Vol. 29, No. 4 The Newsletter of Dolphin Research Center July/August 2013

More Than Twenty-Five Years of Teaching...Learning...Caring...for Marine Mammals and Our Environment

Dolphin SocietyThe CoConuT Doesn’T Fall Far From The Palm:

Similarities calves share with their parents.

Like mother like daughter, like father like son, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In our case, since the Florida Keys lack apple trees, should it be the coconut doesn’t fall far from the palm? It is easy for us humans to look at our families and observe not only physical similarities in our appearance, which are a result of our DNA, but also behavioral consistencies we have learned and imitated from those we are around the most. Dolphins are no

exception. Just like humans, dolphins inherit half their genes from their mother and the others from their father which predicts their physical outcome and possibly some personality characteristics. However, it is not just genetics that influence us. It is also the environment. We know all too well that dolphins learn

a large percentage of what they know from their mothers

and their friends through imitation. It is no surprise that when you look out at the young calves growing up at DRC today you see little reflections of their parents shining back at you.

Let’s start with the longest and most famous lineage at DRC, the Flipper dolphins. Tursi is the daughter of Little Bit and Mr. Gipper, two of the original dolphins who played Flipper in

the original 1950s movie. Since her birth in 1973, Tursi has presented four superstars of her own. Her first son is Talon who is now a full grown 23 year old male. Talon has definitely inherited his mother’s flair for stardom as he soars through the air, flipping his tail upward at the height of his dives. On outward appearances, however, Talon looks strikingly similar to his handsome father, Delphi, who was known for years as “the Fox”.

History has shown that Tursi

Fins in The FielD A few months ago, Dolphin

Research Center excitedly announced that we were expanding our research efforts and beginning a field research program. The project looks at the abundance, distribution, and behavior of bottlenose dolphins in the Middle Keys. Although wild dolphins have been studied in Key West and in the Upper Keys, no one has looked at the populations in between those areas. Each year, millions of visitors come to the Florida

Keys. This results in a number of potential influences on the local marine environment. The ultimate effect that this has on the region’s resident bottlenose dolphins in the Middle Keys has yet to be thoroughly investigated. Given that DRC is centrally located, we are perfectly positioned for this undertaking.

Since our announcement, we’ve made good progress with the project. The federal permit needed to conduct this study has

been received. The in-house team is led by Mandy Rodriguez, DRC’s Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, and includes Emily Guarino, Administrative Director of Research, Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Kirsten Donald, Director of Education, and Jane Hecksher, Research Coordinator. We’re working closely with two experts who have done extensive field research on marine mammals, including dolphins and killer whales

Similarities, see page 2....is a trait that is shared with eldest son Talon.

Tursi’s amazing athletic ability...

Fins in the Field, see page 5

Photo by: Peter Clark

Photo by: Arielle Valle

2 Dolphin Society Newsletter July/August 2013

BeCome ParT oF

The aDvenTure

Dolphin Research Center is a not-for-profit organization that conducts in-novative research and education proj-ects. We invite you to join our unique family by becoming a member of the Dolphin Society. As a member, your tax-deductible donation will help us provide the best environment and care humanly possible for the dol-phins and sea lions who call DRC home. Your membership will also sup-port our manatee rescue program and provide the educational programs that encourage our guests to become am-bassadors for all marine animals and the environment we share. Annual memberships are available in several levels:

Individual ($40 for adults, $25 for full-time students with proof of enrollment) – receive a subscription to the Dolphin Society newsletter, our e-newsletter, a 10% discount on most gift shop items, free admission for one to DRC for one year, and one free guest pass.

Trio ($70) – receive all the benefits of an individual membership plus free admission to DRC for up three people for one year.

Gray Cross ($90) – receive all the bene-fits of the Trio membership plus a sub-scription to our quarterly Gray Cross newsletter and free admission to DRC for up to four people for one year.

Sponsor ($150) – receive all the ben-efits of the Gray Cross membership plus the opportunity to sponsor a nar-rated session at DRC and admission for up to five people for one year.

Research Team ($500) – receive all the benefits of the Sponsor membership plus receive a personal tour of the Re-search Tower (by appointment) and admission for up to six people for one year.

Memberships can be purchased via our website at www.dolphins.org, by phone (305) 289-1121 X229, or by mailing your check or credit card num-ber to DRC, 58901 Overseas High-way, Grassy Key, FL 33050. Please note that memberships are not trans-ferable and the member must present photo identification for admission. www.dolphins.org

Innerspace or cyberspace, the dolphins of Dolphin Research

Center look forward to your visit.

Adopt-A-DolphinYou can sponsor your favorite dolphin or

sea lion at DRC through our Adopt-A-Dolphin or Sea Lion program. Experi-ence the warm feeling that comes with knowing that you are helping to pro-vide for the care and feeding of your friend. Your tax-deductible donation for a membership will help us to fulfill our promise to provide the finest home hu-manly possible for our marine mammal family. Memberships are available is several levels:

E-Dolfriend ($15) – receive an electronic membership that includes a subscrip-tion to our monthly e-newsletter and an e-mailed full-color certificate with your favorite dolphin or sea lion’s picture and a biography about your friend you can print out at home.

