Dolphin Society - Dolphin Research CenterMay/June 2014 Innerspace or cyberspace, the dolphins of Dolphin Research Center look forward to your visit. Adopt-A-Dolphin h i j k

Vol. 30 No. 3 The Newsletter of Dolphin Research Center May/June 2014

Thirty Years of Teaching...Learning...Caring...for Marine Mammals and Our Environment

Dolphin Society

Happy Father’s Day, see page 4

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL THE DADS Prides of lions. Gaggles of

geese. Schools of fish. We use a variety of terms when talking about different animal species. When it comes to dolphins, scientists now prefer to use groups or schools and there are three different types: maternity, juvenile and bachelor. With Father’s Day approaching in June, let’s focus on the bachelors in the DRC family.

Once male dolphins mature, they form bachelor

groups. These consist primarily of two and sometimes three males

that form long-lasting relationships, many of which stay together for the rest of their lives. Males help each other hunt, herd females for mating and evade predators. At Dolphin Research Center, we see older male dolphins teach their younger counterparts the ways of the adult dolphin world. Two groups that have really seemed to take on father/son roles here at DRC are A.J. and Sandy with Tanner, and then Rainbow who has taken Jax under his flippers.

A.J. is Tanner’s biological

Tursi: When it comes to raising baby dolphins, nobody knows better than us Mama Dolphins! Who better to contribute to this newsletter article? Technology hasn’t caught up to us yet, so we called on one of our long time human family members, Linda Erb, to help.

Linda: I’m flattered, Tursi! Over the years, I’ve been privileged to see many youngsters born and grow up here at DRC, so I put together an outline of what happens in their lives at what approximate ages. Like Tursi said, the best experts are the mothers. While we don’t speak the same language yet, I’ve learned everything I know by watching them. Let’s see what the mamas would say!

Birth to 6 months of age:

• Dependent on Mom completely • Primarily nursing (eating may

start as young as four months, but six-eight is more average)

• Playmates of same age, or stay close to Mom

• Most free time is spent alongside Mom or very close

Aleta: I heard we were going to dish up the goods on raising kids! Can we talk? When are they going to come up with a nurser for these little chubbettes? My Diva is hungry all the time!

Merina: You’re telling me! I have much more experience raising kids than you do, Aleta, and I warned you about the round-the-clock nursing. For the first few weeks it is like every 20 minutes and they never leave our sides! I admit it has slowed down at bit now that Windley is six months old, but we are still their primary means of support.

Aleta: Well, I appreciate all of your expertise, Merina. You

are certainly more relaxed about letting Windley explore her world. Sometimes I worry when Diva spends so much time with that wild child of yours! Windley has such an influence on Diva, and then I have to rush in to be sure they aren’t getting into trouble!

Merina: Relax, Chiquita! Our girls are lucky to grow up with each other. Don’t you remember

RAISING BABY DOLPHINS

Raising Baby Dolphins, see page 2

DRC’s youngest family members and their moms

(top to bottom) Windley, Merina, Diva and Aleta.

Tanner and A.J. (l-r) wish you a Happy Father’s Day!

Photo by: Arielle Valle

Photo by: Katy Donegan

2 Dolphin Society Newsletter

BECOME PART OF

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the adventures you and I had when we were little squirts? As I remember you were the trouble-maker back then! I must admit it is nice to play with our trainers and show off for visitors again while the girls play on their own. We know our lagoons are safe, so it’s ok for them to wander a bit.

6 months – 1.5 years:

• Independence begins!

• Still nursing but less frequently as they begin supplementing with fish

• Away from Mom more, with same age kids or older

• Eating fish (average around 6-8 months), which increases in amount as they get older

• May stay with Mom and imitate her behaviors – this is when they learn a lot of hand signals

• Free time is sometimes farther from Mom, playing with peers

Santini: Hey girlfriends, are you talking about child-rearing without moi? What’s up with that! You don’t have anything to complain about right now. How I miss those days when my Reese was the size of your girls. At a year old he eats fish now, which helps the milk wagon here, but that boy still eats me out of house and home! When he was younger he came when I called and didn’t demand all of my trainer’s attention. You spend all this time nursing them, teaching them, and what do you get? Competition. I don’t think so!

Tursi: Oh, I think it’s adorable when they begin imitating us! Why my Gambit did dorsal pulls alongside me at about a year old, and was SO proud of himself. However, I couldn’t agree with you more about the frustration of them running around with their friends and not listening to their mothers! Gambit wanted to spend all of his time with Flagler and, even worse, those older boys, Delta and Louie. You have to be firm at this time,

and keep them coming back to Mama, who loves them best!

Santini: We’ll agree to disagree on that one, Tursi. Any time Reese is off playing with friends is time I am not nursing him! I check in on him – I am a good mother too, after all – but in general I think letting boys be boys is a good thing! My mother Theresa taught me to give kids a lot of freedom, it builds confidence. After all, you can’t keep them forever…

Tursi: WHAT!?

1.5 years – 3 years:

• Common to do sessions apart from Mom, often with another dolphin

• If still with Mom, will continue nursing

• Fish diet significantly increasing

• Weaned from Mom within this period of time. At DRC usually 2-3 years old

• Free time is mostly spent with peers close in age, away from Mom

Merina: Our kids learn so much from these friendships. Tursi, it seems like yesterday that my Cayo spent all of her free time with your girl, Gypsi. Today they remain good friends, along with your little girl Luna, Pandora.

