Update for September (a little late)

Six days were spent on the water doing Photo ID and there were six dolphin sightings. In those sightings 48 dolphins were identified.

There were eight Bonehenge tours.

photo by Keith Rittmaster

photo by Keith Rittmaster

And, approximately 49 miles of monofilament were mailed off to Berkeley for recycling.

Leaping Dolphins - Core Creek - Oct. 20, 2010

Core Creek-Oct 20, 2010-Photo by Keith Rittmaster

Photo by Keith Rittmaster

On Wednesday Oct. 20, we did a rather quick photo

Photo by Keith Rittmaster

Photo by Keith Rittmaster

ID trip up the Newport River to Core Creek - not far from our office. Keith and Nan who have been doing this for decades say that October is the month when they see the absolute most air-borne leaping dolphins. My favorite photo is the one with the dolphin's rostrum just hitting the water. Newport River/Core Creek is an estuarine River that is not very developed in this particular part (south of the bridge and north of Deerfield). There is large area of preserved land behind the dolphins

Core Creek -10/20/10.  Photo by Keith Rittmaster

        

Humpback Whale Skeleton Settled Into New Home

The humpback whale skeleton

VIP Trailer space for whale
bones, Gallants Channel 


With only 2 weeks notice, we were ready and waiting for the 37 foot humpback whale skeleton that arrived Friday October 10. Keith had miraculously cleared space for it in the 'VIP Trailer', which is our work and storage trailer across from our offices. Jeremy Winn and Becky Woodward drove the skeleton from Maine. The bones were individually wrapped and packed with padding filling their van and the boat they towed.

Bones have arrived.

While we were unloading bones, Keith and Jeremy built the cart that will hold the bones

A heavier bone carried by 4 people

Nan is putting flipper bones together 
 just to see their size (about 12 feet)

These bones are heavier than the sperm whale bones we are used to working with, and feel and smell different. We re-labeled each bone as the old labels were fading.  

Vicky and Becky are putting the vertebrae in order

Chain of Custody form required

for Marine Mammals

Ribs on their way into VIP Trailer

Bones settled into new home
in the VIP Trailer

Becky and Keith completing
Chain of Custody Forms


And, another adventure whose outcome is unknown, begins. The skeleton will be re-articulated and hung - but all the details of who and where are on hold for now.

The participants in this project were: Vicky Thayer; Dick Barmore; Keith Rittmaster; Nan Bowles; Bruce and Pudge McCutchen; Brooks; Becky Woodward and Jeremy Winn.

Humpback Whale Skeleton Arrives

Tomorrow we will receive the skeleton of 'Pittfall', a 37 foot female humpback whale who beached at Duxbury, MA 2001.She was 3 years old and would have weighted 25 tons.She was a whale known to the researchers in that area. She died from a ship strike - her rostrum was sheared off at the cranium and other bones were also broken.

We have made space and are excited to welcome her. She is being driven down from Maine.The bones are clean, organized and well prepared. At this point we don't know if we are just storing them for 6 months or if we will articulate the skeleton ourselves (after we finish the sperm whale skeleton).Tomorrow we should know more and I will add an update.