#56), Leslie (#80) and un-named #87.  I was able to record nearly 20 minutes of underwater data before the dolphins swam away.  Today began with some office work and then it was off to chat with this week’s passengers.  It was a small, but very interested group – thank you for all of your enthusiasm & questions!  We left the dock shortly after 1630, but we were soon battling some big swells.  We had to retreat to calmer waters closer to shore. 

 Yesterday, we were pleasantly surprised by a small group of bottlenose dolphins immediately outside of Bimini harbor.  This is a busy boat traffic area, but the dolphins seem competent at staying clear of the boats coming & going all around them.  This group was traveling quickly south, and we needed to go north, so we observed them for a view minutes before going on our way. 

 This morning’s presentation to passengers went very well – thank you everyone!  Many of this week’s guests were here last week, so we were able to build upon many of the ideas & experiences surrounding the dolphins.  We left the dock at 1530 and although we were able to observe a group of dolphins for over 1 hour, they were not interested in sticking around for us to observe them under water.  Hopefully tomorrow will be different!  For those of you keeping track, included in today’s group were Lil’

 While with the spotteds, I did get a quick glimpse of Tina (#14), who has not been seen for a few weeks, and un-named #87 as they rode the bow.  We kept going to investigate the splashes ahead and we were able to observe Swoosh (#36) and un-named #57 & 25 each with their respective < 1 year old calves.  I was thrilled to see these mother calf pairs, even though they did not want to swim with the silly humans.  Once they were out of view, we headed toward the dorsal fins in the distance. 

Today’s field report will be a bit short and photo-less, but I’ll make up for it later in the week, I promise.  Saturday we had an impromptu dolphin trip with a small group of passengers.  We saw plenty of dolphins, but none who wanted to be observed under water.  I’ll have to see if any of the surface photographs were clear enough to be used for ID purposes.  Today, we waited patiently for a group of 10 dolphins, who again, wanted nothing to do with underwater observations. 

 Included in the group were Billy (#64), Tim (#69) and un-named #78, 79 & 89.  I should be able to ID some of the older animals once I review the photographs.  We should have another dolphin trip on Saturday and then another dolphin week beginning Sunday. 

 At 1710, we saw big slashes close to deep water & we headed over.  The sea was so flat, it looked like there were dolphins everywhere.  It was a scattered group of Atlantic spotted dolphins comprised mainly of juveniles & young sub-adults.  Are you ready for the list of who we saw?  Here goes: Finn (#09), Romeo (#10), Lil’ Jess (#35), Billy (#64), Nemo (#76), Leslie (#80), and un-named #78, 79, 84 and 87!  I was able to record nearly 40 minutes of underwater video, including a sequence of serious Leslie &

Oh, good!  You’re reading more… Well, we had quite the day as we observed Finn (#09), Romeo (#10), Split Jaw (#22), Lil’ Jess (#35), Niecey (#48) & calf, Billy (#64), Tim (#69), un-named #57, her now independent calf #84 and her new calf of the year, and un-named #79 & 89.  Two bottlenose dolphins even snuck into the group! Once we were back to the dock, with equipment rinsed, we headed out for a celebratory last dinner at the End of the World Saloon, aka the Sandbar or Sara’s depending on who you ask.