Dolfriend ($50) – receive a subscription to the Dolphin Society newsletter, our e-newsletter, a 10% discount on most gift shop items, a color certificate with your dolphin or sea lion’s picture, a bi-ography about your friend, free admis-sion for two to DRC for one year, and one free guest pass.

Pod Pal ($100) – receive all the benefits of a Dolfriend membership plus a sub-scription to our Gray Cross newsletter and free admission to DRC for up to four people for one year.

Parent ($240) – Provide the ultimate sup-port for your friend by pledging $20 per month to sponsor one of their meals each month. You will receive all the benefits of a Pod Pal membership plus free admission for up to five people for one year and silver bucket stickers for your certificate to represent the meals you provided for your dolphin or sea lion friend.

Adopt-A-Dolphin or Sea Lion member-ships make a great gift and can be purchased via our website at www.dolphins.org, by phone (305) 289-1121 X229, or by mailing your check or credit card number to DRC, 58901 Overseas Highway, Grassy Key, FL 33050. Please note that memberships are not transferable and the member must present photo identification for admission.

is not a big fan of research projects, as she once successfully learned a project and then purposely chose all of the wrong answers during the testing phase. Even though Talon may have inherited his mother’s smart, witty, nature he may have

gotten his affinity for research from his father. Delphi was the inspiration for the alligator in “Shell Game”, a research project focused on what dolphins understand about hidden objects. Delphi was one of the first dolphins to learn and complete the project.

Tursi’s second born son is Pax. At age 16, Pax is just as smart and athletic as his mother and big brother. Pax has a beautiful front flip, one of the most impressive behaviors to see at DRC. Pax’s father is the loud and boisterous Rainbow. When Pax gets excited and starts screaming you can literally hear both Tursi and Bo in his “voice”. Pax has a sly side seen in his mother, but also shows the goofy sense of humor both of his parents share.

Gypsi, daughter of Rainbow, is Tursi’s third calf and first girl. Like her mother, Gypsi is an independent young lady who swims to the beat of her own drum. Even at age six, she shares the family’s athleticism as she literally walks on water, tail walking across the entire front lagoon. Since she is Pax’s full blood sister it is no surprise that these two look strikingly similar.

Last but certainly not least

is Tursi’s newest son Gambit. At two and a half, Gambit is still a mama’s boy and even though he enjoys playing with the calves his own age he always swims back to mom for backup when he doesn’t get his way. We suspect he gets that headstrong trait from his

mother. Physically, Gambit is a perfect combination of both parents. He is long and slender like Tursi but has a short, stubby rostrum just like his late father, Kibby. We suspect as Gambit grows older more of his dolphinality will shine through and represent his great Flipper lineage.

Merina, another super mom at DRC, has also given birth to four calves, who

all look remarkably similar. Just like Merina, they have porcelain complexions and bright pink tummies. Calusa (12), Cayo (six and a half), and Flagler (two and a half) all have long slender rostrums. Pandora (15), Merina’s first born, however has a short stubby snout, like dad Kibby. Pandora is definitely the brightest of the pink bellied dolphin club and she has some freckles on her belly, a distinct physical characteristic of Kibby’s. Calusa has a darker complexion than her siblings and a signature wavy trailing edge to her dorsal fin. Her little brother Flagler also has that wavy hind edge. If you look closely at Merina’s fin you can see a slight indentation, suggesting that is where her children get their signature ripples.

Dolphinality wise, all of Merina’s children are very smart. They learn extremely fast and imitate many behaviors from mom before they even start officially training. Sometimes the girls like to flex their smarts and manipulate their trainers or guests into getting what they want. The most important thing at DRC is that our dolphins are happy and having fun, so we figure it doesn’t hurt to play

along. Even though Merina’s four kids share similarities, depending on who their fathers are, we do notice subtle differences. Pandora is more relaxed like her father but wants her trainers to work hard to amuse her and earn her excitement. This often results in new behaviors and creative training games. In female groups Merina has always ruled the roost, and Rainbow has proven to be quite the dominant guy. So, what happens when two dominant dolphins have offspring? Calusa. This headstrong girl loves to get her way by bossing others around. Calusa can often be intimidating for new trainers to work with, but once you learn how to do it her way she is as sweet as lemonade.

Merina’s last two calves were conceived through artificial insemination. At first, it was difficult to imagine where certain traits came from. Cayo is an interesting paradox as she is intelligent and athletic, but also skittish, which is unusual for a calf born at DRC. After a DNA test confirmed her father was Noel from Miami Seaquarium, we asked our neighboring trainers about his personality. They said Noel is a “great athlete, one of the best divers in our bunch but at times he can be wary of new things”. Well that made perfect sense to us as Cayo seems to be the combination of her mother and the father she will never know.

