National Aquarium is celebrating a very special birthday today! Jade, one of our female dolphins, born on May 22, 1999, is 14 years old today!
About Jade
Gender: Female
Weight: 400 pounds
Jade eats about 22 pounds of fish per day!
Family Tree: Daughter of Tanya (dam) and Lester (sire), mom to Foster!
How to Recognize Her: Jade has a slightly ruffled dorsal fin that leans slightly to the right. She also has a long rostrum with a very pronounced underbite.
Trainer’s Note: Jade is a very fast learner and has even invented her own behaviors!
Jade showing off her high-flying skills!
Stop by today to see Jade! Can’t come wish Jade a Happy Birthday in person? Leave her a message on our Facebook page!
National Aquarium is celebrating a very special birthday today! Born at the Aquarium on May 13, 2001, Maya, one of our female dolphins, is 12 years old today!
About Maya
Gender: Female
Weight: 420 pounds
To stay healthy and happy, Maya and our other dolphins are fed a quality diet of fresh fish and given routine vitamins!
Family Tree: Daughter of Shiloh (dam) and Nalu (sire)
Maya as a calf!
How to Recognize Her: Maya is lighter in color, with a light-tipped rostrum and a very pink belly!
Trainer’s Note: Maya likes to spend a lot of her time with her half-sister Chesapeake and is very playful. She loves to show off her “fast-surfing behavior” for both the trainers and our guests!
Stop by today to see Maya play around with her sister Chesapeake! Can’t come wish her a happy birthday in person? Leave Maya a message on our Facebook page!
National Aquarium is celebrating a very special birthday today! Spirit, one of our female dolphins, born at the Aquarium on April 13, 2001, is 12 years old today!
About Spirit
Gender: Female
YUM! Spirit eats about 20.5 pounds of fish every day!
Weight: 380 pounds
Family Tree: Daughter of Nani (dam) and Nalu (sire)
Guests can often see Spirit playing with her mom, Nani, and friend, Jade!
How to Recognize Her: Spirit’s eyes are larger and darker in color. You can also recognize her by her crooked teeth in the lower right side of rostrum.
Trainer’s Note: Spirit is very playful and loves learning new behaviors. She is currently starting to practice a new move called a “fluke fling”!
Stop by today to see Spirit practice her new fluke move! Can’t come wish Spirit a Happy Birthday in person this weekend? Leave her a message on our Facebook page!
The National Aquarium is celebrating a birthday today: Foster, one of our youngest Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, born at the Aquarium on September 9, 2007, is 5 years old today!
Guests can recognize Foster by his light coloring and big eyes.
About Foster
Name meaning: Foster was given his name due to his very unique upbringing. Because Jade was a first-time mother, experienced moms Shiloh and Chesapeake helped her raise him. All three females nursed Foster when he was a baby.
Gender: Male Weight: 270 pounds
Foster and his best friend Beau love to play with bubbles!
Family Tree: Son of Jade (dam) and Sebastian (sire) How to Recognize: Guests can recognize Foster by his light coloring. He also has big, beautiful eyes and a slight underbite, much like his mom Jade.
Trainer’s Note: Even though he’s one of our youngest dolphins, Foster has a big appetite. He eats about 21 pounds of fish per day!
If you can’t make it to the National Aquarium, Baltimore, today, leave your birthday wishes for Foster in the comments section below!
The National Aquarium Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) team was joined by volunteers on Friday, July 20, for the 15th Annual Maryland Dolphin Count. This year, 31 dolphins were sighted.
Three dolphins swimming near Ocean City, MD Credit: John Soule
More than 100 volunteers of all ages came out between 9–11 a.m. to help record dolphin sightings at two locations in Ocean City, MD — beaches on 40th Street and 130th Street. Annual dolphin counts help marine mammal specialists capture a snapshot look at dolphin populations, reproduction rates and ocean health. Looking at the population numbers over the years can help to determine the health of the coastal ecosystem as well as the abundance of prey.
Volunteers helping to count dolphins on 40th Street in Ocean City, MD
During the 2011 dolphin count, 107 dolphins were recorded, which is relatively normal. This year’s count is lower and is likely a result of several factors, including the weather, bigger swells and food availability.
“The National Aquarium team is incredibly thankful to all the volunteers who joined us for this year’s Dolphin Count,” said Jennifer Dittmar, Marine Animal Rescue Program Stranding Coordinator.
The evening before the annual count, a fundraiser was held at Seacrets: Jamaica USA, which raised $2,000 for MARP.
For more information on MARP and how the general public can assist with rescue efforts, visit aqua.org/care.
