Spyhop Log

Stumpy the Right Whale is Being Installed in the NC Museum of Science

2012-01-19T17:24:00.003-05:00

Keith Rittmaster, the leader of Cape Lookout Studies Program,was in Raleigh, NC last week working with Dan DenDanto and his Whales and Nails team installing a reassembled 52 foot right right whale in the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Good practice for the 34 foot sperm whale that Keith will soon install in the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort, NC.

Un-posed above and posed below. Above, Keith is in the red t-shirt and below in the blue hard hat with the Whales and Nails team.

For more information. about the whale reassembly process in Maine.
And here for more on the installation work at the Museum of Science.
This will be an amazing educational display. Stumpy, and her calves, were right whales well known to researchers. She had migrated up and down the Atlantic Coast for years.She was found floating dead near the NC-VA border after being hit by a large ship. At the time of her death she was almost ready to deliver a male fetus. The fetus died. His skeleton will be displayed where she was carrying him at the time of their death. Her jaw was broken from the ship strike. Pieces of her jaw bone were used to research the damage from a ship strike at different ship speeds. This is valuable information that will help establish the speed that ships can safely travel in waters where these whales live and travel.

Beaufort NC Dolphins - Fabulous Photographs Showing Dorsal Fins, Xenobalanus and Action

2011-12-29T11:35:00.002-05:00

A fabulous collection of Keith Rittmaster's photographs of our local Beaufort, NC dolphins. Notice the differences in dorsal fins (the fin on the back). That is how we ID them and keep records of individual dolphins sometimes going back over 20 years. Notice in the upper right photo something hanging off the top of the dorsal fin - like a decorative fringe or tassel. That is actually a barnacle called Xenobalanus that only seems to attach itself to whales and dolphins. We believe we will learn more about dolphin travels and activities once we know more about Xenobalanus. More information about this hitchhiker barnacle

Old Friends Return

2011-12-20T23:07:00.000-05:00

Minke Whale Baleen

2011-10-20T16:35:00.003-04:00

MOST IMPORTANT - this article is just for your interest because it is illegal for anyone without an official government permit to possess any part of a marine mammal. This piece of baleen is legally permitted.

As I was preparing to unfreeze and condition an entire rack of baleen from a minke whale that stranded in Cape Lookout Bight , I knew 3 things:

1. I didn't want it to smell

2. I wanted it to retain its beautiful white color

3. I wanted it to remain as flexible as possible

I found less definitive information than I expected but what I did find was fascinating.

-Baleen is fine textured creamy white with pure white bristles

-Baleen is made of keratin – animal protein. The hair-like structures of baleen are actually small tubules composed of concentric, alternating layers of keratin and hydroxyapatite. Keratin is the same tough protein found in fingernails, and hydroxyapatite is the same mineral that makes bones strong. Using Hair conditioner with keratin will help maintain flexibility in both plates and fringe

This link seemed to be a 'hair conditioner' as pure as any I found with a substantial amount of keratin.

http://www.fashionandbeautystore.com/keratin-express-conditioner.html

PREPARATION OF MINKE BALEEN

To clean and prepare:

-Baleen is not soluble in water but it can be softened in hot or boiling water

Soak in fresh water for at least 3 days (checking to confirm water is not evaporated) and longer if it has been frozen. Then wash in hot soapy water
A toothbrush is a good size tool and if the baleen pieces are held apart it is easier to get at the side near gums, so blood vessels, fat, debris, tiny critters and flesh can be completely cleaned away.
Rinse well with fresh water
While drying, to keep from warping, either attach to a board or put under pressure of weight. Fans will help speed drying but even so it will probably take at least several weeks.

Important technical details:

The factors that cause deterioration of baleen are the same for hair, horn, wool, and feathers, and they are:

1. Water softens and swells the fibers (making the baleen easier to split and

weave).The higher the water temperature, the faster the rate of degradation.

2. Heat induced oxidation; greater than 302° F causes bond cleavage.

3. The alcohols methanol, ethanol and n-propanol cause swelling; isopropanol

causes contraction. In both cases a chemical change (called esterification) occurs.

4. Oxidizing agents (hydrogen peroxide) and reducing agents (used in permanent

waves) cause degradation.

5. Acids less than pH4 and alkalies cause degradation

6. Physical abrasion causes deterioration.

After cleaning protect baleen (and feathers, horn, hair, and wool) from intense light and heat, rough handling, wetting by water or alcohols, and acidic or alkaline solutions.

