Category: Japan 2002

And, we had a 20 minute encounter (swim) with 2 subadult males. We had risen early to go meet the ferry which carried 12 research team members. They are here for the weekend training for their work during July and August when the Kenkyukai continue their data collection on the identifications of the dolphins around Mikura. Yoshinori (a senchoo) offered us a ride with his two guests. For the first 20 minutes we saw nothing except the island and the water. The first group was traveling but our second group hung out for a while.

A rainy and foggy day – good for catching up on data processing. So, we stayed in port today and worked on past data and confirmed entries from this year so far. Robin and I also worked with Mai-chan and Masaki-san on confirming several attendant dolphin identifications for an observation made last year. Mai and a few other MIK members observed a dead sub-adult bottlenose dolphins off Nango. There were several sub-adult and adult males and one adult female dolphin all around the dead body.

Two female dolphins very inquisitive and playful. Today was a great day on the water. We left the pier at 8:40 AM and began a counter clockwise course around Mikura. We sighted dolphins 3 minutes out of the port. They were resting and we barely saw them on one entry. So we continued on. Our next group was similar – rest & travel and not interested in swimmers. We continued on after one entry. All that changed with our third sighting and the group of dolphins by Otaura, the south side of Mikura.

We were one of the only boats out today. Kogi stopped by this morning to tell us that Souji had space on his boat. We got to the port at 8:10 am – about 30 minutes early, but it was nice to watch the sea and activity at the pier. The wind was about 12-15 knots from the West and the sea was choppy but not too bad. There was only once guest so all three of us joined the trip. The first group of dolphins did not really want to 'play'.

Today was spent reviewing tapes and reading reports and other research papers. The weather and rough seas kept us in port today. But, it was a productive day for updating journals and reviewing 2001 identification information from the Mikura Iruka Kyoukai (& Kenkyukai) with the data from DCP. A few more hours of comparison should have our records synched. It was also nice to be able to review a few sections for two papers that we (MIK members and me) are writing. We hope to submit them to a science journal in July.

A morning trip to observe dolphins and record their behavior and sounds. It was Robin & Joana's first trip to observe and swim with the bottlenose dolphins here at Mikura. Their reaction was easier to read on their faces … smiles like dolphins … than for them to express their thoughts in words. But, in a brief attempt, their words: 'We felt awe at seeing them in their world and at how graceful they moved, behaved. We have about 2-3 years experience observing animal behavior, dolphins included, but our notes after this trip were skimpy.

And, two university students of Kathleen's arrive. Saturday began much the way friday ended … rain and wind. The ferry arrived bringing Joana and Robin with it. They are all settled in now and we had several good chats about their and DCP's research. I was also able to show them a bit of Mikura. But, … the show & tell occurred in the afternoon. At 08:30, I joined the Dai-5-Souei-maru and her senchoo, Souji-san with his five guests, to go dolphin searching and observing. We saw several groups.

It is the rainy season afterall. It is very nice to have 'my own' house. That is to have a cooking and bath facilities in the same place that I sleep and work on data. I met with Masaki and Mai today and we talked about a paper we are writing with Kogi and a few others. It is about the behavior of dolphins (mostly males) around two dead dolphin bodies: one male and one female. The dead dolphins were observed in two different years and in two different locations.

aka. The Dolphin House – my abode for 6 weeks I feel very very lucky to have a house with kitchen, bath and washing machine this field season. It seems almost decadent! The house in which I am now living was used last summer by the Dolphin Research Group here and they will return in July and June. Hishii-san and Kogi-san spoke with the house's owner and obtained permission for me to use it for May and June. Joana and Robin will stay with me as well.

My last ride on the Sutoretia-maru, the ferry to Mikura from Tokyo (Yes, I can get to email … hurray. We caught the ferry late Tuesday evening, at 10 PM. We arrived at Mikura at ~ 5:30 am. The morning did not really dawn so much as lighten from the dark. It was a cloudy and foggy morning. But, the sea was calm and the day promised to bring better weather. My first views of Mikura after almost a year away brought me new sights. The new pier now has a VERY tall section …