Join us in Ocean City for the 2011 Dolphin Count!

One of the joys of going to the beach is being able to see dolphins surf in the waves, or spotting a group of seals resting off the coast. The National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program works hard throughout the year to monitor and respond to marine animals that inhabit Maryland’s coast, while educating the public about keeping our waterways safe and healthy for the animals we love so much.

This Friday, July 22nd, the public is invited to join Aquarium staff for the Annual Maryland Dolphin Count along the Atlantic coast of Maryland.

Annual dolphin counts help marine mammal specialists capture a snapshot look about dolphin populations, reproduction rates and ocean health. We have learned that bottlenose dolphins use Maryland waters as a thoroughfare for migration, summertime breeding, and feeding along the way. With the help of volunteers we will continue to gather and analyze this information and learn more about the state of our waters and the dolphin populations that are found off our coast. 

The annual Dolphin Count involves spending a few hours on the beach watching the water for passing dolphins and filling out a data sheet. Aquarium staff will be stationed at the following locations:

• Assateague State Park (Day Use Area)
• 40th street in Ocean City at the beach
• 130th street in Ocean City at the beach

Members of the public are welcome to join Aquarium staff at one of the above locations! Just look for Aquarium staff in blue shirts looking toward the water for dolphins! The count will begin at 9am and end at noon. The event is free and open to the public. As a reminder, it is always helpful to bring the following items for comfort:

• A beach chair or blanket
• Water to keep hydrated
• Sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses
• Binoculars, optional

On Thursday, July 21st, join us at Seacrets: Jamaica USA (49th street in Ocean City, MD) from 3:30pm – 9:00pm for a special fundraiser to benefit the Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program. Aquarium staff will have games and activities for kids beginning at 3:30 and all cover fees will be donated to the Marine Animal Rescue Program from 5-9. Join staff and volunteers for fun games and activities, and learn more about their important work in Ocean City!

For more information on either event, email MARP@aqua.org.

So, how many dolphins do you think we’ll count?

Special dolphin update

As you may have already learned through news media, Spirit’s calf passed away over the weekend. Having just endured the sudden loss of Maya’s calf last week, this has been an extremely sad and difficult week for everyone at the National Aquarium.

As we shared last week, Maya’s calf died suddenly early Tuesday morning. The male calf appeared strong and was being cared for and nursed by his mother Maya, and was living in the same pool as Spirit and her female calf. There were no signs of declining health.

Just days later, on Friday, June 24, Spirit’s female calf began showing signs of declining health. The marine mammal team kept close watch of the calf for the next 24 hours, tracking respiratory and nursing patterns, as well as behavioral changes. On Saturday, the veterinary staff intervened with a medical procedure, but despite their best efforts, the calf passed away.

Spirit’s calf was also transported to John’s Hopkins where tests are being performed. At this time, our animal care staff does not have answers as to whether the two deaths are related, but we will know more in the weeks to come.

Though these losses were sudden, our dolphin trainers and veterinarian team are always cautiously optimistic about the survival of the calves. Dolphin calves have a high mortality rate: a high percentage of calves born in any setting don’t survive their first year. But even with this in mind, these losses are extremely difficult for our team who works tirelessly to provide our animals with the absolute best care.

Several aspects affect dolphin calf survival, as they are especially fragile in their first year of life, regardless of whether they are in the ocean or in an aquarium.

Becoming dolphin moms

In the spring of 2001, the National Aquarium welcomed two dolphin calves into our dolphin family. Both Maya and Spirit were raised here at the Aquarium by their mothers, and have grown to become very strong female dolphins! They are now entering into the next phase of life: motherhood.

Maya and Spirit both became pregnant last year, and through medical examinations it was determined they would give birth in spring 2011, exactly 10 years after they were born.

Dolphin pregnancies and births are always exciting, but also require a great deal of work from our staff and volunteers. For the last year, our dolphin trainers, animal health staff, and volunteers have been working around the clock to ensure the best possible outcomes for the mothers and calves.

Regular ultrasound exams and daily observations became part of the staff’s daily routine. You may be wondering… how exactly did our animal health staff perform ultrasounds on animals that weigh more than 300 pounds? Well, both females are trained to come to the edge of the pool, position themselves on their sides, and remain stable and calm while the veterinarian performs the examination. This helped the staff monitor the development of the calves.

In the weeks leading up to the impending births, a team of staff and volunteers implemented a 24-hour watch to monitor the mothers for signs of labor and keep a close watch on their behaviors and overall health.

Now, after months of prenatal care by a dedicated team of vets, trainers, and volunteers, Maya and Spirit are swimming alongside their new calves!