Pandora: It is great to see what a trio they have become. They remind me of those stories you tell, Mom, about when you, Aleta and Santini grew up together.

Merina: I love when it works out that there are other kids growing up at the same time – almost like when people move into a neighborhood where there are lots of kids! They form their own little clan and play games that eventually lead to being responsible adults. I remember Calusa and Tanner being friends when they were little, but then he moved on to hanging out with his dad and the boys.

Pandora: Yep, the girls tend Raising Baby Dolphins, see page 3

Raising Baby Dolphins, from page1

May/June 2014

www.dolphins.org

Innerspace or cyberspace, the dolphins of Dolphin Research

Center look forward to your visit.

Adopt-A-Dolphinh i j k l m n o i m n i p q i j p r l s i p t u v w i x o y t m i pn v l x t i m l u z { | u y p i j } y i j p ~ w i o u � ~ �z i x o y t m i p � v l � t i m o p i } p l � � � � o v p t �v m k v u y v � l p � r v v x t m } u y l u k i � v n � t u y� m i � t m } u y l u q i j l p v y v x o t m } u i o p i �s t w v r i p u y v k l p v l m w r v v w t m } i r q i j pr p t v m w � h i j p u l � � w v w j k u t � x v w i m l u t i m r i pl � v � � v p n y t o � t x x y v x o j n u i r j x � x x i j po p i � t n v u i o p i s t w v u y v � m v n u y i � v y j �� l m x q o i n n t � x v r i p i j p � l p t m v � l � � l xr l � t x q � � v � � v p n y t o n l p v l s l t x l � x v t nn v s v p l x x v s v x n �� p v k v t s v l m v x v k u p i m t k� v � � v p n y t o u y l u t m k x j w v n l n j � n k p t o �u t i m u i i j p � i m u y x q v � m v � n x v u u v p l m w l mv � � l t x v w r j x x � k i x i p k v p u t � k l u v � t u y q i j pr l s i p t u v w i x o y t m i p n v l x t i m � n o t k u j p vl m w l � t i } p l o y q l � i j u q i j p r p t v m w q i jk l m o p t m u i j u l u y i � v �� p v k v t s v l n j � n k p t o u t i mu i u y v � ¡ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ¦ § ¤ ¨ © ª m v � n x v u u v p « i j pv � m v � n x v u u v p « l � � ¬ w t n k i j m u i m � i n u} t r u n y i o t u v � n « l k i x i p k v p u t � k l u v � t u yq i j p w i x o y t m i p n v l x t i m � n o t k u j p v « l � t �i } p l o y q l � i j u q i j p r p t v m w « r p v v l w � t n �n t i m r i p u � i u i z { | r i p i m v q v l p « l m wi m v r p v v } j v n u o l n n � � � ® � � � � � � � � p v k v t s v l x x u y v � v m v � u ni r l z i x r p t v m w � v � � v p n y t o o x j n l n j � �n k p t o u t i m u i i j p ¯ ° ± ª ² ° ³ ³ m v � n x v u u v pl m w r p v v l w � t n n t i m u i z { | r i p j o u ir i j p o v i o x v r i p i m v q v l p � ® � � � ´ � � µ ¶ � � � · p i s t w v u y v j x u t � l u v n j o �o i p u r i p q i j p r p t v m w � q o x v w } t m } � µ � o v p� i m u y u i n o i m n i p i m v i r u y v t p � v l x nv l k y � i m u y � h i j � t x x p v k v t s v l x x u y v� v m v � u n i r l · i w · l x � v � � v p n y t o o x j nr p v v l w � t n n t i m r i p j o u i � s v o v i o x v r i pi m v q v l p l m w n t x s v p � j k � v u n u t k � v p n r i pq i j p k v p u t � k l u v u i p v o p v n v m u u y v � v l x nq i j o p i s t w v w r i p q i j p w i x o y t m i p n v lx t i m r p t v m w �~ w i o u � ~ � z i x o y t m i p � v l � t i m � v � � v p �n y t o n � l � v l } p v l u } t r u l m w k l m � vo j p k y l n v w s t l i j p � v � n t u v l u ¸ ¸ ¸ ¹� � � º » � � ¼ ¹ � � ½ « � q o y i m v � ¾ � � � µ ¿ À �� µ � Á µ µ À « i p � q � l t x t m } q i j p k y v k �i p k p v w t u k l p w m j � � v p u i z { | « � ¿ À � �Â s v p n v l n Ã t } y � l q « Ä p l n n q Å v q « Æ �¾ ¾ � � � � · x v l n v m i u v u y l u � v � � v p n y t o nl p v m i u u p l m n r v p l � x v l m w u y v � v � � v p� j n u o p v n v m u o y i u i t w v m u t � k l u t i m r i pl w � t n n t i m �

to stay with girls once they reach a certain age, and the boys gravitate to other boys. Calusa and I are several years apart in age, and I think she has always been jealous of me (I do have the pinker tummy, after all!) but we can get along, if we have to.

Aleta: My Delta used to spend more time with Luna, since they are close to the same age. But, when he was around two years old, he began to prefer time with the boys. Especially that Louie! I think all of our boys look up to him. After all, he really is a wild guy!

