Meet Dolphin 56

[Stinky The Clown]

Researchers captured Dolphin 56 in Florida in 1979, let him go, and have been following him ever since.



WASHINGTON - A celebrity who's been thrilling fans for decades is making appearances in our region. You don't need tickets to see him. Just head to the beach.

He's a very special bottlenose dolphin known as 'Dolphin 56.' Researchers captured him in Florida in 1979, let him go, and have been following him ever since. "'Dolphin 56' was freeze-branded on his dorsal fin, so there's actually a number 56 on the dorsal fin," says Doctor Cindy Driscoll, State Wildlife veterinarian with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

In recent months, this particular marine mammal has been spotted in our region. "This spring we've had several sightings in Virginia and New Jersey and in Maryland ... usually pretty close to the coast, maybe hanging out around marinas or anywhere near the coast around piers," Driscoll says. "He's known to be very people-friendly."

"This dolphin is very unusual in that he does frequent areas where people are likely to be," Driscoll adds. "Most dolphins retreat when people are around."

>snip<

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2399550

[cliffordu]

1. Probably looking for the bastards that gave him that tattoo....

[Control-Z]

3. Really. Ouch!

I suppose they'll say the procedure was humane. I would find that hard to believe. Poor little 56.

[bbinacan]

7. Are there nerve endings

in the dorsal?

[Control-Z]

8. I don't know.

But it seems every time they're sure about something, a study comes along and proves otherwise. I just hate the idea of branding. I know it is important to use a marker of some sort for following and studying these beautiful (and other) creatures, but I will never like it.

[1monster]

2. Scientist ASSUME that dolphins can live as long as 50 years, but

but they don't know for sure just how long dolphins can live. Nellie, who was born at Marineland of Florida on February 27, 1953 celebrated her 58th birthday this year and she is still going strong. She's quite a girl. She adored my husband, but would usually send a stream of water at me. :(

He was believed to be 10 to 12 years old when he was captured and branded in 1979. That means he's more than 40 years old. Dolphins have been known to live as long as 50 years.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. I think his familiarity makes him unusual

Also, I seem to recall that animals in captivity live longer than those in the wild, much like indoor domestic cats live longer than their outdoor counterparts.

[1monster]

5. Her. Nellie is a girl dolphin and a mother several times over. Yes,

many animals do live longer in captivity. The oposite can be true too.

My point is they don't know for sure. And thus far, no one knows how long Nellie will live either.

Most of the knowledge we have about dolphins came from Marineland originally know as Marine Studios.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. I think the Navy also has done a lot of dolphin research, but it may have been after . . . .

. . . . Marine Studios. I'm not sure. The main Navy research facility was in Panama City, Florida, and Mine Defense Lab (probably long gone.

I agree with you. No one knows for sure about dolphins. That's why this particular animal is getting some notoriety. He may well help us understand his species.

Waaaaaaaay back in the 1960s, I was stationed on a minesweeper, which, as Navy ships go, is pretty small. We were homeported in Charleston, SC. I shall never forget the sight of pods of them doing tailstands in our bow wake, riding the pressure of our ship as it cut through the water. Even juveniles did it. knew that tail stands are a natural behavior for them?

[1monster]

9. Marine Studios opened in 1938. Originally planned as an underwater

motion picture studio, it became a marine attraction. The rectangular oceanarium was made to be as much like the actual ocean as possible, with all marine animals living together, sand and marine plants on the floor, and with 17 million gallons of fresh sea water pumped into the oceanarium daily.

Since virtually nothing was known about how to best keep sea animals healthy at the time, Marineland did a tremendous amount of marine research including on dolphins. I have copies of the writings of F.G. Woods (d. 1949), a curator of Marineland and writings from subsequent curators, who wrote articles for the Marineland newsletter way back. They were filled with folksy information gained by the research done at Marineland.

Navy dolphin research started in the late 1950s to study echolocation (sonar) and hydrodynamics.

on edit: http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sa=X&ei=hBPhTdz7NI-ltweNjuWQBw&sqi=2&ved=0CCEQvwUoAQ&q=Navy+dolphin+research+started&spell=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=de26a2d07a1966b3&biw=1170&bih=512

[xchrom]

10. recommend