Bottlenose Dolphins News

News from Science Daily --- The Government of Bangladesh recently declared three new wildlife sanctuaries for endangered freshwater bottlenose dolphins in the world's largest mangrove ecosystem -- the Sundarbans, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) whose conservation work helped pinpoint the locations of the protected areas.

The sanctuaries, which were officially declared on January 29, will protect the last two remaining species of freshwater bottlenose dolphins in Asia: the Ganges River dolphin and the Irrawaddy dolphin. Although there is no global population estimate for either species, both have disappeared from major portions of their range. However, both species occur in the Sundarbans in sufficient numbers, which may serve as a global safety net for preventing their extinction.

The bottlenose dolphins are threatened by fatal entanglements in fishing gear, depletion of their prey from the enormous by-catch of fish and crustaceans in fine-mesh "mosquito" nets used to catch fry for shrimp farming, and increasing salinity and sedimentation caused by sea-level rise and changes in the availability of upstream freshwater flow.

News of the declared sanctuaries is particularly welcome considering the recent extinction of the Yangtze River dolphin whose last confirmed sighting was in 2002. Fatal entanglement in nets and habitat degradation killed off this species after having survived in the Yangtze River of China for more than 10 million years.

Freshwater bottlenose dolphins are among the most threatened wildlife on earth because their habitat is highly impacted by human activities, including dam construction and unsustainable fisheries. In addition to conserving globally important populations of freshwater bottlenose dolphins, the new wildlife sanctuaries in the Sundarbans will provide protection for other threatened aquatic wildlife including the river terrapin, masked finfoot, and small-clawed otter.

Bangladesh has been recognized as a "hotspot" for cetaceans, the scientific grouping of bottlenose dolphins, whales, and porpoises. In April 2009, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced the discovery of the world's largest population of nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins in the country. A portion of this population shares habitat with the endangered Ganges River dolphin, whose range extends all the way upstream to the shadow of the Himalayas in Nepal.

Starting on February 18, 2012, WCS, through its Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project, will bring a boat-based dolphin exhibition called the "Shushuk Mela" to local communities bordering the Sundarbans mangrove forest. This month-long traveling exhibition will raise awareness about the new wildlife sanctuaries and engage local fishermen and other community members in discussions on adaptive management needed to ensure human-dolphin coexistence.

CLEARWATER - Clearwater Aquarium CEO David Yates sounded like a Hollywood executive.

"I've been waiting to say these words for a long time but, it's a wrap," Yates said.

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is back in business after loaning their facility to a movie crew for the last couple of months.

"The filming has gone incredibly, incredibly well," said Yates.



The crew was filming the movie "Dolphin Tale," a 3-D motion picture based on the inspirational story of Winter the dolphin. The film stars Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jr. and Winter herself. In 2005, a fisherman found Winter in a crab trap in Mosquito Lagoon. The infant dolphin was injured and lost her tail. But with the help of the staff at the aquarium and a prosthetic tail, she pulled through. Her story is said to have inspired millions and spawned the movie. While the crew is now gone for good, when visitors go back to the aquarium, they'll notice a piece of Hollywood was left behind.

"Guests can come and see some of the movie set items, they can see Winter in her new pool, which they have not seen before," Yates said.

That new pool holds 80,000 gallons of water. It appears Winter isn't the only one getting more room at the aquarium.

"We're announcing a major expansion plan, a $12 million campaign to raise money," Yates said.

They say it's to make room for more people, cars, and animals. Officials say they expect a crowd after the film is released.

"We expect hundreds of thousands of people to come to the area within a few months after the film and millions over the years," said Yates.

It's expected to be released in late 2011 but you don't have to wait to see the star of the show.
Starting Wednesday at 9 a.m., you can see Winter up close and personal at the newly opened Clearwater Aquarium.

This video footage was provided by http://www.dolphinsafari.com.


Join Captain Dave Anderson for a dolphin and whale safari like no other.

            How I wish I was in the Yatch with Captain Dave Anderson on this video and joining the kids in an eye-to-eye underwater viewing POD. When I saw this video it strikes on my mind that how grateful and lucky the people and kids in the Yatch, enjoying watching the whales and bottlenose dolphins. In my whole life I haven't experience seeing real dolphins, but I really, really, really love them. Wishing to have this kind of experience like on this video.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Dolphin Tale is an upcoming drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Karen Janszen and starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman. The film is inspired by the true story of a bottlenose dolphin named Winter who was rescued off the coast and taken in by the Clear water Marine Aquarium.
It is set for release on September 23, 2011 in North America by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film will also be released in 3D.
Synopsis:
A young boy befriends Winter, an injured bottlenose dolphin who lost her tail in a crab trap, and motivates everyone around him to help save the dolphin by creating a prosthetic appendage to replace the dolphin's missing tail. Harry Connick Jr. plays a vet who rescues the mammal and brings her to the marine hospital he runs. Ashley Judd plays the boy's mother while Morgan Freeman is a doctor who creates a prosthetic limb for Winter.
Cast:

• Nathan Gamble as Sawyer
• Harry Connick Jr. as Clay Haskett
• Ashley Judd as Lorraine Nelson
• Morgan Freeman as Dr. McCarthy
• Cozi Zuehlsdorff as Hazel Haskett
• Kurt Yaeger as Tim
• Austin Stowell as Kyle
• Austin Highsmith as Phoebe
• Jim Fitzpatrick as Max
• Marc Macaulay as John Fitch
• Rus Blackwell as Coach Vansky
• Michael Roark as Donovan Peck
• Juliana Harkavy as Rebecca
• Kris Kristofferson as Haskett's Dad

Be dolphin aware this season - HEPCA News

Bottlenose dolphins are alluring, enchanting animals that seduce the many visitors to the Red Sea every year. These social creatures often approach humans to jest and play, whilst tourists shriek with joy as dolphins approach them and leap out of the water. It is a true thrill to see a smiling dolphin splashing the water with their fluke (tail fin) but sadly this reaction is often misinterpreted – rather than an expression of pleasure, this is a warning sign within the dolphin community and means they are feeling threatened.
With dolphins being one of the major attractions here in the Red Sea, more and more operators are offering trips to see dolphins during the day. Dolphins are found in sheltered bays during the day recuperating after a long night of fishing; this is their valuable sleeping time, which is particularly important for calves that struggle to keep up with adults during the night if they are not well rested. More and more, stressed dolphins are found to be pressured into heading out to open sea during the day time, leaving their safe rest zones and increasing their potential exposure to predators.
Please be dolphin aware this season:
* Do not feed dolphins. Feeding any animal in the wild is prohibited by law in Egypt; it can potentially reduce an animal’s ability to survive in the wild as they become dependent on human feeding.
* Do not touch dolphins. Touching a dolphin can be a method of disease transmission; both fungal and viral diseases can potentially be transmitted both ways.
* Do not follow dolphins. If a pod of dolphins or an individual swims away from you, get the point that they aren’t in a social mood; they probably need to rest.
* Never drive a boat through a pod of dolphins or chase them in the water! Some areas stipulate that boats and watercraft cannot approach a dolphin to within 20m.
* Do not make loud noises or banging sounds to attract dolphins. Loud noises are very disturbing to dolphins; they increase their stress levels and make them feel threatened. It also doesn’t work!
* If you ever do meet a dolphin or pod in the wild, don’t swim directly at them; swim parallel to them and if they want to play they will approach you.
Finally, encourage others also to be dolphin aware. If you see anyone else doing any of these don’ts please explain to them how harmful this is to the dolphin community, and also to the future of the tourism industry of the Red Sea. Long may the dolphins swim free here.

Dolphins are intelligent, fun and exceptionally cute. That’s why I really love dolphins.  They are also very social and affectionate, especially if you treat one right. That’s the important thing that you have to do when you want to have a dolphin or pet. You must treat them right and as a member of the family. If you ever have the good luck to take care of a dolphin, a few simple steps will make your job easier.

Step 1.
Make sure you have a big enough tank or pool in which to house the dolphin. It has to be large enough for the dolphin to freely swim, play and thrive. Also install an adequate filtering system to remove bacteria and debris and remove the chlorine from the water so it will not hurt or kill the intelligent beasts.

Step 2.
Ensure you have high walls surrounding the tank and enough room so dolphins can jump up out of the water, as they are commonly known to do. Also make sure the surface area of the pool is unobstructed and clean so they have fresh air to breathe when they come up for more oxygen.

Step 3.
Feed your dolphin fish, squid and small crustaceans, like shrimp. An adult dolphin should eat about 5 percent of his body weight per day. Break up the feeding into two sessions and schedule them for the same time every day, so the dolphin gets into the habit and knows when to expect his meals.

Step 4.
Keep him active. Dolphins love to play. To help him in this endeavor, you can stock the pool with beach balls, underwater hoops and other obstacle courses for the dolphin to swim through. You can hook up your own with solid, plastic hoops and tunnels, just make sure they are big enough for a dolphin to swim through so he does not get stuck.

Step 5.
Give him plenty of attention. Dolphins are very social animals, living in pods in the wild, and love to interact, even with humans. Swim with him, splash with him and encourage his antics. Dolphins also communicate through clicking noises, so pay extra attention when he is emitting such sounds.