Tursi: I am proud that as our children grow up they begin to go to their own training sessions – almost like going to school by themselves. Granted, I check in frequently to be sure the trainers are following the guidelines I’ve given them, but they’re a trustworthy group. We’ve trained them well!

Santini: Now there’s something we agree on, Tursi! Let the rug rats get their own trainer, so I get all of the attention from mine! Seriously, at first I made sure Reese was at the same dock with me, but as his confidence and security grew, I let him sit away at other locations. Now I don’t mind if he goes entirely across the lagoon, or even into a different lagoon to sit with a friend for his training sessions. I insist on the gate being open, just in case I need to check on him.

Pandora: Gates?! I love gates! Love to go through them when I am asked, love to go through them when I am not asked, love to go through them when someone else is asked…

Merina: Yes, dear, we get the picture. You know those gates are what eventually helps us with the biggest step in our

youngsters’ lives…weaning.

Tursi: I don’t want to talk about this.

Aleta: Now Tursi, you know that at around three years old we really need to let our kids go. They are ready for a life of their own. Personally when Delta was three, I was ready to stop nursing and get back to hanging out with my girlfriends.

Tursi: Really, I think I will just be going.

Merina: Generally I agree with you, Aleta. I think nursing for two to three years is usually best. However, I weaned Flagler a little earlier than two years. He was the biggest baby I have ever raised! While I am famous for my “Dolly Parton” figure, even I couldn’t fill that boy up! The trainers helped make the transition by gating us apart. A few months later, after my milk dried up, I was able to rejoin him, but I had no interest in letting him nurse again!

Pandora: I made the decision to wean Luna when she was less than two years old. Don’t ask me to explain why. It was just the right time. Every one of us is different and we have to make our own decisions. I mean, I was a good mom, she’s a well-adjusted little girl, isn’t she?

Santini: You don’t have to be defensive, Pandora. You are right, every situation and baby are unique. That is why we love them so much!

Raising Baby Dolphins, see page 4

Tursi and Merina (pictured top to bottom with Gambit

and Flagler) have often raised calves at the same time.

Raising Baby Dolphins, from page 2

Photo by: Kathi Rogers


Happy Father’s Day, From page 1

Tursi: OK, I’m back! Yes, we love them all so very much. Every stage of their lives is a joy as far as I’m concerned. Why, I even love being pregnant!

Merina: I hear you Tursi, although those last couple months I really feel like a manatee (sea cow)! My sleek, trim figure is gone. This reminds me of one more thing about child-rearing. I love that our “grown up” girls are around when

father, however, we do not think they know that they are related. Adult male dolphins and adult females do not live together in maternity groups, so A.J. wasn’t around when Santini gave birth to Tanner or in his younger years. You would never know this from the relationship that A.J. and Tanner share. The two get along very well and really seem to have formed a special bond. A.J. and Tanner currently live with Sandy, who at 34 years old is one of the oldest males at DRC. Sandy was accepted right away by the other two, enabling him to take on a role model position for Tanner. Often times you can see Tanner following A.J. and Sandy as they swim around their lagoons or hang out at the “beach” talking to the ladies on the other side of the bridge. Not only do they accept each other but they also play with one another or with toys like basket balls and footballs.

As the oldest and one of the

largest male dolphins at DRC, Rainbow has had the opportunity to form different relationships with a variety of other dolphins. In the past year Rainbow met one of DRC’s younger, smaller mature males, Jax. Out of all the dolphins Rainbow has lived with, Jax seems to be the one with whom he has formed the strongest connection. Not only do they enjoy sessions together, they lie close to one another at the bridge, welcoming guests onto the causeway. In turn, Jax loves spending time with his older pal. As a small dolphin with a big personality, being best buds with Rainbow makes him one cool dude in the dolphin world. Jax has a great role model in Bo and really can look up to him to learn what it’s like to be a big adult male dolphin.

Although all the relationships the dolphins

we are raising their little siblings. Both my Pandora and Calusa have proven themselves to be excellent baby sitters to their younger sister and brother. I know they will be awesome mommies, like you already are, Pandora!

Pandora: Thanks, Mom! I learned it all from you!

Tursi: Let’s not forget our grown up boys. My Talon and Pax still room together and are considered pair-bonded. The fact that they have each other makes them a stronger alliance, and others respect them for it. It doesn’t hurt that they inherited my strength, size and good looks!

Aleta: I am so proud as I see our next generation of “soon-to-be-big-boys” growing up today. Delta,

Raising Baby Dolphins, from page 3 Flagler, Gambit, Reese and Louie are forming an alliance. Even though Reese is the youngest, he is allowed to play with them and is a part of their “baby bachelor group”. They are all such good boys, I expect we will see great things from them in the future!

Merina: And who do they have to thank for their brilliance and success? Their Mother’s.

So Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms out there! If you are fortunate enough to have your mom beside you, love on her real good and count your blessings! If you can call her on the phone, do it. No texting - Tursi wouldn’t approve - but Skype-ing is a great idea! If your mom is no longer with you, hold her memory close and know that every day she is a part of you, just like all of the DRC dolphin moms live on in all their kids, grandkids and great-grandkids!

By Tursi, Merina, Aleta, Santini and

Pandora (as told to Linda Erb)

have with each other are unique to each individual, special bonds between certain ones can be seen. Tanner and Jax, have the best “father figures” to learn from and one day they will make great mentors for some of the younger generation of guys at DRC. To all you dads out there, have a wonderful and Happy Father’s Day.