Then there is little Flagler, whose father is Stormy from Theater of the Sea. Located only 25 miles from Stormy’s home, we had often heard legends about this gigantic dolphin, described as massive, dominant, and yet a big love bug. As soon as Flagler was born it was evident he was going to be quite large and he keeps growing. Now two and a half years old he weighs almost 300 pounds, which is more

than some of his slightly older counterparts! Regardless of his large size, Flagler will cuddle right up into your arms and be a gentle “baby” giant. Not only is Merina a fabulous mother, she is also a young, sexy grandmother. Her daughter Pandora gave birth to the adorable Luna a little over three years ago. Luna’s father is A.J. and physically she is the spitting image. She also shares her father’s sweet nature, but other than that Luna’s dolphinality is Pandora all the way. She inherited a high pitched squeal from her mother and loves to scream at her trainers. Like both of her parents, Luna is eager to please and a fast learner. We expect big things to come from this little lady. The other three year old in our pod is Delta, son of Aleta and Kibby. Delta is the cutest combination of both of his parents as he shares Aleta’s dark color and eyes, his

father’s bulbous melon and crescent shaped dorsal, and you guessed it, the classic Kibby rostrum. Delta has a dominant streak like his mother and he likes to be in charge of the juvenile pod. He takes his time warming up to new things just like Allie, but once he does he is a brave little guy. He is cuddly like his father and playful like his mother. You can often find Delta leading the seaweed toss games during staff dock time.

Our newest addition is Santini’s second son, Reese. Reese

Similarities, from page 1

Similarities, see page 3

Similarities, From page 2

Similarities, see page 4

Merina has passed on both her beauty and much of her independent dolphinality to her offspring.

Pandora’s looks and dolphinality remind us of both parents.

Photo by: Katy Donegan

Photo by: Katy Donegan

July/August 2013

was conceived through artificial insemination also and his father is Brisby from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. At only six months of age, Reese is proving to be a “brainiac” just like his mother and his big brother Tanner. Tanner is our research star inheriting his mother’s “teacher’s pet” personality and his father A.J.’s research skills. Tanner also reminds senior management of his uncle, Natua, who excelled at research. Tanner shares physical qualities from both of his parents. It will be exciting as Reese grows up to see whose dolphinality he represents more.

Of course we must mention

Similarities, from page 3 our two youngsters who were not born at DRC. Jax, estimated to be around seven years of age, was rescued from the St. John’s River in Jacksonville, FL. Jax was found alone, too young to be without his mother and had suffered a shark attack. These days he lives out back with several mature males. The other rescued dolphin is Louie who was found on Fourchon Beach in Louisiana after the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. Louie is about three to four years old and is currently in our juvenile pod with his buddies Delta, Flagler, Luna, and Gambit. These two guys have their own unique dolphinalities and it is impossible to say what traits

they inherited from their parents. Nicely, these two boys represent added genetic diversity, which not only provides new traits to DRC’s family, but also bolsters the health of the population overall.

Good news always travels fast around the DRC family, but just in case you haven’t heard… we are expecting two more calves this October. That’s right; Merina and Aleta are both pregnant! We can’t wait to meet the new members of the pod and see what characteristics they will add to the colorful DRC mix.

By Sarah Brignac

in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Jim Ha is a preeminent research scientist and Research Associate Professor at the University of Washington who also serves on DRC’s Board of Directors. He introduced us to his colleague Dr. Jennifer A. Marsh. In addition to her extensive research experience, Jennifer is also a professor at Allan Hancock College.

Recently, Jim and Jennifer spent time at DRC sharing their experience and training the team on how to obtain good dorsal fin photos for identification purposes. Emily explains that, “In order to study the abundance and distribution of dolphins, we need to identify individuals. When we spot dolphins out in the open water, we photograph them and then study the photos back at the office.” Previous study has demonstrated that all dorsal fins have distinct shapes, including permanent nicks and notches acquired during their lifetime. In this way, many fins can be readily recognized and entered into the database.

Even in the early months of the study, the team is already getting to know some of the dolphins by their fins. “There’s a dolphin that we first spotted a couple of times when its pod swam close by DRC. We’ve now seen it twice during our field study days,” Emily says. “His fin popped up and when we saw it, I turned to the others on the boat and said, ‘I know that dolphin!” A comparison of the photos from the field and those previously taken from land at DRC confirmed the identification.

In order to produce a valid study, we must first establish a baseline of the dolphins that inhabit our study area. A number of details must be mapped out – literally. The overall study area extends from Lignumvitae Key (approximately mile marker 78) to the eastern end of the Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon over both the ocean

side and Gulf side of the islands. This total area has been divided into four specific routes. As Emily explains “We’ve defined survey routes that can be covered in a single day. To reliably study the population, it’s critical that we run the same transects.” Armed with charts and GPS units, the team plotted waypoints that are strictly followed each time they go out to look for dolphins.

