Research and Beyond

It’s question-answering time!!!

Is there research being done at this facility?
There is, in fact, research being done both at Dolphin Cove and their sister facility, Dolphins Plus. Some of it is still in the logistical stages of collecting initial data and the such, but other research is ongoing or on its way to being published. Some of the research going on at Dolphins Plus focuses on signature whistles and mother to calf whistles. Essentially, each dolphin has its own whistle (like saying someone’s name) and uses other whistles for calling specific dolphins (like a calf). At Dolphins Plus, they’ve collected whistles from mothers and their related calves, mothers and non-related calves, and many other variables to study how exactly these dolphins are calling each other. For instance, a mother can call a non-related calf to come to her without resulting in her related calf coming too. They use sound charts, essentially, which show the dips, peaks and frequencies of different pitches used in each whistle. They know that signature whistles and mother to calf whistles exist because they have these sound charts which tell us that they are using the same whistle each time to call a specific dolphin. Both facililities also do daily ethograms, which are essentially behavioral studies where behavior (swimming, diving, floating, etc.) are noted at 30 second intervals for 30 minutes twice daily in order to log how each dolphin is interacting, or isn’t, with others.

Who is in charge of the dolphins & their care?
There is a curator here that was part of the founding of the original facility, Dolphins Plus, and then multiple trainers for both facilities. I actually don’t know how many trainers they have at Dolphins Plus, but there are 4 at Dolphin Cove. The actual care of the dolphins is in more hands than just the trainer’s. Interns help out with daily duties, there is a vet that comes to check up on the dolphins, photographers to photograph injuries or new marks on the dolphins, maintenance people, etc. Trainers work hard to train specific behaviors with the dolphins that will be necessary to perform should the dolphins ever need medical attention. For example, Leo’s being trained to beach onto a platform that moves up and down, which is extremely crucial, should they ever need to look over his whole body out of water.

Is there a trained Biologist?
There is no trained biologist, per se, but all of the trainers have degrees in wildlife and fisheries sciences. Some even have PhD’s, like at Dolphins Plus where one woman is in charge of the on-going research. What I really admire about both of these facilities is that the trainers don’t just come to work and do what they have to do and then leave. You’ll see journal articles posted on the bulletin board with the latest dolphin research, everyone reads up on whatever’s going on at the Marine Mammal Conservancy, and the facility is actively involved in a stranded marine mammal rescue program. These girls (it’s all girls where I’m working) don’t only know their stuff, they keep up on it as well. It’s not just a job to them, it’s a lifestyle, and that’s exactly the type of dedication and compassion these wonderful creatures deserve.

Has anyone ever been bitten by one of the dolphins?
To my knowledge, no one has ever been bitten. They’ll pretend to bite by putting their mouths around your arm or leg just to see if you’ll yank it away, but that’s mostly just a fun game for them. One of the dolphins, Alfonz, is actually trained to “bite” your fingers. You put your fingers in the corners of his mouth (they have no teeth at the very back of their mouth) and he closes down. It looks like you’re getting bitten, but in fact you’re just getting gummed—completely harmless and kind of adorable.

I really promise that I’m going to write a section on training; I was going to do that today, but I apparently left all my interesting notes at work. I’ll do it soon!

If anyone has any more questions, please ask! It’s fun to see what people are interested in!