By Jamie Stevens

A.J. and Sandy are great role models for their younger

buddies.

Santini’s a great mom to Reese, shown here when he was

a newborn.



May/June 2014

BABY DADDY BINGO – NOT! Usually when Dolphin

Research Center shares with members about our work with artificial insemination (A.I.), we focus more on our moms and babies. As members, you’re naturally more familiar with Aleta, Merina and Santini, for example. It might sound like the fathers in the A.I. conceptions are afterthoughts. That is definitely not the case. We do A.I. for the future health and genetic diversity of our precious dolphin family. The selection process that determines which male will father a DRC calf is definitely not a game of “Baby Daddy Bingo”. Every decision involves detailed, thoughtful analysis and is unique to each of the female dolphins at DRC.

We start with the list of which males have the potential to father calves. The pool is relatively small as not all facilities have yet taught their male dolphins to reliably provide the sperm donation. At DRC, our trainers regularly work on this voluntary activity, just as they do a variety of other husbandry behaviors. Education Director Kirsten Donald, who serves on the Population Management Task Force of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (the Alliance), accesses information contained in the North American Bottlenose Dolphin Studbook. The Studbook is a database which provides basic information on the bottlenose dolphins living in human care facilities in the region, including each animal’s family relations.

“First we look at what are referred to as ‘founder’ dolphins. These are males that were born in the wild. In our immediate family that includes dolphins such as Rainbow, Jax, or Louie,” Kirsten explains. “Ideally, we would like a donation from a founder dolphin with a low number of offspring.” The least related

male dolphin provides the broadest possible amount of genetic diversity to our family. Genetic diversity is essential to the health of any population of animals. Breeding animals that are related is termed ‘inbreeding’. Research shows that inbreeding can lead to significant health problems, including infertility and many other issues that can lead in extreme cases to extinction. “We’re looking at a long term perspective. It isn’t just about our family, but also about those in our colleagues’ facilities.”

After analyzing the information, Kirsten provides appropriate choices of baby daddies for the specific DRC mom-to-be. Numbers of relations and founder status aren’t the only criteria. We want to know the overall health of the male and any living offspring. “We also look at the physical size of the male dolphins and compare them to which of our girls we are thinking of partnering them with,” says DRC Medical Director Pat Clough. “We want to avoid pairing the genes of a large male with one of our smaller females so that we don’t risk a difficult delivery and birth because of the size of the calf.”

DRC also considers “dolphinality”, behavior traits and temperament. This is a practice that has been followed for years in other species, such as horses. It’s a little like virtual, scientific matchmaking. If Mom and Dad were really meeting, what characteristics of temperament might each contribute to their offspring? “It might not be proven in dolphins, but why not consider it?” continues Pat.

When all of the information is collected, DRC’s Animal Care Committee (President Rita Irwin, COO Mandy Rodriguez, VP of Animal Care and Training

Linda Erb, VP of Corporate Communications and Special Projects Kathy Roberts, Medical Director Pat Clough, and Director of Animal Care and Training Loriel Keaton) meet to discuss the options and choose which male will be the long distance papa.

With our two most recent A.I. conceptions, we chose to exclusively work with SeaWorld and their available males, even though this further reduced the number of candidates. In addition to genetic diversity, we also need to consider the gender balance of the DRC family. Several baby boys were born in recent years, plus we welcomed two others – Jax and Louie. In looking at the big picture, we realized our family needed additional girls.

Today it is possible to take a sperm sample and sort it so that you can select for the desired gender of the baby prior to insemination. When it comes to using sex-sorted sperm, Pat confirms that SeaWorld leads the field with the most developed processes and highest success rate. Not only are they advancing A.I. in marine mammals, but their efforts are also applied to other species such as rhinoceroses. There is a far reaching potential to benefit endangered and threatened animals.

Our team partners closely with our SeaWorld colleagues. Everyone

Baby Daddy Bingo, See Page 11

Talon does his part through A.I.Photo by: Katy Donegan


This is a great time to pamper our parents and honor the moms and dads in our lives. It is also the season for family picnics, reunions, and vacations. Although parents get the sea lion share of attention, like marine mammals, human families come in many shapes, sizes, and structures. Aunts, uncles, older siblings, grandparents, and cousins can play a large role in our lives. Even people completely unrelated to us can impact who we become as adults. Teachers, family friends, and close neighbors are also part of our “families”.

Human family structures also change over time. People get married and “in laws” are added to the family group. Children grow up and may move far away from home. In bottlenose dolphins, this is called a “fission-fusion” dynamic. Like humans, dolphins routinely change the structure of their social lives. The group a dolphin is born into is not the group that individual will remain a part of for its entire life. Once dolphins reach an age between three and six years, they leave their mothers and join a group of other youngsters of mixed gender. When they mature into adulthood, females return and spend time with a variety of other females, many of whom they grew up around. Males, on the other hand, find another male ‘best buddy’ or, in rare cases, two that they then spend the rest of their lives with punctuated by brief periods around other dolphins.

Have you ever had a teacher or babysitter that really inspired you and whom you will never forget? Well, within maternity groups of bottlenose dolphins, a female unrelated to a calf will sometimes play the role of a nanny or babysitter. Like our teachers and caretakers, nanny dolphins will help protect, discipline and even teach a baby dolphin while the mom takes a much needed break.