When dolphins are spotted, the team notes the location, environmental conditions, estimated number of dolphins in

the population, and activity of the animals – all while taking plenty of photos. When they return to DRC, the information is entered in the growing database and the photographs are carefully reviewed. Data collected during the day is entered into a special software package for analysis.

We’ve only just begun this exciting, multi-year study. Ultimately, our results will provide valuable information to federal agencies responsible for implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act. We can also significantly contribute to conservation efforts. “Should we ever have the misfortune to suffer a large oil spill or other environmental catastrophe, the baseline information we’ve collected will be crucial,” Emily adds.

In addition to the scientific value, there are great educational

benefits. Director of Education Kirsten Donald explains, “Our field research program will enhance Dolphin Research Center’s educational efforts in a variety of ways. It is a platform that allows us to not only involve the public through outreaches about the animals found in their community and their conservation, but also in learning the importance of environmental science. Our involvement in field research allows us to teach children and college students not only about animal science, but also about other career

avenues that involve marine mammals and why supporting such endeavors is essential to their conservation.”

An undertaking of this scope takes a true team effort, and that includes the support of you, the DRC members. Already, donations directed toward this project have enabled us to purchase specialized gear including

cameras with telephoto lenses, binoculars, and a piece of

equipment called a YSI that monitors water quality conditions. Additionally, membership support funds boat maintenance and fuel. As you can imagine, the fuel to operate the boat for several hours each study day represents a major, but necessary, expense!

As we continue to make progress with the field research study, our excitement builds. The open water environment that surrounds our islands is, as Emily puts it, a shared resource and big part of all of our lives. “For all of us here and in the Keys’ community to learn more about our local marine mammal residents is cool,” she says. That Dolphin Research Center is on the forefront of gathering and sharing that knowledge is both beyond hip and a spectacular expansion of our core mission. With your help, we are making this happen!

By Mary Stella

The team looking for dolphins to photograph.

Fins in the Field, From page 1

4 Dolphin Society Newsletter

oCean noTions

B CA

1 2 3

Answers : A Tursi & 2 Talon, B Merina & 3 Cayo, C A.J. & 1 Tanner By Ashley Nolan

Ever heard someone say “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?” A lot of times that means you’re a lot like one of your parents! They pass down behavioral and physical traits to you. Some people will have the same color eyes, same shape face, or even be the same height as their mother or father. It’s often the same way with dolphins. A.J. is Tanner’s dad and they both have a ridge on the bottom of their chin.

What are different things that you notice about your parents that are similar to you? Do both you and your dad have blue eyes? Is your nose like your mother’s?

Check out the pictures below and see if you can match who is related in the top row to dolphins in the bottom row just by looking! Here are a couple of hints: Look at the shape of the eye, shape of the head, and unique marks or bumps on the head and mouth!

Can you match which dolphins are related?! Who is my Mom or Dad?

Photo by: Lauren Pickard

6 Dolphin Society Newsletter July/August 2013

WhaT marine mammals TeaCh us signaTure WhisTles

Checks, credit card receipts, contracts and sales documents: do you know what these items all have in common? That’s right! They all require a signature. Humans use signatures every day. Whenever we make a purchase without using cash or whenever ownership of a house is transferred, we find ourselves “signing our life away”. Signatures have a variety of uses in the human world and recent research in the realm of marine mammal communication has demonstrated that dolphins use a different kind of signature in very similar ways.

The most basic information a human signature presents is a name or identity. We have discovered that dolphins also transmit identity through a behavior called a “signature whistle”. Humans are very visual creatures, so writing and reading are often used for communication. However, dolphins, due to their environment, rely more heavily on sound and hearing for communication and survival. Amazingly, the signature whistle a dolphin develops is very similar to a name! Every signature whistle is different and this is one way a dolphin can recognize another dolphin both in human-care and in the open ocean.

The discovery of these whistles occurred when researchers were studying dolphins in human care. By recording the sounds the dolphins made, they found

that each dolphin has a distinct signature whistle just like we have

unique names! This type of research is extremely challenging to conduct in the wild. Unlike when humans move their mouths, dolphins do not always display any visual cues

when they create a sound.

So in the open ocean, it is not always possible to identify which dolphin is making a certain whistle! Recordings of this nature are much easier to analyze with dolphins living in a facility like Dolphin Research Center.

Human names and signatures can give much more information than simply an identity. This is true for dolphins as well. Signature whistles can also be used to call certain individuals. If a dolphin finds food or is in distress, its whistle can be produced in a certain way that signals other dolphins to respond. This is like a child’s mom saying “Jimmy?” versus “JIMMY!” Even though the name is the same, the way it is said varies and that means different things. Dolphins can also imitate the signature whistles of other dolphins. This allows them to call out to a specific pod mate.