Compiled by Brooks from multiple sources and photos by Brooks.

Keith Rittmaster's Fabulous Presentations !!

2011-10-06T16:26:00.000-04:00

The first one on, Monday evening, September 26, was sponsored by Go-Science's Science Cafe at McCurdy's Restaurant on the Atlantic Beach Causeway.What a great crowd !!! His presentation was about Bonehenge (our sperm whale skeleton re-articulation project) and even though some of us had heard a presentation about Bonehenge several times, it was still fascinating. He always adds new pictures and information to each presentation, so I go as often as I can. It was an over flow crowd. The excitement of moving towards the final 6 months before the display moves to the NC Maritime Museum is amazing when we look back at the whole process.For great information about the sperm whale from the stranding at Cape Lookout January 2004 to its skeleton now hanging in a beautifully dynamic dive in the bonehenge barn click here.bonehenge

The second presentation was Friday evening September 30 at the NC Maritime Museum. It was about his NOAA marine mammal survey cruise this past summer. (There is lots of info about this in previous posts on this blog). It was so mesmerizing that no one got up to leave when it was over, we just asked questions and kept Keith talking. We learned what ship board life was like; how incredibly good the food was; the science of deep water acoustics; how different data was collected; how funny they looked in their safety suits; the differences inside and outside the under water canyon and much more.What a gift Keith is to our Beaufort community !!

Post Hurricane Turtle Rescue on Indian Beach, NC

2011-09-14T15:34:00.002-04:00

Story and photographs by guest blogger Kim Merrels.
Here's the story of a wayward turtle, named “Squirtle” by his/her rescuers, as told told by Kim Merrels, long time Indian Beach resident and long time Cape Lookout Studies Program Volunteer:

“On Sunday, Sept.4, 2011, several of us were enjoying a beautiful afternoon on Indian Beach. Jimmy Watkins noticed something crawling up the beach from the ocean. We thought that it was a baby turtle.

A neighbor, Johnnie Tyson, put 3 little sticks around it, to "mark its spot in the sand."

I called Keith Rittmaster to find out what to do, and he gave me the name and phone # of Matthew Godfrey, Coordinator of the NC Turtle Project. When I talked to Matthew, he had me describe it to him, and he determined that it was a Diamondback Terrapin, a land turtle, rather than a sea turtle. He also said that they live in brackish water like the sound, rather than in the ocean, and suggested if there were any way to return it to the sound, that would be the best thing to do.

I put it into the little bucket, and Reid Watkins, 16, daughter of Jimmy Watkins, who first saw it, drove Walker Woodall, age 6, his aunt, Susan Daniel, and me to Willis Seafood in Salter Path on the Sound to release “Squirtle” .

After letting the owners, Wade and Vesta Willis, know why we were there, Vesta explained that during Hurricane Irene the sound washed over the island to the ocean taking all kinds of critters with it. Walker, with a little help from Susan, released the turtle into the sound. 'Squirtle' dove and surfaced twice, and then swam away -- hopefully, to somewhere close to its original home.” Kim

Thanks Kim !!!

One of the easiest ways to tell a land turtle from a sea turtle is the land turtle will have clawed feet and the sea turtle will have flippers instead of feet.

Wildlife at Sea - Final Dispatch from Keith Aboard the Gordon Gunter NOAA Marine Mammal Assessment Cruise

2011-08-16T15:12:00.003-04:00

Following are an incredible 3 posters taken by Keith and other scientists of wildlife they saw on their 6 weeks up and down the north western Atlantic Coast aboard the Gordon Gunter for an annual Marine Mammal Assessment Cruise See link following for a picture of their route. http://spyhoplog.blogspot.com/

Remember, you can click on each 'poster' below to enlarge it !

Work and Play Aboard the Gordon Gunter

2011-08-10T13:29:00.001-04:00

A rich life of work and play far from home. Look forward to learning what the data shows.

Enlarge this poster for more detail and to read the type.

Green Flash and Brown Noddy

2011-07-27T13:28:00.001-04:00

This update came in from Keith Rittmaster July 27, 2011 from the NOAA Marine Mammal Assessment Cruise.
Above is a picture of a Brown Noddy that hitched a ride on board for awhile. He wrote in his email that Capes Hatteras and Lookout are marine mammal hotspots, and Lookout is a loggerhead hotspot. But Lookout also seemed to be the trash hotspot. He also said how interesting it was to experience the different biology of the inner and outer continental shelves.

