Scientists Andy Read (left) and Joe Ramus release a bottlenose dolphin after testing. 



• Driving and foraging for fish. 



These are two other strategies dol- 

 phins use to capture food. Sometimes 

 dolphins will drive schools of fish 

 completely out of the water and then 

 slide onto the shoals to devour them. 

 They also forage behind fishing boats 

 for the organisms disturbed by the 

 nets. 



No matter how fleeting, a dolphin 

 encounter can be intriguing, leaving 

 you yearning to know more about this 

 creature that has interested beach- 

 goers since the time of Aristotle. 



One way to remember and learn 

 from what you've seen is to keep a 

 personal journal, says Lundie Spence, 

 N.C. Sea Grant's marine education 

 specialist. Don't just describe what 

 you see — draw or sketch it. If you 

 frequent the same area on the beach, a 

 journal may help illuminate any 

 changes in dolphin patterns that occur 

 from season to season. 



If you're an able photographer, 



consider keeping a photographic log. 

 In some instances, dolphin photos 

 taken by amateurs may be useful to 

 researchers who are involved in 

 identification projects. If the shots are 

 focused enough to help identify a 

 dolphin and are accurately dated and 

 documented, they will add to dolphin 

 data, says Keith Rittmaster of the N.C. 

 Maritime Museum. Keep in mind, 

 however, that harassing a dolphin is 

 illegal, so photographing from the 

 beach will keep you within the limits 

 of the law. 



Once a year, Rittmaster meets with 

 other researchers along the coast to 

 compare photographs, which are used 

 to identify individuals, he says. "It's 

 exciting to see the resights." 



Photographed dolphins are given 

 names and numbers, such as "Holly" 

 #80, which has been spotted in North 

 Carolina almost every summer since 

 1989. Holly sports a distinct notch on 

 her lower dorsal fin and is believed to 



be an adult female since she often 

 travels with other dolphin females and 

 calves. Holly is often acompanied by 

 "Cutty" #75, a female missing the top 

 portion of the dorsal fin. 



Finally, consider attending a 

 dolphin workshop. The N.C. Maritime 

 Museum sponsors two weekend 

 workshops each year on dolphin 

 biology and behavior at Cape Look- 

 out. A separate workshop is offered 

 for children each summer. Funds 

 generated from both programs help 

 pay for equipment for dolphin 

 research projects, Rittmaster says. 



The Duke University Marine 

 Laboratory also offers a summer 

 course on marine mammals. It has the 

 prerequisite of an introductory biology 

 course at the college level. 



Whether you keep a journal, snap 

 photos, attend a workshop or merely 

 observe, your dolphin encounter will 

 become more meaningful if you 

 reflect on the experience. □ 



1 2 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1995 