Although dolphins live in

groups, they don’t constantly swim together. Sometimes individuals break off from the group to hunt or play. During these activities, they are often far enough away that they cannot be seen. Dolphins keep their group together by producing their signature whistles so that each individual knows where everyone else is. These whistles also tell unknown dolphins that the group is an alliance of friends. Humans often use signatures this way when we “sign up” for sports teams or clubs.

Dolphins are not born with a signature whistle. Just as humans learn their names by first babbling or scribbling, dolphins initially produce “nonsense” sounds that don’t seem to have any real organization. By one year of age, however, a dolphin has developed its unique signature whistle. Scientists are not sure exactly how this happens. Some suggest it is vocal learning from hearing

many sounds in the pod. Interestingly, research has found that many male calves develop signature whistles similar to their mothers, while female calves develop whistles that are distinctly

different. Scientists speculate that since females often spend time around their mothers with their own calves that is a way that the grandbabies can tell the difference between ‘grandma’ and ‘mom’. Males, on the other hand, may benefit from a similar ‘name’. When they are older and return to their mother’s home range, it may be beneficial to announce their

familial affiliation. This might also help sisters they have never met identify males they are related to. So, perhaps the mom influences the signature whistle of her calf just like human moms and dads name their babies. It could even be a combination of many of these factors. We are not quite sure yet.

We really have only scratched the surface of discovering all the uses for dolphin whistles. More research is needed in order to find out exactly how dolphins communicate and develop these amazing abilities. We, as humans, also need to learn more about how our activities can effect dolphin communication. Noise pollution, (from shipping, high impact sonar, oil drilling/exploration, etc.), is beginning to make it difficult for whales and dolphins to communicate, navigate, and find food. By always learning from our

marine mammal friends, we can continue to unlock the secrets of their communication while at the same time improving their homes. That is something we can all sign a pledge for!

- Noelle Belden

References :Caldwell MC, Caldwell DK

(1968) Vocalizations of naïve captive dolphins in small groups. Science 159: 1121-1123

Caldwell MC, Caldwell DK (1965) Individualized whistle contours in bottlenosed dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Nature 207:434–435

Janik VM (2000) Whistle matching in wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Science 289:13551357

Janik VM, Slater PJB (1998)

Jax developed his signiture before he was orphaned, perhaps it is similar to his mom’s.

Pals Luna and Gambit probably have very different signature whistles.

Context-specific use suggests that bottlenose dolphin signature whistles are cohesion calls. Animal Behavior 56:829–838

Sayigh LS, Tyack PL, Wells RS, Solows AR, Scott MD, Irvine AB (1998) Individual recognition in wild bottlenose dolphins: a field test using playback experiments. Animal Behavior 57: 41-50

Smolker RA, Mann J, Smuts BB (1993) Use of signature whistles during separations and reunions by wild bottlenose dolphin mothers and infants. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 33: 393-402

Tyack PL (2003) Dolphins Communicate about Individual-Specific Social Relationships. Pp. 342-361. In:

De Waal F, Tyack PL (2003) Animal Social Complexity. Cambridge, Massachusetts

researCh CornerThere are multiple reasons we

do research at DRC: 1. It provides our dolphins with

mental stimulation. What we call "cognitive

research", the animals experience as "thinking games". You can actually see them thinking and figuring things out – and they have a blast doing so!

2. It contributes to scientific knowledge of dolphins and of other animals.

There's a lot we don't know about dolphins yet. For example, we know that dolphins are smart, but we don't yet know all the specifics. Those specifics are important. Dolphins have evolved within a completely different environment, different body plan, and different neuroanatomy from humans for a long time now (approximately 90 to 95 million years). We're different in a lot of ways. When we find out that dolphins can do something super-cool, like blindfolded imitation,

we also compare it to what other animals and people can do, so it tells us: (1) something about dolphins; and (2) something about the ways in which intelligent behaviors evolve in general.

3. The new knowledge that research generates can benefit the animals, both in human care and in the wild. The more we understand these animals, the better we will be able to meet their needs.

4. Cognitive studies inspire conservation. For better or for worse, it is human nature to care more about animals that we view as intelligent. When guests visit DRC and see Talon doing math, or Tanner imitating in such a

clever way, it invites a new kind of connection with the dolphins. This connection can inspire more care and compassion for dolphins and the environment they live in.

Have a research question? It might be the topic of our next Research Corner. Email them to: research@dolphins.org.

By Emily Guarino

Co-founder Mandy Rodriguez and Admin. Director of Research Emily Guarino work with Kibby and Tanner doing blindfolded imitation.

Photo by: Arielle Valle

Photo by: Katy Donegan

Photo by: DRC staff

8 Dolphin Society Newsletter July/August 2013

PoD uPDaTeA.J. - To ensure that every

animal at DRC gets their needed nutritional intake, some get early or late buckets with a little extra fish. A.J. learned that he gets a special treat each day in the afternoon. Once he realized he was the only dolphin to get an evening snack, he started sneaking away from his lagoon mates to meet his trainer at a special place on the boardwalk.