He continues: "Now we're in blue water off northern Florida and seeing pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, spotted dolphins, and grampus whales around the inner shelf break. No sperm whales since Lookout. We saw a mola breach high out of the water which I would have never imagined could be possible. In fact I didn't believe my eyes, but 2 other people saw it too.

Offshore bottlenose dolphins are very entertaining bow riders twisting and doing back flops."

These pictures of the green flash are amazing, they are the best representation of it that I have seen. All the decades I've lived on one coast or the other and looked for the green flash, I never saw one. (You may want to enlarge the pictures to see it better).

Today's Dining Room fare: Wahoo ceviche for dinner. Quesadillas with mango salsa for lunch. Every breakfast has 'ship made' yogurt, fruit salad, pancakes, and omelets to order. Our bananas are on the way out so we've been eating lots of banana bread. The chef even makes soy milk and tofu on board from organic soybeans."

I know he misses home but it's hard to feel too, too sorry for him.

Mid-July Dispatch from Keith Aboard the Gordon Gunter

2011-07-19T16:02:00.000-04:00

Update From Keith

You can click on these for a larger image.
I like how the spotted dolphin sequence makes clear when the dolphin gets its spots.
And, what a sunset.

July 2nd Dispatch from Keith on Marine Mammal Observation Cruise - 55 miles off Cape Lookout, NC

2011-07-07T14:04:00.001-04:00

Keith continues on the NOAA Marine Mammal Observation cruise.

On July 2nd they were at the tip of the red arrow.The nearest point of land was Cape Lookout where on board they were seeing/hearing lots of sperm whales!!! The latest group was 3 calves at the surface - presumably the moms were below foraging. The calves were silent but the others that were deep could be heard - "knock..knock..knock" like a distant carpenter. The acoustics folks who monitor 6 towed hydrophones 24/7 said not only can they hear sperm whales click, but they can tell when the whales capture and swallow a squid. Wow.

On June 30th, Keith reported that it was rough and stormy the night before, so that morning, they moved to an inside track where the weather was better. There they saw bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, and 3 loggerhead sea turtles (they didn't see any turtles further offshore). There were lots of Wilson's storm petrels too.

And finally, to the really important info., Keith says:

"The food on board is nothing short of incredible. Chicken cordon bleu last night, roast duck breasts tonight, with homemade sweet potato pie - "Mississippi sweet potatoes, not those inferior NC sweet potatoes" exclaimed our very talented, educated, and upbeat chef Margaret who wears tie dyes and listens to the Grateful Dead. Delicious guacamole, hummus with warm pita bread, fresh squeezed limeade" are often available too.

Maybe he'll bring us all a doggie bag.

Second Dispatch from Keith Rittmaster's NOAA Marine Mammal Assessment Cruise

2011-06-27T22:55:00.001-04:00

If you look carefully (or enlarge the picture by double clicking on it) you can see where the ship made extra loops. Makes me wonder what they sighted there. The information in the white 'observation box' is really interesting, be sure to look at it.

Last dispatch we saw the moon and here the sun - amazing definition. I am surprised there was a heron that far off shore. And the flying fish, for me, are like seeing a critical time in an evolutionary process from fish to bird, or from water to air breather. (That is my musing, not a scientific statement)

Keith says he's not very good at juggling and mainly just chases around tennis balls, but as he picks them up he exhales, keeps his knees straight, and pretends he's doing yoga.

He sounds very busy, not a lot of swinging in the hammock time, this is serious work.

Start of Keith Rittmaster's NOAA Marine Mammal Assessment Cruise

2011-06-20T13:03:00.000-04:00

Here is Keith Rittmaster's first dispatch from aboard the Gordon Gunter. They are on their way to Key West (not to play) and then out to deep water.
Refer to previous post for the path of the cruise. 1st Posting - NOAA Cruise
Below, that is Keith on the binoculars and his is the upper bunk, notice the open laptop. He can send and receive emails on board. I think the pictures of dolphins look like incredible paintings.
I am truly excited that he is sharing this adventure with us.

All photographs copyright by Keith Rittmaster

Keith's NOAA Cruise

2011-06-13T16:25:00.001-04:00

Keith will be taking leave from NCMM to serve as a scientist (marine mammal observer) aboard the 225' NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter (http://www.moc.noaa.gov/gu/) in the deep blue Atlantic Ocean.

