Countdown to Dolphin Days!

DRC President Jayne Shannon Rodriguez (seated, left) and VP of Animal Care & Training Linda Erb discuss the DRC dolphins for Dolphin Days, produced by Athena Films, Ltd.

For all of you who live in the United Kingdom, we have exciting news! Dolphin Days, the fantastic new documentary series that focuses on Dolphin Research Center in every episode, is scheduled to begin airing in the U.K. on June 1st on Animal Planet!

Each episode provides an in depth look at the dolphins in the DRC family pod, the people who care for them, and the mission we achieve together. The show also takes you to the Bahamas to learn more about spotted dolphins that have been studied by Dr. Denise Herzing for over 25 years.

We've seen the first cuts and are excited that it is truly a wonderful series. We can't wait for you to see it, too. Right now, the only air dates we know are for the United Kingdom. We expect to learn dates for other parts of Europe, Asia, the Pacific Rim, etc. as time goes on.

Unfortunately, the United States has not yet aquired the series to air, but we're keeping our flippers crossed.

We hope you'll enjoy Dolphin Days. Please let us know what you think!

The Making of the Don't Feed Wild Dolphins PSA

Hi, Everybody,

Some time ago, we showed you the fantastic, animated PSA that urges people not to feed wild dolphins. Dolphin Research Center was heavily involved in the teamwork that brought this PSA into being. Tinsley Advertising, the agency that created the PSA, put together an interesting, fun "Making of" video. It includes a fascinating look at the animation process and also shows how our own Merina assisted the animation specialists.

Here it is!

Dolphin Enrichment

Sandy eyes the visitors while strutting his way around the lagoon.

Visitors come to DRC expecting the dolphins to entertain – and the dolphins never disappoint! Did you know that you are also entertainment for the dolphins? Every session with their trainers, new behavior they learn, or interactive program they participate in is part of their daily enrichment. It keeps the days fun, interesting, and challenging.
When a dolphin shows off a high dive or flip, or holds still to practice an important medical behavior and you respond with applause or cheers, you’re helping the dolphin know that he or she did a great job. Your response is positive reinforcement.
In between sessions when you hang out around the lagoons talking to or waving at the dolphins, you are also contributing enrichment to their lives. As you can see from their response, when they “scream” or wave back, they love it when you visit.
Thanks for being part of our dolphins’ days!

Don't Feed Wild Dolphins - PSA Launches!

For the last few years, Dolphin Research Center has worked with National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and several other government agencies and private organizations on a public service announcement alerting the public to the dangers that wild dolphins face when people feed them. We are thrilled to announce that the PSA has now launched and we are eager to help spread the word.






The PSA reminds viewers that feeding wild dolphins is not only illegal, it is harmful to dolphins, even causing some to rely on begging for food from humans, upsetting their natural role as hunters and altering their diets. Feeding wild dolphins is a threat to humans, too. Dolphins sometimes become aggressive when seeking food and are known to bite when teased.

“Feeding wild dolphins triggers a domino effect of harmful behaviors as dolphins learn to associate people with food and free handouts,” said Stacey Horstman, bottlenose dolphin conservation coordinator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “We are at a point where we honestly need to change our behavior so we don’t change theirs, and we hope this PSA provides a compelling plea for the public’s help.”

The health and welfare of wild dolphins is severely compromised when humans feed them. Human-fed dolphins change their normal wild behavior and run a greater risk of being injured by boats, becoming entangled in fishing gear, or ingesting dangerous items such as fishing hooks and contaminated food. Some dolphins have become so accustomed to receiving routine handouts, they are now taking fishing bait and catches from recreational and commercial fishermen. In one recent instance off the Florida panhandle, a bottlenose dolphin distracted by taking fish from a recreational fisherman was attacked and eaten by a large shark.

Many scientists have observed illegal dolphin feeding throughout the southeast, especially since NOAA’s Fisheries Service prohibited feeding of wild marine mammals in 1993 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Wild dolphin experts were also alerted to this problem through routine complaints from concerned citizens viewing the illegal behavior, and most recently through new videos posted to YouTube showing people feeding wild dolphins off Florida and South Carolina.

“Scientists have known for years that dolphin feeding was a problem in certain hotspot areas in the southeast,” said Laura Engleby, NOAA’s Fisheries Service southeast marine mammal branch chief. “But the citizen complaints and self-implicating Internet media has shocked our experts and further validates that feeding is an increasing and more wide-spread problem than we thought.”

Feeding and harassing wild marine mammals is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and can result in severe penalties with fines up to $20,000 and one year in jail for the most serious violations.

The PSA can be viewed at http://www.dontfeedwilddolphins.org/, which also has more information on dolphin conservation and guidelines for viewing dolphins responsibly in the wild.

You can help wild dolphins, too. Please share this information with your friends and family!

DRC Receives Industry Award

Dolphin Research Center is the proud recipient of the Wright Langley Award for 2008. Presented by the Lodging Association of the Florida Keys and Key West, the award recognizes DRC for preservation and enhancement of our marine environment and culture of the Florida Keys.

DRC’s VP of Animal Care and Training Linda Erb (pictured left) accepted the award on our behalf from Monroe County Commissioner Sylvia Murphy.

DRC Featured on Keys Voice Blog

There's a great post about DRC's Paint with a Dolphin program over on the Keys Voices blog. Check it out! Here's the link: www.keysvoices.com.

Conservation Resolution!

Sometimes environmental problems seem so huge, it’s natural to wonder if there’s anything we, as individuals, can do to help. Most of us already know the three Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The good news is that there is plenty more that each of us can do, and we can all begin with little changes. These individual things accumulate, all adding up to big success.

One need look no further than the recent rollercoaster gas prices. It was only a couple of months ago that we saw prices go over $4.00 for a single gallon of gas. Nationwide, consumers responded by driving less, consolidating trips, carpooling, and taking other measures to reduce the among of gas they used in their vehicles. Simple economics says that when demand decreases, prices drop. Now prices at the pump are the lowest they’ve been in a few years – under $2.00 a gallon in many cases.

So, what are some other little things each of us can do to help the environment? Here are a few ideas.

Each time a lightbulb burns out, replace it with a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL). They cost a little more initially but use less power and last a lot longer. Over time you save energy and money.

Reuse plastic or paper bags. Most stores now sell reusable bags to tote home your groceries. These are great! However, if you do get plastic or paper bags at the supermarket, find a way to reuse them. Plastic bags make great liners for indoor trash receptacles. Stack newspapers in paper bags before you set them out for recycling. Use a plastic bag over and over to take your lunch to work. Some stores even take them back and recycle them, too.

Turn off things that aren’t in use. Do you have video game consoles at home like X-Box or Wii? The National Resources Defense Council conducted a study and discovered that these consoles use nearly the same amount of power when left on and unattended as they do when someone is playing them! Shut them down when you’re finished your game and you’ll save energy.

The same goes with computers, chargers, and a host of other appliances and gadgets around the house. These all draw energy when left on, even if nobody is using them. Unplug the chargers from the wall and you’ll save even more.

Don’t forget the old rule our parents taught us, too. Turn off the light when you leave a room.
There are three easy things that anybody can do. Not so overwhelming after all, when you look at them as small steps!