One Life Begins… Another Ends

It's Monday, November 11th, and I’m working at my computer when the cell phone rings. I answer and Officer Josh Ferris tells me that a dolphin has been seen by a citizen in Tigertail Lagoon, north Marco Island. Officer Josh is on the water, heading to the location, and texts me a photo of the dolphin, taken by the citizen.

Our study team was on the water and not too far away from the lagoon so I called them and they headed toward the sight of the deceased dolphin. It was 3:10 when I called Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) to report the GPS coordinates of the dolphin and its status. Everything was duly noted by FWC.

It was very low tide at this time, and Officer Josh was not able to bring his boat very close to the dolphin. Our team also had the same difficulty. The officer called and told me he was headed back to the dock, would take his vehicle into Hideaway Beach and reach the dolphin by land.

With guests on board the Dolphin Explorer, our team of Captain Eddie and Marine Biologist James returned the guests to Rose Marina, then headed out into the Gulf of Mexico, beached our boat near the dolphin’s location so James could walk across the lagoon to assess the dolphin’s physical condition and photograph the dorsal fin for identification purposes.

Moments later, Officer Josh made his way by land to the site, secured the dolphin to some trees, and also sent photos to me with a recovery of the dolphin scheduled the next morning with FWC.

With great photos of the dorsal fin, the team could now go to work to identify this dolphin. I was on my computer’s dolphin database while James checked from onboard the boat. James was the first to match the dolphin in the water to a file photo, and I verified that identification. Two people are better than one to confirm an identity. It was agreed that the dolphin’s name was Cape J, a resident of the Kice Island/Caxambas pass area. This dolphin often traveled with other known females, moms, and calves in the region. We did not have any info about its family tree.

On Tuesday morning, we had guests on board for a 9:00 AM tour and explained that we would be going to Tigertail Lagoon as our first stop and see if we could assist in the recovery of Cape J. All agreed and, by the time we arrived at the location Officer Josh was already transporting the dolphin to a dock, where FWC would meet him and transport Cape J for a necropsy to determine the reason why its life ended.

To our team, there appeared to be no external signs of physical trauma. However, the teeth were very worn, a suggested sign of old age. FWC will conduct its examinations to determine the exact reason the dolphin did not survive and the age of Cape J. We have supplied them with all of the data that we have regarding Cape J, including its travel range and primary sightings, which may help in their final analysis. We will keep you posted as we learn more….stay tuned.

On a brighter note, our eighth new calf of the 2024 birthing season was seen for the first time on Wednesday, November 13th. Over the past few weeks, we’ve documented sightings of a three-year-old named Fleetwood. Now, it is very common for a dolphin this young to leave mom’s side, especially if mom has, or is getting ready to have, a new baby.

Sure enough, this was the case. Adult female Dip, mom of Fleetwood, was seen with a brand new calf. Now, Fleetwood was named after the singing group Fleetwood Mac, so it was very appropriate that the guests on board at that time would name the new baby Nicks after singer Stevie Nicks!

This is Dip’s second offspring, Fleetwood being her first, and Nicks is her second. Dip’s mom is Chip, and she was also present with Dip’s new baby, giving us three generations side by side by side. Chip has another daughter named Salsa, who had a calf last year, making Chip a grandmother of three, one of the most productive grandmas in our survey area!

And so it is; the circle of life watches newborn dolphins come into the world while others leave. Such is the case in all the animal kingdom. For our study program, we began in 2006 with about 120 dolphins that we could identify by sight. Eighteen years later we are closing in on 140 that we determine to be residents of the area. This means that our population is not just stable but growing, and that is a great thing! We have a fantastic survival rate for our young dolphins compared to world statistics. 

We will continue to monitor our dolphins, help with rescues of injured dolphins (three by our crew ), and identify deceased dolphins, including their historical data. Stay tuned for more information as we receive it. A special “THANK YOU” to Officer Josh Ferris, who always keeps us posted on any oddities regarding the marine happenings in our area. Also, a major tip of the cap to FWC for the work that you do throughout the state!