He will be part of a team of 14 scientists including other marine mammal observers, oceanographers, birders, and acousticians. Their study area will be off the Atlantic coast between 28d & 38d N latitude, inshore to the 50 meter isobath and offshore to the U.S. Economic Exclusion Zone (approx. 200 miles offshore). This area includes two historic sperm whaling destinations ("Hatteras Ground" and "Charleston Ground") which is of particular interest to him. The primary objective of the cruise is to help estimate abundance and distribution of whales and dolphins (cetaceans) in the U.S. Atlantic waters. His responsibilities will include standing watch on 25x150 military binoculars (termed "big eyes") searching for cetaceans, directing the ship to any sightings, identifying the species, and counting the individuals. Other projects on board: 24/7 acoustic monitoring, biopsying whales for DNA, oceanographic profiling (temperature, oxygen, conductivity, productivity, and plankton at various depths), and identifying birds, sea turtles, and other marine wildlife.

He plans to provide periodic dispatches (with photos) for blog posting.

Five Students Receive Grant from 'Protect Wild Dolphin' License Plate Money

2011-06-03T11:17:00.000-04:00

Keith Rittmaster feels it is important to support students who are actively involved in research to expand our knowledge of marine mammals. Even when money is tight in his own programs, he makes supporting student presentations a reality every year.

Monofilament Recovery and Recycling

2011-06-01T11:59:00.002-04:00

Today we sent off 13.4 pounds of monofilament from recycling bins around the county to be recycled into fresh water fish habitats. 13.4 pounds of monofilament is equal to 12.25 miles. I wonder how many marine mammals, birds and turtles were prevented from being tangled or from filling their stomachs with this killer.

Bottlenose Dolphin and Epimeletic Behavior - Beaufort, NC

2011-05-31T12:56:00.002-04:00

Spring Brings in the Turtles !!

2011-05-11T11:06:00.001-04:00

Dwarf Sperm Whale Sighting and Subsequent Stranding

2011-04-22T16:17:00.003-04:00

Humpback Whale Fin

2011-04-15T13:33:00.003-04:00

See the entry from April 5, 2011 to read about the whale that this fin comes from

Interesting Brain Mass to Body Mass Percentages

2011-04-07T12:09:00.006-04:00

When the the Gervais' beaked whale stranded back in February, we were excited to be able to weight the whale on the beach. With subsequent skull dissection in the lab it was learned that this whale's brain weight, or mass, to body weight, or mass, was approximately 0.25%.
Below are some comparative values of brain mass to body mass percentages from other species:

beaked whale - 0.25%

right whale - 0.004% (their testicles are much larger than their brains)

sperm whale - 0.02% (but their brain is the largest on earth)

bottlenose dolphin - 0.96%

human - 2.1%-2.5%

mouse - 2.5%

We may have to rethink this whole 'intelligence/brain meaning'.
(See February 25th, 2011 blog entry about this whale's stranding).

Humpback Whale in Core Sound

2011-04-05T14:35:00.003-04:00

Humpback Whale in Core Sound

During the week of March 7^th, 2011, a 27' male humpback whale was seen swimming then later, stranded in Core Sound. It had 8 propeller cuts, some long and deep, forward of the dorsal fin. By Friday it had been aground for at least 2 days, weakened with entanglement scars, scavenger damage (shark and birds), curved spine, abraded skin, anemic, leaning in a hole it had wallowed out in the sand, and still alive - a sad sight. A team that included staff and volunteers from NC State Univ. Center for Marine and Sciences Technology, UNC-Wilmington, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, NC Maritime Museum, Cape Lookout National Seashore, and Tow Boat/US euthanized the whale and performed a necropsy. In addition to the team’s collection of measurements and tissue samples, Keith brought back the left pectoral flipper for research, education, and display. This investigation will enhance our knowledge of large whale anatomy and physiology. The flipper measures 9' long and 25" at its widest point, and weighs ~260 pounds. The short term goal is to get radiology, CT scan, and MRI images of this fin. Long term, he plans to prepare the bones and eventually create a display with the images and bones. Despite the sad nature of this event, each live marine mammal stranding offers a rare opportunity for scientists and veterinarians to learn more about these fascinating creatures. The information gained can be used to minimize suffering in live stranded cetaceans and contribute to marine mammal conservation.
Here’s a bit of media coverage about the whale: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWNlAoK2FIg

Look at the entry for April 15, 2011 to see what we are doing with one of the flippers of this whale.