Aleta - This summer, Aleta participated in the Adult Marine Mammal Care and Basic Training and Advanced Marine Mammal Training and Enrichment Dolphin Lab classes. She really enjoys all the interaction with new human friends and loves to see how she can mess with all the DolphinLab

students. Aleta loves to play ‘substitute teacher’. The students must make sure that all their signals are perfect otherwise Aleta will do a totally different behavior or not do any behavior at all.

Cayo - Periodically for some ‘super enrichment’ a bunch of trainers get in the front lagoon without fish and play with all the dolphins. One day when we did this, Cayo stole the show. She played with every trainer, offered her dorsal fin to pull them across the lagoon, gave kisses, and high fived everyone.

Delta - Delta has decided he is leader of the pack of all the

other little boys. Any time Flagler, Louie, and Gambit do anything without him he has to check in and supervise exactly what is going on. While he was doing a Dolphin Encounter with Luna, the other boys were at a different dock. Delta left Luna to do the swim by herself while he checked out what his pals were up to.

Flagler - One of the most important husbandry behaviors is voluntary watering. Flagler has recently mastered this behavior and receives up to two liters of water at a time. This is such a great behavior for extra hydration. It is the equivalent of humans consuming the recommended 8-10 cups of water a day.

Gambit - Gambit had the opportunity to show off just how much of a big boy he’s become. For a few days he and his mom, Tursi, spent time with Santini and six month old Reese. Since baby dolphins learn through imitation, Gambit showed Reese the ropes of what it is like to be a two year old. The boys took to each other right

away, swimming in between their mothers, side by side.

Gypsi - Gypsi enjoys interacting with guests so much that when there are multiple swims going on in the lagoon she is in, she visits each dock and participates in a behavior with the guests. She also joins in on dorsal pulls with guests at other docks.

Jax - Jax is learning to flirt from one of his buddies. Rainbow’s favorite spot to sit is under the boardwalk with a direct view of all the girls in the front lagoon. Jax

has joined him in this spot and can generally be seen right next to Rainbow talking to the girls.

Karen - Karen spoons with Lina in the afternoons, wrapping her flippers around her as they lie on the dock. Every now and then one of the girls moves just a little bit and it looks as if they will both tumble into the water. They apparently have good balance right on the edge of the dock, as they have yet to fall.

Kilo - Kilo really enjoys new training. He has been working on a behavior where he sticks out his tongue. Apparently, he does it really well right after he swallows a fish.

Lina - Lina has proven to

be one smart little sea lion. She is learning a lot of behaviors that include wait and also inching. This is where she lies on her belly and inches forward similar to how seals move on land.

Louie - Shopping is usually something that is perfected by the girls. However, Louie likes to bring up gifts for his trainers. One day, when asked for a present, he brought up six dive rings from his lagoon.

Luna - For observation and identification purposes each dolphin is designated a color of zinc oxide, which is a sunscreen. There are eight dolphins in the front lagoon so just imagine the rainbow of colors that were on Luna during a Dolphin Encounter after a fun play session with all the other kids. Her entire face was covered with an array of colors.

Calusa and Merina - After Hurricane Wilma in 2005, we experienced a great decline in the colorful parrot fish that used to be abundant in the lagoons of DRC. However, in the past few months we have seen quite a few of them. The dolphins have taken notice as well and Calusa decided to show her trainers up close and personal that she was happy to have these pretty fish back in the lagoon. She caught a parrot fish and excitedly brought it to the dock. Merina couldn’t let her middle daughter outshine her. The same day Calusa

caught her parrot fish Merina caught an even bigger one. Not only was it larger than Calusa’s but Merina decided to dive with her fish as well. Hopefully, the girls won’t scare off all of the other parrot fish. They are so colorful and beautiful.

Molly - Not only can old dogs learn new behaviors, but old dolphins can too. Molly, who is in her fifties, is learning a new behavior called crowd splash. She swims on her side and kicks a wall

of water up to the guests who are standing on the boardwalk. Molly gets so excited during this behavior, she ends up doing a speed run all the way around her lagoon.

Pandora - Pandora has been really “lovey” lately. She gets super jealous when other dolphins get attention from their trainers and guests. Molly was

receiving lots of kisses from her trainers and

Pandora decided she wanted some love too. She went right over to Molly and her trainer and joined in on the kissing.

Pax - It is so neat to see how dolphins learn behaviors through imitation. When Pax was doing an ad-lib session, showing off any behavior he wants, he imitated Sandy’s belly flop. Pax must appreciate his long time friend. As they say, imitation is a form of flattery.

Rainbow - Rainbow has been such a beach boy lately that this big guy has gotten a little sun burn on the top of his head. To help reduce the chance of this, we put zinc oxide all over the top of his head. We call it his toupee because that is exactly what it looks like.

