Category: Japan 2000

High seas and intermittent rain … now 'totemo' is the Japanese word for 'very'. So … totemo, totemo kaze ga suyoi desu! 'ame' is the word for rain. We have rain, too. The sea is filled with white caps (white foam from chop and swell). It is pretty to look at but even the fishermen remain in port today. It is likely that my trip to Mikura will be delayed by one or two days. The sea needs to calm down a bit after the rain and wind subsides.

Fixing one ECD Control Arm I have a couple of more days till I get to Mikura and can assemble my camera housing and other gear. Still, I found time to fix one arm on the Click Detector (ECD) face (top) plate. Since I have a newer DAT recorder now, the arm needed to be slightly adjusted so as to allow it access to the record button. On the outside of the housing my array has magnetic trigger switches that operate the electronic remote for the camera.

Catching up with Friends & SenchooSenchoo is the Japanese word for Captain. Most of the senchoo here fish during the late fall to early spring months and then run dolphin trips in the summer. By this I mean, the dive shops and other tour leaders charter the fishing boats to take them to the water around Mikura Island to swim with dolphins. The senchoo are amazing in how they handle their boats.

Accessing Email Well, I now again have access to email. And I am all rested up … was not able to sleep at all on the plane. It feels like I never left Miyake … the sights, the sounds, the sea and the people. I feel very welcome still. I''ll provide more of an update on my days on Miyake tomorrow. I will be on Miyake till Saturday (10 June) and then over to Mikura to resume my studies on the dolphins.

Returning to Japan … and losing a Day I may be posting this note a tad bit late … I’m writing it on the plane to Japan. But the feelings are the same and I am too excited to sleep. I feel like I won the lottery with an upgrade to Business Class! I chose to watch the in-flight movie 'My Dog Skip'. It was very good though bittersweet as I am missing Umi more than I realized I would.

Heading to Mikura Island and the Dolphins One last entry before I leave the USA. My flight to Japan is 11 hours, 20 minutes. After arriving in Tokyo, I have a few hours before catching the ferry to Miyake Island. The ferry is about 6 hours – leaving at 10:30 PM and getting to the island at ~5:30 AM. I’ll spend a couple of days on Miyake, where I lived from Sep. ’97 – ’99 when I first began my study of these dolphins.

Preparing Umi and me for the Summer The packing is complete: three big (and heavy) cases with my array and click detector, my tools, lots of blank videotapes and batteries, some books and clothing and, soon, my computer. Because of the mandatory two-week quarantine, Umi is not returning to Japan with me this summer.

What these Notes will Provide Welcome!

Many of you were introduced to my research on dolphin communication through MacGillivray Freeman Films’ DOLPHINS film. Beginning today you can follow along with my summer 2000 field season in Japan (3 June – 26 July) and the Bahamas (12 Aug. – 9 Sep.)

I’ll post updates daily about my research. Daily, that is, as long as I’m not too water-logged or fast asleep after a long day on the water! I’ll also write about the dolphins I’ve seen and their behavior and sounds.