Live Harp Seal on Harkers Island, NC

2011-03-02T16:08:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday afternoon (Feb. 24th, 2011) Frank and Peggy Guthrie reported a live seal on the shore near their home on Harkers Island. Keith drove there right away and found a harp seal (see photo), which eventually entered the water and swam away. This may be a new species for Carteret County, but interestingly in the past 2 weeks there have been 2 other harp seals photographed in NC - one at Kill Devil Hills and one on Masonboro Island. Examining the photos carefully, we have determined that these sighting are of 3 different individual harp seals.

During winter months, sightings of seals on beaches and in waters of North Carolina are becoming increasingly frequent. North Carolina is considered part of the normal winter range for harbor seals, our most common seal visitor (see photo). But recently we have seen 3 additional seal species (gray, hooded, and harp seals) in NC, all of which we consider out of their more northern normal range. Distinguishing individual seal species can be tricky and generally requires experience and/or a good guide book. Evaluating their health status is an even greater challenge. Lying on beaches is a normal behavior for seals and they generally don't need to be rescued. If a seal is sighted on a beach in Carteret or adjacent counties, please call the NC Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 252-241-5119 so we can confirm the species ID and attempt to evaluate its health. Please do not attempt to pet or feed the seal as this is illegal and can be dangerous. Please give them a wide berth and do not crowd, harass, or agitate them. Please try to respect their beauty without being noticed, enjoy the view, and learn more about seals by visiting http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/.

Gervais' beaked whale Strands on Atlantic Beach, NC

2011-02-25T17:28:00.025-05:00

Their mouths don't open wide and
the females do not have erupted teeth.
(Males generally have 2 erupted teeth).

Vicky G. Thayer, Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator for mid-coast North Carolina, was contacted about a marine mammal stranded at Atlantic Beach, NC on Thursday, February 10, 2011 . The whale was at water's edge when found. It was a sub-adult female Gervais' beaked whale, Mesoplodon europaeus, not a whale that commonly strands here.

Scars from Cookie Cutter Sharks,
not unusual for off-shore marine mammals

Notice that there is no notch in
the tail flukes

Moving the whale out of the water
and onto the beach with a 4-wheel
truck.

The whale was so heavy that we had

to take air out of the tires

to keep towing her in the sand.

In just 3 hours the bruising in her jaw became more
evident. Later, it was discovered that beneath this

bruise were two fractures of her jaw.

It was exciting to be able to weigh the whale since that was data not often collected because of the complexity of having all the equipment at hand. Carl brought a generator; county employees brought and drove the backhoe and Keith got the load cell. Many of us took pictures while knots were tied the whale readied to be hoisted up.

Weighing the whale.

Removing the blubber.

The local crew.

More scientists arrive from
Wilmington, NC to help.

While we were working with this
dead whale, live whales and dolphins
were sighted in the ocean.

Data sheets are like gold, as this
is where all information is recorded.

The stomach.

Getting samples is not always easy.

Measuring the depth of
the blubber along the
length of the body.

She had a very small dorsal fin.

At the Vet School, her skull was
examined with both an MRI and a
CT. After that, her skull was dissected and more samples taken for study.

At the Vet School, when the skull was dissected
two jaw fractures were discovered. They
correspond to the location of the bruises.

You can see the large crescent shaped
blow hole in this picture.

Remains not taken to Vet school were left on the
beach to be buried the next morning with a backhoe.

Skull, bones and samples are loaded
on the pick-up to be taken to NC Vet
School in Raleigh,NC for further investigation.

We finished just as it was getting dark.

During the afternoon it had gotten progressively colder. Fortunately, midway through the afternoon, Keith brought us a large bag of french fries. Since my hands were clean, I put handfuls in the mouths of hungry people whose hands were bloody.
The success of this entire endeavor was due to an incredible collaboration between NC DMF, NCSU, CVM, CMAST, NC Maritime Museum, NC Atlantic Beach Public Works and numerous individual volunteers.
(See blog entry for April 7, 2011 for more detail on this whale)

Marine Mammal Day at North Carolina Museum of Natural Science

2011-02-09T16:27:00.002-05:00

On January 29, we participated in Marine Mammal day at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.We were busy demonstrating how we make molds of our sperm whale teeth and how we paint the replica teeth to make them realistic.We educated folks about our Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program; our Marine Mammal Stranding Network; the skeletal structure of whales and dolphins and our dolphin photo ID program. In addition to using words and pictures, we used our 'dolphin fin matching' game to teach in an interactive way. It was a fun, tiring and successful day.