Tanner - Jax isn’t

the only dolphin that looks up to Rainbow. Tanner apparently wants to be like the big guy too. One day we spotted him covered in the zinc oxide from Rainbow’s toupee.

Reese - Reese has started to show strong interest in people. He comes over to trainers on the dock as well as other staff members when they do dock time and gives full body backrubs. At just six months old, he has even shown interest in fish. He played with a piece of capelin that one of his trainers offered. This is a big step in baby dolphin training.

Sandy - If you have not seen or participated in the Dolphin Dip program with Sandy, it is a sight! He gets so excited for all of the behaviors and interactions with the guests. His favorite behavior is the splash imitate where he gets into a water fight with the guests in the tray. Can you guess who wins? Sandy, of course! This nine foot four inch dolphin has us all beat when it comes to splashing. He is so proud of himself afterward that he honks.

Santini - An important behavior baby dolphins at DRC need to be trained is gating from one lagoon to another. Santini has played a major role in helping us train her baby, Reese, how to swim in and out of these gates. This can be a new and exciting experience for the baby. Tina patiently worked

Karen and Lina snuggle for a nop.

Great gifts from Louie!

Santini guided Reese around until he grew comfort-able gatting.

Sandy leapt with gusto during a Dolphin Dip.

Gypsi helped out Louie with his flipper shakes.

Pod Update, see page 11

Photo by: Katy Donegan

Photo by: Krissy Wejebe

Photo by: Katy Donegan

Photo by: Will Wiggins

Photo by: Kathi Rogers

10 Dolphin Society Newsletter July/August 2013

sPoTlighT on Cayo Cayo is a darling diva who

has charmed her way into our hearts for more than six years. As Merina’s third daughter, she has her mother’s looks as well as some of her “dolphinality”, with a wide variety of attitudes. Sometimes she’s cautious, like when we want her to practice wearing her peduncle band. At other times, she demonstrates that she likes to be in charge and won’t do something unless she’s convinced it was her idea in the first place. Cayo’s little brother, Flagler, lives in the front lagoon with her and they have a typical sibling relationship. All of you older sisters with younger brothers know exactly what she’s going through. She enjoys bossing him around as well as some of the other youngsters. No matter what, however, Cayo has a heart of gold.

The first Dolphin Research Center dolphin conceived through artificial insemination (Father Noel lives at Miami Seaquarium); Cayo can be distinguished from her friends by the slight slant

in her melon and her very long and skinny rostrum. The latter adorable trait works out really well for her since her favorite type of reinforcement is kisses. Sometimes she even makes a cute little squeak after a kiss almost as if to say “Muah”! She has a pink belly like her sisters and loves to display it for all to see during her amazing, self-taught spiral dive. Any chance to show off in general is great for Cayo. She loves to be the center of attention and almost demands it.

Cayo has a great sense of humor and loves to mess with

her trainers – especially the ones that do not see her as often. Like her mother, she enjoys testing what she can and cannot get away with depending on who is in front of her. She also gets a kick out of pushing our buttons and is smart enough to know exactly which ones to press on certain people. This funny girl has it down to a science and will keep an eye on you as she is swimming away after you have asked her for something and she doesn’t do it, or when she does the exact opposite of what you asked. She loves the entertainment of seeing your reaction.

She recently became a more active participant in our Special Needs programs. A couple of our lagoons are equipped with Aqualift chairs that are used to help some

guests with special needs get in and out of the water. A few years ago, this was one of the things that made Cayo cautious, and she’d stay at the opposite end of the lagoon

away from the equipment. Now she sits right at the same dock and is excited to participate. She has become more confident in herself and others and really enjoys the new experiences.

Her increased confidence and self-esteem also help her progress with her voluntary medical behaviors. Each of our family members has one or two trainers that work with them on their med behaviors in order to make sure that each animal is comfortable and familiar with their “doctor”. It also helps us when we are trying to train new behaviors because we can be consistent with their training. I recently was added to Cayo’s medical team. It has been an absolute blast getting to know her on such a different level. She is such a trusting little girl, but definitely makes you earn her trust. We would not have it any other way.

It has been such a treat watching Cayo come into her own and blossom into an amazing and incredible individual. She is a sweetheart and a great role model for the youngsters that live with her. The future is bright for this outgoing, beautiful and loving girl and she definitely knows it!

By Samantha Eberlein

Cayo’s long rostrum is great for giving kisses!

Summertime often brings about thoughts of water as it quenches our thirst, cools us down, and provides relaxation. Summertime also leads to higher water consumption for many activities. Here are some water fun facts and how conserving water can help us and dolphins worldwide!

• 97% of Earth’s water is found in oceans and seas.

• 1% of the earth’s water is available for drinking.

• Each person uses about 100 gallons of water per day at home.

• One gallon of gasoline can contaminate approximately 750,000 gallons of water.

• Public water suppliers process 34 billion gallons of water per day.

• A small drip from a faucet can waste as much as 75 liters of water a day.