WHAT MARINE MAMMALS TEACH US: WE ARE FAMILY! Scientists believe this happens because it gives the nanny experience with a calf so that she will be a successful mother once she has a baby of her own, but also provides mom the opportunity to feed and rest. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes many flippers to raise a calf!

Sometimes, marine mammal mothers don’t have that assistance. Female California sea lions give birth to one pup each year, but unlike dolphins, the mother sea lion takes care of her pup with no additional help from others. This is akin to a single parent household in humans! Sea lions nurse their pups for the first eight days after birth. Then, the mothers go out to sea for a couple days at a time to forage for food before returning to care for and nurse their pups again, leaving them in a busy rookery that consists of many other of these mother/pup pairs.

When a mother sea lion returns, she calls out for her pup using what is called a “pup attraction call”. This is a special call that the pup has imprinted on. It’s like a special knock on the door or ringtone on the phone that signals your parents are home. Once reunited, the mother sniffs her pup for final recognition and then nurses the youngster for a day or so before returning to sea to forage again. Pups begin to follow their moms on foraging trips once they are three months of age. When the little one is one year old, they have learned everything they need to survive and then venture into the world on their own!

Pilot whales have a family dynamic that is more familiar to us. Pilot whales are actually large

members of the dolphin family. They are very sleek, all black, with very rounded heads. Pilot whales are found world-wide except in the Arctic and Antarctica. They are extremely social marine mammals and can be found in pods of 20-90 individuals.

Pilot whales live in a very closely bonded, life-long family structure. A “family” includes a matriarch (elder female) and her male and female offspring/close kin. Males will venture out to meet new family groups for breeding, but otherwise they maintain association with their matrilineal (mother’s side) relatives. This is very much like our own family groupings as humans! Pilot whales are so closely bonded, that they will sometimes strand themselves on a beach because one or more of their family members has done so. Scientists theorize this is why these animals may strand in such large numbers, (Up to 100 or more in some cases.)

Although we have discovered much about these social structures, we continue to research such dynamics in order to get a better picture of how marine mammals behave. This allows us to better understand their needs and keep them safe in the wild. This summer, not only should we appreciate our moms and dads,

Although not related, Karen and Lina do well together.

What Marine Mammals Teach Us, See page 7


May/June 2014

Who do you live with? Mom? Dad? Grandma or Grandpa? Aunts or Uncles? Cousins? Brothers or sisters? Friends? A mixture of these? Cool, so does our dolphin family! Dolphins start their lives in a maternity group. This is where female dolphins who might be moms, learning to be moms, or nannies raise the calves. Aleta and Merina are raising their daughters Windley and Diva together, and take turns babysitting for each other. In the dolphin world the dad does not live with the calf when they are young, but they might become friends later on. Dolphins like Louie and Jax, who were

OCEAN NOTIONS rescued animals, got adopted into the DRC family and fit right in.

When calves grow up they leave their mom at about three to six years of age and join a juvenile group. This is when their other girl and boy dolphin friends become their family, sort of like going to college. Don’t you think it sounds like fun to live, learn, and play with your friends, cousins, and siblings every day? Reese, Gambit, Flagler, Luna, Delta, Louie, Gypsi, and Cayo think so too.

When dolphins become adults, the males live separately from the females. A.J. and Tanner are a father and son pair that live

together here at DRC. Tanner spent his younger years with his mom, Santini, then some of his other dolphin friends. When he was mature he moved in with A.J. and his friends.

No matter who they live with, our dolphins always seem to have a good time. Their social lives are made up of all different dolphins. Their families may not even be related to them, and change throughout their lives, just like us. Thank you for being part of our DRC family, and loving and supporting our dolphins and sea lions.

By Erin Reichel

Bonus! Who were Jax and Louie’s adopted Moms?

Can You Draw Lines to Match the Mom with her calves?

Diva

Pax

Cayo

Gambit

Windley

Gypsi

Reese

Pandora

Tanner

Calusa

Talon

Delta

Flagler

Merina- Windley, Flagler, Cayo, Calusa, Pandora

Aleta- Delta, Diva, Bonus: Louie

Tursi- Gambit, Gypsi, Pax, Talon

Bonus: Jax, Santini, Tanner, Reese

Answers:

we should also remember to thank everyone in our lives that have made a difference. After all, families are forever, but friends are the family we choose!

By Noelle Belden

Reference:

Olson, P.A. 2009. Pilot whales: Globicephala melas and Globicephala macrorhynchus. Pp. 847-852. In: Perrin, W.F., Wursig, B., and Thewissen, J.G.M., (eds.),

Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Elsevier. Burlington, MA.

Aleta

Tursi

Santini

What Marine Mammals Teach Us, From page 6

Merina


POD UPDATE A.J., Jax, Rainbow, Sandy,

and Tanner– It has been a constant party in the back lagoons, now that A.J., Jax, Rainbow, Sandy and Tanner have all been reunited. The boys are living in a large social group, and they are happier than ever. Whether they are greeting guests at the bridge or wrestling in the open water, the energy is ever present with so many varying personalities living together.

