Removing Bones from Pectoral Fins of Bottlenose Dolphins

Four bottlenose dolphin pectoral fins - that represents a lot of phalanges and carpals. We needed them for educational displays, so we and our intern went to work. Our intern was Lindsey Evans, a student from Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in  Kernersville, NC. She was here for a week shadowing Keith (Rittmaster). 

First the fins were boiled on a camp stove in a fish poacher for 5 hours.The poacher may not be used in the kitchen again. When the bones are clean and ready to use, Keith makes anatomically correct Bottlenose dolphin pectoral fin boards.

Cooking the fins

Fin resting on left edge of the poaching pan filled with fat

The bones with flesh hanging on

Lindsey digging out bones

phalanges and carpals in jar

Lindsey is digging all the bones out of each fin 
and searching through all the 'goo' for any errant bones. Having gloves on is essential or she could carry the smell for a very long time. The bones were then rinsed in Dawn, ammonia and boiling water multiple times.  Keith (Lindsey had gone home) scrubbed each bone intensely with a wire brush and re-washed the bones several more times. The last photo shows the bones becoming cleaner and lighter in a mixture of 5% peroxide and water.

Neonate Photos From January 31st

Photo by Keith Rittmaster

The neonate with his/her presumed mom and, below, alone. You can see how he/she is darker and still has the fetal folds. Like us, they don't fit in the womb without curling up and the light fold lines are from that bending. The lines gradually disappear. When born their dorsal fin is also floppy in order to get through the birth canal more easily. If you look carefully at the top picture, you will see another dolphin directly underneath the infant. Interesting image.

Photo by Keith Rittmaster

In the picture below, which I think is very cute, you can see how short the newborn's rostrum is. You can also see the eye beyond the line of the mouth. I love the water that looks like it is coming off the dorsal fin and the little bit of moisture rising above his/her blowhole. Notice also that the upper and lower jaw are the same length, whereas an adult dolphin has a pronounced under bite. Quite possibly the even jaw line facilitates nursing.

Photo by Keith Rittmaster

Photo by Keith Rittmaster
These two photos show the neonate traveling between two adult dolphins and so close to the adult that is probably mom.This will be a long relationship with an extended period of nursing and lots of learning. If the neonate is a female, she might well return to this same group of females to raise her own young. 

Photo by Keith Rittmaster