Pictures from Marine Mammal Day at Raleigh Museum of
Natural Science, January 29. Photos by Keith Rittmaster

Removing Bones from Pectoral Fins of Bottlenose Dolphins

2011-01-24T17:43:00.003-05:00

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

2011-01-12T16:26:00.002-05:00

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

Great Last Day of 2010

2010-12-31T16:18:00.001-05:00

We surveyed the estuary and the coastal ocean off Shackleford Banks today for Photo ID and what a last trip of the year. We recorded a total of 147 dolphins (that's alot).This included 5 calves; 2 'young of the year' and most exciting was a neonate. He/she was dark with very clear folds and was very bouncy. Two of the young calves had visible folds also. The water was clear and we could actually see the neonate nursing. Wow!! We are not yet sure if we have a video of that, but I will definitely post some pictures next week.
Happy New Year.

Dolphin Photo ID and Marine Mammal Strandings for November 2010

2010-12-15T14:15:00.003-05:00

November updates from Cape Lookout Studies Program.

Dolphin Photo ID

We were out on the water doing dolphin photo ID 6 days in November. We had 9 distinct sightings with 108 identified dolphins. The dolphins were often in Gallants Channel or the Morehead Port turning basin.

Marine Mammal Strandings

Vicky Thayer, head of North Carolina Mid-Coast Marine Mammal Strandings, reports that there were a total of 5 strandings: One spotted dolphin on Bird Shoal and 4 bottlenose dolphins - 2 were on South Core, 1 on Bear Island, and a juvenile male, pictured, found dead 2 miles offshore. The one from Bear Island was very fresh and was saved in the NOAA freezer to use for the upcoming stranding volunteer workshop.

Also, Vicky told us "someone called distressed because an “otter” was on a channel marker in the Cape Fear River. From the photo and description she sent me, it appears to be a healthy, alert harbor seal with normal posture and behavior. It looks a whole lot like California to me where sea lions hang out on buoys".

October Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-ID

2010-11-17T14:39:00.001-05:00

The migratory pulse has arrived, along with loads of Xenobalanus barnacles on fins. As in previous Octobers, we saw lots of airborne dolphins. Monthly sighting statistics for NOAA Fisheries protected species research permit No. 779-1633-00 were:
We were on the water 6 days (in October) with 10 distinct sightings.This yielded a total of 195 identifiable dolphins.

Update for September (a little late)

2010-10-27T13:04:00.000-04:00

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

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

Leaping Dolphins - Core Creek - Oct. 20, 2010

2010-10-22T17:37:00.011-04:00

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

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

2010-10-12T17:43:00.047-04:00


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

2010-10-07T16:55:00.000-04:00

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.

Cape Lookout Updates

2010-09-09T14:13:00.002-04:00

No damage from Hurricane Earl.

Monofilament Recycling ~ This month Keith sent off 14.4 miles of monofilament to Berkley for recycling. Here is our graph

of our cumulative totals.

Bottlenose Dolphin Photo ID ~ In the summer we usually see dolphins, especially moms and calves, in the Newport River but this summer we have seen very few dolphins there. We don't know why.We were out doing photo ID 6 days with 2 sightings total. We identified 16 dolphins. Nan went to Manteo,NC to collaborate and identify more of the dolphins that spend time in both our areas. She saw some of the dolphins that spend winters here.

Our Dolphin License Plate Sales have gone up slightly from the last quarter but are down from 2005 - 2006.

We received donations from Kim Merrels and Sea Stewards.

Marine Mammal Strandings ~ On August 2nd, a freshly dead emaciated lactating dolphin was brought in from the Neuse River. We knew her as "Roto 8" NCMM #3567. She had a stingray spine in her abdominal cavity. but it was not likely the proximate cause of death. She was part of the April, 2006 Beaufort, NC captures.

Keith is currently part of a film crew here in Beaufort, NC. Maybe more later, or it may have to stay a secret.

Hurricane Earl

2010-09-02T13:44:00.000-04:00

Boats are out of the water and moved back from the waters edge. Notebooks of data are covered with plastic. Miscellaneous debris that could become missiles have been stashed. Hurricanes are changeable and we don't think we'll get a direct hit but .......
We are not on the mandatory evacuation list and we are staying. We are not going out to do photo ID for the next few days though.

Cape Lookout Studies Program UPDATE

2010-08-19T12:53:00.001-04:00

We sent 31.1 miles of recovered monofilament to Berkley for recycling.That is a lot of monofilament that will not get into the stomachs of sea life.
Photo ID.
We were out on the boat in the estuary and/or ocean looking for dolphins 8 days in July.
We had 6 documented sightings on those trips.
In those 6 sightings we have photographed and identified 18 individual dolphins with distinct dorsal fins.
There were 6 Bonehenge tours given and Keith gave 3 dolphin presentations at the NC Maritime Museum.

Sea Stewards Learn about Monofilament Recycling

2010-08-18T12:06:00.005-04:00

Sea Steward Learners 2010

These "Sea Stewards" were part of a field course through the NC Maritime Museum where they volunteered with local marine conservation efforts.

They spent a day with us (Cape Lookout Studies Program) checking some of our Monofilament Recovery and Recycling bins at the beach, on a fishing pier, the docks in downtown Morehead City and a fishing spot at Harkers Island Bridge. Often their arms would disappear down the bin. Some of what they pulled up was clean, coiled fishing line. However, even though there is a large NO GARBAGE sign, they also pulled up drink cans and bottles (some half full), dead fish, food wrappers and an odd mix of vegetation. The students were real troopers and kept at it even as it got hot and smelly. We then took our collection from the bins back to our work space and showed them how we sort the contents, weight the fishing line and record all the information on a data sheet. We showed them one of the fish habitats that are made from the fishing line/monofilament that we mail to the recyclers.


Keith Rittmaster with fish habitat		made from recycled monofilament

We hope this program is continued next summer.

Spirit Sperm Whale T-Shirt

2010-07-22T11:40:00.015-04:00

Last year, October 16, we blogged about the unveiling of Karen Hattman's 'Spirit Sperm Whale' painting to honor the sperm whale skeleton we are re-articulating. The painting is on the side of the building where the bones are becoming a skeleton again. (See bonehenge.org ).
Now, we are excited to offer a 100% cotton T-Shirt of the painting. You will receive an explanation of the meaning of the symbols with the shirt.
Click on .http://bonehenge.org/Merchandise.aspx
to order your shirt. New color(s) coming soon.
I can't wear mine without people wanting to know where they can get one.

First Calf We've Seen This Year

2010-07-09T15:06:00.001-04:00

This is the youngest live calf we have seen so far this year. Oddly we saw it in the ocean rather than in the estuary where we usually see the dolphin moms and calves. This one was very 'bouncy' and there seemed to be interaction with other dolphins in addition to mom.The sighting was on July 4, 2010.

Where Is Cape Lookout Studies Office ?

2010-06-16T17:19:00.001-04:00

The black arrow points to our office. There is the small Beaufort airport behind us and Town Creek marina next to us.

Below is another view. We are in the white trailer with the tiny white arrow that is closest to the Marina. The dock just to the left in the picture is where we keep our boat. Further to the left are the Gallants Channel Docks and land that are, like us, an extension of the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort. Since this picture was taken, more floating docks have been added and the historical Ward-Hancock house has been moved here.

Here is a picture shot from the other side that was taken before the Gallants Channel docks were built.

Our office is all the way to the left. Across the water is the Beaufort draw bridge with work boats to the right of the bridge.

And finally, here we are at the end of the small white arrow. Across the water and marsh from us is part of the Morehead City Port and just out of view is the Morehead City high rise bridge. We feel lucky to be in such a beautiful and convenient location. From our dock, we have easy access to either the ocean or estuary for our Dolphin Photo ID work.

Updates - Fin Whale Stranding - Fishing Line Recycling & Wild Dolphin License Plate

2010-06-15T17:02:00.001-04:00

This is now updated through May 1, 2010. The good news is that the amount we recycle continues to increase.

The 'Save the Wild Dolphin' license plates didn't do as well, but economics can probably explain that.

This article appeared in our local paper about the May 31, 2010 fin whale stranding in the North River.

JELLYFISH.