Aleta, Diva, Merina and Windley- The new moms and babies are enjoying socializing not only with one another, but also with wild maternity pods. One morning, two mother and calf pairs were spotted along the fence line chatting with Merina, Windley, Aleta and Diva. Whistles and clicks were exchanged, and all the girls seemed very comfortable and intrigued by the passing visitors. They were not so comfortable later on in the day when a lone manatee came by, investigating the DRC family and their habitat. The ladies were very nervous, and would not turn their backs on this foreign presence. Their behavior brought to a halt the entire session in which they were participating.

Calusa and Tursi- Calusa recently had the opportunity to reconnect with an old friend. Tursi has joined both Molly and Calusa in their female group in the back lagoon area. All having previously

lived together at various points in their lives, they enjoy the carefree lifestyle, with no children around to distract them from 24/7 girl time.

Cayo- Cayo can be a very tricky young lady, and she demonstrated this during a Dolphin Encounter program with another dolphin, her friend Tursi. During a splash fight imitate with a guest, both girls popped up and started to battle the young guest. The

game changed quickly though, as Cayo decided to switch sides and start unleashing her splashing in her friend’s direction. The two-on-one fight turning upside-down brought lots of laughs to both swim participants and onlookers.

Delta- Quite the social butterfly, Delta is known to steal the hearts of most people. During

a morning Dolphin Dip program, he made sure the

guests thought highly of him by disappearing and reemerging with a dive ring and scarf. He presented the gifts to a young participant, and would not leave their side until they accepted his token of love.

Flagler- One day during a fun playtime session with his trainer in the shallow lagoons, Flagler was asked to retrieve a present. Instead of swimming off in search of something to bring back to the dock, it appeared he just stood on his head with his tail out of the water. He stayed that way for several minutes, and upon further inspection, the trainer realized that he was in fact trying to dig up something from the bottom. Flagler eventually swam back to the dock with a flat rock in tow, extremely proud that he was able to get his flippers on the specific thing he

picked out from the sea floor.

Gambit- Gambit has taken the next stage in becoming an adult dolphin as he has weaned from his mother, Tursi. He now enjoys the front lagoon with no parental supervision, and gets to participate in copious hours of playtime with his young friends. He is also becoming very independent, and thrives when challenged while doing public programs without the help of Mom. We cannot wait to see how Gambit continues to grow in the future. One of the first behaviors he did after his mom wasn’t in the same lagoon was to beach on a dock. This is a behavior that Tursi always discouraged him from trying even though all the other young dolphins were doing it.

Gypsi- This young lady takes great pleasure in being a part of public programs. Gypsi thrives on the attention from the guests, especially when they fawn over her amazing back tail walk. Her trainers have also started to do programs with her from surfboards and floaty chairs. She loves this creativity and even visits other dolphins’ programs when lots of

fun is going on.

Karen- Anyone walking by the sea lion habitat can see that Karen is ready for summer. Our oldest sea lion enjoys lying out on the docks, soaking in the Florida sun. By the end of the day she even

Delta’s big grin charms DRC’s guests.

Gypsi’s back tail wows everyone.

Photo by: Samantha North


May/June 2014

turns into a genuine golden girl, as her coat dries to a beautiful blonde.

Kilo- Kilo is making progress with his voluntary medical behaviors, as he learns to give blood from his flippers and participate in x-rays of different parts of his body. Both Kilo and his trainers work hard together to keep him in optimum health.

Lina- We recently spotted Lina having loads of fun out on habitat. When her girlfriend, Karen, is sleeping, she entertains herself with a large, green, jolly ball. She tries her hardest to dunk it under the water, only to watch it fly back up to the surface moments later.

Louie- Louie often hangs out at the front seawall, socializing with some of the younger girls. He waves to guests and chats, all while taking in his surroundings. Once a quieter dolphin, Louie has certainly grown to be a very outgoing boy who grabs the attention of everyone he meets.

Luna- Four year old Luna is currently learning a few new behaviors, including her front flip and her fountain. She is making great progress, and appears to love the challenge that comes with expanding both her physical abilities and her coordination.

Molly- Even though Molly is the oldest dolphin at DRC, she is not slowing down at all. She absolutely loves adlibbing different

behaviors, even offering her front flip out of nowhere. She exudes energy and an abundance of joyful sounds as she shows guests and trainers that you are never too old to play.

Pandora- Pandora has moved back to her old stomping grounds, and is now living among the children and mothers

in the front lagoon. She is enjoying reconnecting with

old friends and her daughter, Luna. She is also very proud to be able to once again show off her amazing front flip to on looking guests.

Pax- Pax is beginning to learn

a new behavior, his banana jump. This consists of jumping out of the water backwards and arching his body in the shape of a banana. It has proven to be challenging so far, especially since no other dolphin has demonstrated it before at DRC. Pax loves learning new things and getting creative, so it will only be a matter of time until he completes this fun behavior.

Reese- Over the past few months, little Reese has certainly learned quite a bit. Like his mother, Santini, he takes any opportunity to show off his wide variety of behaviors. During the Members Only

Event, Reese stole the show during an In Tune performance. Instead of waiting on the sidelines, he went out into the middle of the front lagoon and did his speed run behavior over and over. He did not care that he was getting in the way of all the other dolphins who were trying to demonstrate their skills; he continued to show the crowd just how adorable he can be.

Santini- We’ve always known that Santini is quite the A+ student, even when it comes to multitasking. During a public program, the trainer asked her to go on a traveling wave behavior. Not only did she complete the wave, but she did it all while Reese was nursing underneath her and while she was

minnow fishing at the surface of the water. Nothing slows this momma down!

Talon- Talon always gets very excited to do behaviors, especially those which he does not get to practice often. During a training session, his trainer asked him for his upside down fountain, and Talon took off in excitement. Instead of just floating on his back while spitting and flicking his tail,

he launched into full back dives. He was so amped that his tail

was flicking, he was spitting, and soaring backwards all at once in a crazy combination.

By Danielle Brown

We love seeing Louie’s “dolphinality” develop.

Pax is making progress on a new behavior.

Reese teams up with Mom Santini on different

behaviors.

Brittany Rohlmann

Photos by: Cathy Jones



SPOTLIGHT ON JAX Many of us remember

our adolescent years as an uncomfortable transition marked by hormonal changes, awkward firsts, and the peer pressure of just trying to “fit in”. Although painful, it may have also been the time in your life when you figured out who you were going to be. Maybe you discovered your personal talents or developed an interest that would lead to your future career. Male dolphins also experience a transitional phase from juveniles to “bachelorhood”. Very similar to humans, their bodies change, they become interested in the opposite sex, and establishing a place in the hierarchy becomes an everyday challenge. In the past few years our little boy Jax has made this natural progression to becoming an adult male dolphin.

For those of you not familiar with Jax’s story it is a heartwarming “Survivor's Tail”. (Coincidentally, this is the title of the DVD presentation we made about him that is for sale in our online Gift Shop and in the store here at DRC.). Young Jax was found in the St. John’s River in Jacksonville, FL. He was alone when he should have still been with his mother and maternity group and he had wounds that were obviously from a shark attack. Jax was rescued and taken to Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City, FL for rehabilitation.

He was not able to be released back into the wild due to his young age. Dolphin calves learn all of their survival skills from their mothers within their first three to six years, so without that crucial learning period, he did not know how to efficiently hunt for fish, avoid predators or properly socialize with other dolphins. It was at that point that the National

Marine Fisheries Services needed to find Jax a permanent home. At

the time, we had nursing mothers with youngsters about his age and offered to take him. To our delight we were chosen to be his new forever home. Jax arrived at DRC on January 8, 2008. Upon joining our maternity pod he was adopted by supermom Tursi and quickly became best buds with her daughter Gypsi as well as Merina’s daughter Cayo who were both close to his age.

What happens to male dolphins when they become too old to live with their maternity group? It is common for youngsters, both male and female, to leave their mothers between three to six years of age and form juvenile groups of mixed gender. Once they reach sexual maturity the females often rejoin their mothers and other females they grew up around while the males form bachelor groups made up of one to two other males that spend the rest of their lives together. Kind of sounds like a college fraternity party, right? Trust me with DRC’s rowdy boys, some days it looks that way as well!

Jax, now estimated to be around eight years old, has joined our bachelor group and is currently living with four older male dolphins. A.J., a laid back guy in his mid-20s, was the first adult male Jax met.

A perfect first companion, A.J. used his gentle mentor demeanor

to teach Jax the ropes of being a bachelor. Ironically, one of our smallest males has bonded with two of the largest dolphins at DRC. Jax is often seen swimming around with Rainbow and Sandy, which makes for quite a funny sight. Guests often ask if Jax is a baby with his mother as he looks so petite next to the 9’ 5” long Sandy. Regardless of size these boys really seem to enjoy each other’s company.

Closest to Jax in age is Tanner, who seems to act like

an older sibling, often horsing around with Jax and “bossing” him around. This bachelor group is exactly what dolphins Jax’s age would be experiencing in the wild.

Growing up also means learning new things. Jax arrived at DRC as a “green” dolphin meaning he had no previous training. All of the behaviors this smart boy knows today he has learned here, either trained to him by his trainers or gained by imitating his dolphin friends. Currently Jax is learning his flip and back tail walk, and is even helping Tanner and A.J. with their research projects.

Training Jax a new behavior can be a challenge in itself. Even though he is incredibly smart, he often makes us work a little extra to get and retain his attention. Our College of Marine Mammal Professions students recently discovered this as they attempted to train Jax to spin a ring on his rostrum and balance a basketball. “Maybe he doesn’t like to play with rings or balls,” they said, “or maybe his rostrum is too short.” More experienced trainers knew better, as they too had once been new and experienced his little tests. Our advice to them was they needed to find what motivates Jax. He is

Even though he wasn’t born at DRC, Jax has become an

inspiring member of the family.

Spotlight on Jax, see page 11

Photo by: Brandi Castle

May/June 2014

different from the other dolphins in the sense that he doesn’t warm up to new trainers right away. They took our advice and ran with it, finding out that some of his favorite behaviors are silly little games in which they pull his flipper and he responds with raspberry noises or they pump his tail up and down and he spits water. Once they were able to excite Jax, their training progressed rapidly. Soon Jax will be spinning rings and balancing balls all over the place.