On April 14, Spirit gave birth to a female calf…

Spirit and her calf

and Maya followed two weeks later, with an April 27 delivery of a male calf.

Maya and her calf

It is certainly an exciting time in the dolphin pools, but our work does not stop here. Dolphin calves are extremely fragile in their first months of life, and even though their survival ultimately depends on their mothers’ care, we do everything we can to provide the right habitat conditions, nutritional needs, and care for the mothers and their calves.

Upon birth, calves must immediately learn how to breathe, swim, and nurse from their mothers. A quiet environment gives the moms and calves the best opportunity to bond in this way, so the amphitheater closed for a short time immediately following births.

Swimming together as a group

In the past, we’ve been able to resume the dolphin shows in the front exhibit pool just a week or two after a dolphin birth, with moms and calves continuing to bond in the back pools. But because first-time mothers Maya and Spirit are still adjusting to their new roles, we have had to make changes to our normal dolphin presentation.

We are currently inviting visitors in for a quieter experience, but one that is equally fascinating! Through June 7, visitors who purchase the Dolphin Access Package will get an interactive, close-up experience that includes a meet and greet with our trainers, a rare opportunity to observe a dolphin training session, and a first look at a behind-the-scenes video of the new calves. And visitors may be able to catch a glimpse of the calves swimming alongside their mothers in the back pools when they surface to breathe.

As marine mammal trainers and veterinarians become more and more confident that the moms have had ample time to bond with their calves, we will gradually introduce more programming into the dolphin experience.

Spirit's calf is becoming more curious and independent every day!

Staff and volunteers continue to monitor the mothers’ and calves’ behaviors closely. We use PalmPilots to track behavior observations and changes to eating patterns.

We thank you for joining us in celebrating the births! You can read more about our new moms and calves and watch a video on The Baltimore Sun.

We’re expecting!

Maya and Spirit, two of our Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, are both due this spring! The two dolphins are half-sisters and were both born here at the Aquarium nine years ago. This is the first pregnancy for both Maya and Spirit, so our animal health staff have been monitoring them very closely to ensure they receive the best care possible during pregnancy.

In addition to frequent medical exams, a group of more than 50 volunteers and staff members are currently conducting daily eight-hour observations on Maya and Spirit. Observers use hand-held palm pilots in order to record target behaviors as they see them. They look for a variety of things when observing: They record which of the other animals they spend time with, signs of belly movement and, most importantly, arches and crunches. Arches and crunches are pronounced, deliberate stretches that increase in frequency the closer we get to the births. The calves are expected to arrive in late April or early May, so 24/7 observations on the dolphins will begin in just a few weeks.

This short video will give you a closer look into these dolphin pregnancies:

Check back here for more updates as we get closer to the births!

Coming together for clean water

“We live on a watery world full of mystery and life! Our vast oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface, reaching depths of several miles. Water, our most precious commodity…necessary to all…is our common bond.”

If you have been to our Aquarium recently, these words probably sound familiar to you. It’s the opening statement of our dolphin show, Our Ocean Planet. The introduction goes on to describe the underwater world in which dolphins live, a vast world that we humans barely know. The music begins to build, and just before the trainers come out to introduce the dolphins, guests are left with this thought: “The water they swim in, the ground we walk on, we call it Earth, but this is truly Our Ocean Planet.”

The opening statement of our show is very thought-provoking. If water is the one thing that connects every living being, and a necessity for our own human life, then why do we know so little about it, and continue to pollute the very thing that keeps us alive and healthy?

Today, we’re joining thousands of bloggers from around the world for Blog Action Day to talk about the issues surrounding water.

When we started this blog a few years ago, we chose to name it Waterlog because as an Aquarium, we have a lot to talk about when it comes to water!

But today, as we come together to talk about the issues surrounding clean water, we’d like to keep it simple. We have more than 16,000 animals that call the National Aquarium home, and if you think about it, these animals may be considered the lucky ones. They are given clean water to live in every day. Clean water and healthy habitats. And their only job is to help inspire us humans to enjoy, respect and protect the aquatic world so they don’t become a living reminder of what once was.

Not all animals and humans around the world are able to enjoy clean water. Our dolphin show is just one example of how we are helping people understand the importance of clean water. Through all of our exhibits, education programs and conservation efforts, we are helping people connect to water and understand its importance in this world.

We hope that if you have visited an Aquarium recently, you left understanding that everyone has to do their part to keep our water clean. As we begin the celebration of our 30th anniversary, we are excited about our future in conservation education and action. Take a look at how water has played a role in our past 30 years, and how our watery world is growing: