Reunited and it Feels So Good

Dolphin Explorer LLC is the proprietor of the 10,000 Island Dolphin Study program, monitoring the abundance, movement, social behaviors, travel range and genealogy of the bottlenose dolphin population on the north end of Marco Island. The study continues…

Monitoring the local dolphin population is like watching family grow up. The team documents the activity of these amazing creatures approximately 300 days each year and gets to know some of them quite well. Many of the same dolphins are seen several times each week. This gives us a chance to actually watch the young dolphins nurse, leave their mother’s care and mature. We are now monitoring a third generation of bottlenose dolphins.

Once in a while, things happen in the water that cause concern, like noticing a shark bite or a fishing line entanglement on a fin. Sometimes a calf may disappear from the population, more than likely the victim of a shark attack. That concern came to light just a few weeks ago for a young dolphin named Stefin.

Adult female Avery gave birth to this calf last fall. This mom has given birth to several youngsters, and we still see her offspring Lucky Charm, Aubrey, Anji and 360 on a regular basis. Naturally, Stefin will stay with Avery for a period of three years or more.

Something strange happened in early June that created some anxiety among the crew. Avery was socializing in a group of several dolphins just east of the Jolley Bridge. Our team tries to identify each and every dolphin we see, but once in a while we might not get a good look at all of the dolphins in an area. Another mom and calf were there at that time and, although Stefin was not specifically identified at that time, it could be assumed that this little one was socializing among the group.

A few days later the team identified Avery with her older daughter, Lucky Charm, but no Stefin was seen anywhere. We searched the waters in hopes that the calf had just wandered a bit further away mom than usual but there was no sign of Stefin anywhere. A calf will typically stay with its mom for three years or more in the north Marco area. With two sightings of mom, but no calf definitively seen, there came reason for concern. Had Stefin been injured in some way or, worse yet, maybe lost its life in some manner.

On June 12, a sighting of Avery, by herself, confirmed that young Stefin was not around. Another sighting of this mother on June 13 assured that the calf was no longer by mom’s side, for nearly a week.

My heart was aching. Dolphins in our survey are often named by people on the boat. Stefin was named by three young boys who recently lost their father. This dolphin was named in his memory. How do you tell a family who has had a family member pass away that his namesake is now gone? I was devastated.

A few days later, from my point of view, a miracle happened. On June 15, we saw a mom and calf playing in the distance. The youngster was jumping and playing and just genuinely seemed very excited. As we eased closer, the dorsal fin markings confirmed that the adult was Avery. A quick photograph of the calf’s fin confirmed that calf was, indeed, Stefin!!!!!

Where did this youngster go for a week? How did it make it back to mom’s side?

The fact of the matter is that wherever this youngster was, it did not lack of nourishment. Stefin appeared healthy and energetic!

Since June 15, the team has had several more sightings of this calf right along mom Avery’s side. It seems that life is as it should be again…reunited!

I’ve tried to gather information about other similar instances of separation like this and a possible reason why it may occur, but nothing was available. This was the first such incident that I am aware of in this area where a mom and calf were separated for any significant amount of time, then back together again. It’s great to have a happy ending once in a while!

Bob is a Florida Master Naturalist with the dolphin study project on board the Dolphin Explorer. He is the author of two books and an award-winning columnist for Coastal Breeze News. Along with the rest of the team, he is passionate about teaching the public about our dolphins and amazing ecosystem. Bob loves his wife very much!