Jax has touched many lives including the staff who cares for

him daily, the students whom he teaches, and the many guests who have the opportunity to see him when they visit DRC. Perhaps the most significant impact he has made however has been on our country’s military heroes. DRC works closely with Wounded Warrior Project to give veterans the chance to come and experience the joy our dolphins can bring. One highlight of every trip is when they get the chance to meet Jax in person and hear his heroic story. Many of the Warriors have had physical injuries and can relate to Jax. Seeing him function normally

with only half a tail fluke, half a dorsal fin, and a deformed pectoral flipper provides connection and inspiration. Others empathize with the emotional trauma he might have suffered when attacked and appreciate that he had the will to go on and survive. Young Jax probably has no idea of the encouragement he has given some of the bravest people our nation will ever know. I say that he accomplishes a lot for being an adolescent dolphin. At least he doesn’t have to worry about acne!

By Sarah Brignac

Baby Daddy Bingo, From Page 5

wants to be successful. At DRC, we track the follicular development of the chosen female and then follow strict protocols – set by SeaWorld – so that insemination takes place at the most likely time for conception to occur. DRC’s veterinarian of record, Dr. Mike Renner, is currently the only veterinarian in the United States outside of SeaWorld’s personnel who is authorized to use their established procedure for insemination.

While there is a charge for using SeaWorld’s services, by no means is this a revenue producing practice. The technology and equipment needed to sex-sort sperm, store it, and then prepare

it for use is incredibly expensive to purchase, operate and maintain. DRC certainly couldn’t afford our own, nor can most facilities around the world. DRC’s Medical and ACT teams have become proficient at the ultrasound monitoring, testing, and urine sample collection, resulting in an invitaton by SeaWorld to participate in their research studies.

So far the collaboration has worked! Two little girls Diva and Windley were born using A.I. last November. Diva is the daughter of our Aleta and SeaWorld’s Gilly. Merina’s Windley was fathered by SeaWorld’s Fathom!

DRC’s big guys are also doing

MEMBERS ONLY EVENT Once again we celebrated

another Members Only Event that took place on March 2, 2014. The day turned out to be absolutely beautiful! We also had a record turnout of 395 members and their guests as we continue to grow each year.

While most strolled on the boardwalks, causeways and grounds to watch and enjoy the many different presentations and tours given by our talented staff, some sat at the tables near the snacks to talk and catch up with old and new friends alike. The kids had a great time taking advantage

of the sunshine to get wet in the Sprayground! By far one of the most exciting moments, as we heard through feedback from our guests, was the sunset celebration where the dolphins showed their best behaviors. Thank you for your attendance at this successful event.

We are excited about our future expansion plans and so very grateful to have members like you to help continue our mission – Through education, research and rescue, Dolphin Research Center promotes peaceful coexistence, cooperation and communication between marine mammals, humans

and the environment we share with the well-being of DRC’s animals taking precedence. This also includes the cats, iguanas, roosters and chickens in addition to our family of dolphins and sea lions!

Thanks again to you all and to our excellent volunteers who make all of our goals and dreams possible to attain. We look forward to seeing you throughout the year as well as our Members Only Event next year! Until then, let us know if there is anything that we can do to make your experience here at DRC more enjoyable and memorable.

By Aaron Emerson

their part to help the genetic diversity of dolphins living in human care. Talon and Rainbow have fathered calves at other facilities. A.J. and Pax are also desirable baby daddy candidates. The rest of our males are all still learning how to become donors or still have growing up to do but will eventually learn.

Our current success with A.I. is vitally important. We can celebrate every day when we go out to play with the dolphins. When we do, we’ll tip our ball caps to our colleagues in these efforts and to the baby daddies who do their part for the health and future of dolphins everywhere.

By Mary Stella

Spotlight on Jax, from Page 10


DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

58901 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY

GRASSY KEY, FL 33050

(305) 289-1121

NonProfi tU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit #1040Leesburg, FL

34748

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.

Printed on recycled paper

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

OUR VOLUNTEER FAMILY I have always enjoyed

the diversity of the volunteer break room and have written about it frequently. We welcome volunteers from all over the world, all backgrounds and a wide range of ages. Despite all of the differences, including the reasons each volunteers, they all come together for a shared goal – to promote the peaceful co-existence of marine mammals and the environment we share. These d i f ferences are set aside as we become a harmonious group and appreciate what makes each other special.

For all of our differences it is not just humans that make up our family. While dolphins don’t swim through the room or sea lions bark at the door, our blended family consists of an assortment of feathered and furry members.

Over the years, there have been chickens, blue and gold macaws and

even the occasional peafowl literally flying through the office. A couple of years ago we cared for an abandoned baby opossum until wildlife rescue came for him. More recently a clutch of chicks lost their mother and, being far too young to be left alone, we brought them into the office to raise them. It was amazing how quickly they grew accustomed to being cared for by their human family and jumped right into our hands. Our Rat Pack cats, Frank, Sam and Martin, seemed

to understand that the fuzzy little chicks were just another part of the family and did not even give them a second glance The chicks have now gone on to a permanent home to be part of a blended family with children and dogs.

Our three cats have had to make many adjustments in their eight years as a

part of the family. They always have laps to sit in and loving hands for cuddles. Staff members and volunteers occasionally bring in their own pets for any number of reasons. Because we share our building with DolphinLab students and some of the participants are canines, Frank, Sam and Martin have learned to hang out on windowsills and love all members of our blended family.

By Becky Rhodes

Photo by: DRC staff

Dolphin Society - Dolphin Research CenterMay/June 2014 Innerspace or cyberspace, the dolphins of Dolphin Research Center look forward to your visit. Adopt-A-Dolphin h i j k

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