2012 Annual Maryland Dolphin Count Recap

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.

Thoughtful Thursday: Join MARP in Ocean City, MD

Today: Marine Animal Rescue Fundraiser at Seacrets

Join the National Aquarium Marine Animal Rescue Program for a fun afternoon at Seacrets: Jamaica USA! Family activities take place from 3:30–5 p.m. in the family dining area, which includes crafts, games and other activities. Free!

From 5–9 p.m., the fun takes place in Seacrets’ main stage area. Enjoy fun games and a special raffle for a behind-the-scenes experience at the National Aquarium, Baltimore! The evening’s cover is a $5 donation to the National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program. Every person who gives a donation will receive a free gift!

Seacrets: Jamaica USA
117 West 49th Street
Ocean City, MD 21842

Friday: Annual Maryland Dolphin Count

The fun doesn’t stop there! This Friday, July 20, the public is invited to join Aquarium staff for the Annual Maryland Dolphin Count along the Atlantic coast of Maryland.

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

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:

• 40th Street in Ocean City on the beach
• 130th Street in Ocean City on the beach
  Click here to find out more about the Ocean City beach locations

The event is FREE and open to the public. Just look for Aquarium staff in blue shirts looking toward the water for dolphins! The count will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 11 a.m.

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

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

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

Happy Birthday, Beau!

Beau, one of the National Aquarium’s male dolphins, is turning 7 years old today!

Beau smiling at this morning’s birthday fish feeding

Beau with mom Nani, on his first day of life

During one of today’s enrichment sessions in Dolphin Discovery, we’ll be creating a big birthday card for Beau, made out of a shower curtain. The trainers also have some special birthday enrichment toys for him and a nice, tasty fishcicle—his favorite!

Beau, at one week old

Guests can stop by the birthday pledge station anytime today to leave their birthday wishes for Beau, and pledge to help his friends in the wild.

Beau’s 1st birthday

If you can’t make it to the National Aquarium, Baltimore, today, leave your birthday wishes for Beau in the comments section below!

Animal Updates – May 25

Between our Baltimore and Washington, DC, venues, more than 17,500 animals representing 900 species call the National Aquarium home. There are constant changes, additions, and more going on behind the scenes that our guests may not notice during their visit. We want to share these fun updates with our community so we’re bringing them to you in our weekly Animal Update posts!

Check our blog every Friday to find out what’s going on… here’s what’s new this week!

Seahorses, Seahorses, Seahorses

We’ve added 15 seahorses to our newly renovated Moving: Saltwater exhibit!

 Although the animals in the tank often look different, all are longsnout seahorses. The seahorses have different color variations, much like human hair color!

Atlantic Shelf 

We’ve re-opened our Atlantic Shelf exhibit within the Maryland: Mountains to the Sea gallery!

Permit

In this tank, we’ve added four permit, two pinfish, one gag grouper, two tautag and two flounder.

Flounder

Dolphins 

For the past two weeks, we’ve been monitoring our dolphin family following a health concern with one of our males. We’re happy to report that the steady incline of Beau, and the entire colony, has continued. All of the dolphins are eating on their own and are regularly participating in activities and playtime. Our animal care staff is continuing to monitor each dolphin carefully. You can read our previous dolphin update here.

As the recovery continues, we are planning a more regular schedule of Dolphin Discovery interactions. Our primary focus is excellence in animal care so our planning will adjust, as necessary, to ensure the health of our dolphin colony. We cannot thank our guests and online community enough for your loyal support and understanding during this time.

Please note that future posts will be focused on other animals. We will always provide additional updates when we have something new and noteworthy happening with our dolphins.

Be sure to check back every Friday to find out what’s happening!

Animal Updates – May 18

Between our Baltimore and Washington, DC, venues, more than 17,500 animals representing 900 species call the National Aquarium home. There are constant changes, additions, and more going on behind the scenes that our guests may not notice during their visit. We want to share these fun updates with our community so we’re bringing them to you in our weekly Animal Update posts!

Check our WATERlog blog every Friday to find out what’s going on… here’s what’s new this week!

Dolphin Update

For the past several days, we have been monitoring our dolphin family following a health concern with Beau. We’re very happy to report that he’s doing much better today!

What first concerned us with Beau was a change in his appetite. To keep our dolphins healthy and happy, we feed them a specific amount of food every day. When they show a lack of interest in this food it is often the first sign of a problem or illness. Our animals’ wellbeing is our primary concern so when this happened, our staff and trainers immediately began to closely monitor Beau’s diet and vitals 24 hours a day. Although Beau was assist fed during this time, our staff continued to encourage him to eat on his own.

After a few days, Beau’s health concern started affecting others in our dolphin family. For a short time, Foster, our other male dolphin and Beau’s close buddy, started to mimic Beau’s symptoms. Aquarium staff has also become concerned with Jade and is watching her carefully.

Today, we’re happy to report significant improvements – Beau and Foster are both eating on their own. They are active, playful and their general demeanor has improved.

We want to thank everyone for their support and understanding during this time. Although we have no way of knowing the timeline of this situation, we look forward to a continued and speedy recovery.

About Beau
Name meaning: Beau also means “Handsome”. This name was chosen to go with his mother Nani’s name, which means “Beautiful” in Hawaiian.
Sex: Male
Weight: 350 pounds
Birthday: June 27, 2005, at the National Aquarium
Family Tree: Son of Nani (dam) and Bob (sire)
How to Recognize: Guests can recognize Beau by his skinnier rostrum, consistent gray coloration of entire lower jaw and crooked teeth in lower jaw
Trainer’s Note: Beau is best buddies with Foster and is often playing with and chasing him.

Be sure to check back every Friday to find out what’s happening!