Tag: older content

Hi! We’re DCP’s 2012 Bimini Summer Interns! Liana is from the D.C. area (Northern Virginia) and will be a junior at Yale studying Environmental Studies and concentrating in marine science. Pam is from Guilford, CT and will be a senior at Connecticut College studying biology and psychology. We’re looking forward to working in the field after a great experience in the DCP office in Stonington!
We stepped off our plane at South Bimini Airport and were greeted by hot sun and plenty of humidity.

During the first week of July, I celebrated my birthday and US independence, but I was also joined dolphin trips with Bimini Adventures. Although I was not collecting video/acoustic data, I was collecting our usual sighting data and still photographs when I could. On Monday, we started the day with a bottlenose dolphin sighting; there were two dolphins not far from Bimini’s shore. Later we saw six spotted dolphins, including Niecey (#48), Romeo (#10) and, possibly Noodle (#94). We had a great underwater observation of Split Jaw (#22) and an uncatalogued young male spotted.

Friday 29 June was another rare morning dolphin trip with Bimini Undersea. This time, we headed out shortly after 9 a.m. and it was approximately 2 hours later that we saw the dolphins: a mixed species group with at least 11 individual dolphins. At first we saw Leslie (#80) and her calf, and Lil’ Jess (#35) and hers. As the sighting progressed, we got better views of the bottlenose as well as our spotted friends, Split Jaw (#22), Prince William (#64, pictured here), Speedy (#78) and Tilly (#87).

After a week of wind, rain and more wind thing finally cleared up on Thursday (28th June) for us to go in search of dolphins. Although we were not in Tropical Storm Debby’s path, the surrounding weather pattern did make June seem more like January. The group’s patience was rewarded on Thursday and Bimini Undersea took the group out for two dolphin trips (an uncommon practice, to be sure we give the dolphins ample time away from the boat and our interactions). The morning trip included a long awaited dolphin sighting.

On Father’s Day I was again aboard a dolphin trip with Bimini Adventures. The seas were completely different from Friday with the winds strong from the northeast. Still, we searched and searched for dolphins, finding them several hours into the trip. At first we saw Tilly (#87) and an older calf (or young juvenile?!) who were quite busy surfing. It was a challenge to keep our eyes on the pair and we soon found ourselves backtracking, hoping to lay eyes on them again. While we did not find Tilly and her “friend,” we did see two calves.

Friday was another great day of summer weather here in Bimini. I headed out shortly after 1500 with Bimini Adventures and a great group of passengers. We headed toward the “dolphin grounds” quickly and before we could even warn folks that it can take a while before we see dolphins, there they were…a group of at least 15 bottlenose dolphins. They were swimming in a fairly tight group, as seen here, so given the sea conditions we were able to get a great look at them from the boat.

Thursday brought with it an unexpected dolphin trip with Bimini Undersea. The conditions were as favorable as they get, with seas that resembled a swimming pool more than the ocean. With a great group of passengers onboard, we did not have to wait long before we saw dolphins. It was another large group and shortly after our observations began, we noticed three bottlenose dolphins in the midst of the spotteds.

Friday began (relatively) early as I saw Kathleen to the North Bimini water taxi to begin her journey back to New England. Unfortunately, some harsh weather was on its way, leaving her stuck for most of the day at the South Bimini airport….
Meanwhile, I tidied up a few computer files while standing by for the final call on the day’s dolphin trip. A few hours and several power outages later, the trip with Bimini Adventures did depart. The skies cleared just long enough to safely head in search of dolphins.