• The only substance found naturally on Earth that exists in all three phases of solid, liquid, and gas, is water.

• Oceans provide us with 70-80% of our oxygen!

• Shutting the water off when brushing your teeth or shaving can save 5-10

ConservaTion Corner gallons of water per person per day.

• Use a cover to prevent evaporation from your swimming pool.

• Water your lawn only when necessary and consider landscaping with native plants adaptable to your climate's conditions. This will save water and money!

• Use rinse water from dishes, or water from your fish tank to water outdoor plants.

• Water your lawn and have the kids run through the sprinkler at the same time so excess water is not wasted.

Water conservation aids in human health as it provides us with clean drinking water, and reduces water scarcity. Reducing our water consumption helps conserve dolphin populations as well. Watering your lawn less reduces run-off of pesticides and fertilizers that can pollute the fish dolphins eat. Using less fresh water reduces the need for desalination plants that remove salt

from marine water for human consumption. No more fresh water means finding other sources, which can impact humans and dolphins alike. Conserving water is simple, but we must all do our part to make a big difference!

Sources: http://www.gcwsa.com/

Facts%20About%20Water.htm http://www.naturesvoice-

ourchoice.org/conservation-devices/72.html

http://www.volunteerguide.org/minutes/service-projects/water-conservation?gclid=CPKQjLzL67UCFQuqnQodFBgAxQ

By Courtney Coburn

Cayo taught herself to do the spiral dive!

Pandora and Aleta are happy about your conservation efforts!

with us to guide him around and then back and forth between lagoons. With her help, Reese proved that it is a piece of capelin…I mean cake!

Talon - Talon is proving his Flipper lineage by imitating sounds exactly like the vocals made in the original 1950s movie. We do not

know where he heard these

Podupdate, from page 9

sounds, but they are the perfect Flipper noises.

Tursi - Tursi is the super mom of the group. While Gambit showed Reese how to be a big boy, Tursi thought it meant it was time for her to have her baby Gambit back. She went into newborn mom mode, keeping an even closer eye on her youngest son.

By Jaime StevensTursi (r) kept Gambit under her close supervision.

Photo by: Katy Donegan

Photo by: Katy Donegan

Photo by: Arielle Valle

Photo by: Katy Donegan

12 Dolphin Society Newsletter

Dolphin Research Center is a not-for-profit corporation specializing in education and research. DRC is a tax-exempt organization, and as such, all donations, monetary or otherwise, are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

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grassy Key, Fl 33050(305) 289-1121

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Printed on recycled paper

volunTeers BehinD The sCenes Every day, visitors to DRC will see volunteers out and about, performing their daily duties. They take care

of the birds, monitor Dolphin Encounters, collect office recycling, scoop sea grass from the dolphins’ lagoons and even carry trash to the dumpster. What might not be as evident is the effort that goes into making big things happen. Like every venue in life, these events are a direct result of the amount of planning and preparation that take place before and become the starting point for many different activities.

Before our sea lions’ eye surgeries in the Dolphin Theatre, while the Medical Department staff gathered supplies, volunteers moved furniture and scrubbed walls and floors. Prior to DRC events such as our Members’ Events and the Charles Evans Day for the Wounded Warrior Project, volunteers busily fill coolers and ice drinks, sweep floors, wash tables, and carry a myriad of supplies before the guests arrive. They keep the coolers filled throughout the event, empty the trash/recycling bins, answer guests’ questions and generally make themselves useful. When the party is over, and the guests have gone home, volunteers can be found collecting trash/recycling from around the grounds. They also see to it that all borrowed items are returned to their regular spots. Whether behind the scenes or out on the

grounds, the volunteers are always involved in helping DRC and our many activities succeed!

By Becky Rhodes

save The DaTe – FounDers’ WeeKenD 2013 Saturday and Sunday, November 9th and 10th, will be special days indeed when DRC celebrates with our

bi-annual Founders’ Weekend! Founder level donors and Guardian Circle members, please mark your calendars now and plan to attend. As always, DRC closes to the general public on those days so that you can spend quality time with the dolphins, sea lions, old friends and staff.

There will be special presentations and activities, of course, and lots of discussions on what’s new with DRC as well as exciting plans for the future. We’ll gather under the tent to share meals, including the gala dinner with live and silent auctions.

Official invitations will be sent in the months ahead to all current Founders and Guardian Circle members. Founders are those donors who give at least $1000 a year in support of DRC’s mission. The Guardian Circle is comprised of members who have given at the Adopt-a-Dolphin level or higher for at least three years or the Sponsor level for at least five years. If you’re interested in learning how to become a Founder in advance of this November’s event, please contact Director of Membership Sandy Dennison at 305-289-1121, ext. 205 or via email at sandy@dolphins.org. Hope to see you all in November. The more the merrier!

Volunteers and staff work together to prepare the theater as a temporary operating room.

Photo by: DRC staff