2010-05-27T16:12:00.002-04:00

All photos by Keith Rittmaster

We saw the jelly fish above today at the dock. It is Chrysaora quinquecirrha or “stinging nettle”. It has a semi-transparent bell typically with small white dots and reddish-brown stripes radiating out from the center. Long tentacles extend below the bell. The bell is 1 to 12 inches in diameter. Its sting can be painful.

The two jelly fish below we often see in summer. They are the Stomolophus meleagris or “cannonball jelly”.They are round, milky in color and somewhat rigid with a reddish-brown pattern becoming darker towards bell margin. Its tentacles are short and dense under the bell. Their sting is very mild, if felt at all. They often have small crabs and fish living all the way inside under the bell. Their round bell presents a ball-like appearance, from tennis ball size to soccer ball. The dolphin below seemed to have noticed its ball potential.

Dolphin With Skate or Ray

2010-05-26T14:49:00.003-04:00

Keith saw this from the boat. The dolphin had the skate or sting ray in its mouth and the skate/ray gradually disappeared further and further into the dolphin's mouth. The dolphin went underwater so Keith doesn't know if the dolphin actually swallowed it. What do you think, skate or ray ??

UPDATES & DOLPHIN DORSAL FIN VEINS

2010-05-19T11:40:00.002-04:00

April's dolphin Photo ID sightings under NOAA Fisheries protected species research permit No. 779-1633-00. We were out on the water 6 days and had 19 sightings with a total of 294 individual dolphins.

Under the NC Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program, staff at Camp LeJuene installed 18 outdoor bins on their military base.
We've been busy with strandings.
Since this is a really short update, I thought I would add something interesting.

Here is an x-ray of the interior vascular structure of a dolphin's dorsal fin.

Right Whales, Humpback Whale, Dolphins, Shackleford Horses and Turtles - A "National Geo" Day

2010-04-28T14:23:00.019-04:00

April 20th, a perfect day for Photo ID and we were out there early, welcomed by 'sundogs'.
all photos by Keith Rittmaster
There were lots of dolphins - adults, juveniles and a couple of calves.
Then we saw a mom and calf right whale and nearby them, a humpback whale - we were surprised to see the two species so near each other
.

To the left is the right whale mom's head while blowing and the right shows mom and calf along side each other. The mom is 'Insignia', #2645, and her calf was first seen with her on March 5th south of us. Insignia was born in 1996 and has been seen in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Mass Bay, Cape Cod Bay, Great South Channel, Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy. Insignia's mom is #1245, 'Slalom', who was born in 1982. 'Slalom' is the calf of #1140, 'Wart'. New England Aquarium keeps an extensive North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog.
As Keith and Nan compared our records and photos and the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog
they discovered they had seen Insignia as a yearling with Slalom, her mom, off Fort Macon 23Feb1996. That was exciting and makes us feel good about all the data collecting and recording we do.
Then we saw the humpback whale who was near by at the same time.
We saw the humpback 'lunge feed' facing in our direction. It was very impressive but it happened so fast, we didn't get a picture.
And if all this wasn't enough, we also met with a number of loggerhead turtles.The first picture shows him/her surfacing to breathe and the next swimming underwater, where he looks like he is flying..

What a day ! And then, on the way home we saw one of the Shackleford Horses resting on the ocean side shore.

Life and Death in the Beaufort Waters - One Dolphin Carrying Dead Neonate And Another Dolphin Photographed Eating Needlefish

2010-04-05T17:11:00.021-04:00

Yesterday (April 5, 2010) we received a call from Outer Banks Ferry Captain Bob Rust about a dolphin 'with a bag on its head' swimming with a small pod from Taylors Creek toward Pivers Island. Within half an hour we were out on the water looking for this pod. With help from Annie Gorgone, Paula Gillikin, Carl Spangler, Brooks, Keith Rittmaster and Bob Rust, we found the small pod of 5 dolphins who were each of a relatively small size, one perhaps even a calf. One of the dolphins clearly had something on her head, right where her rostrum and melon met. It was long and very thin and looked like an eel at first.
As we got closer, we could see it was a dead neonate, or possibly a non-term fetus. Although, we do not know for certain, we assume that the dolphin carrying the carcass is its presumed mother. It was heartbreaking to see and to imagine what that presumed mother must have been feeling.
She was first 'IDed' here in winter 1999 - #2565 - named "Sammy" - as one of our regular winter dolphins. We have had 20 total sightings of her in the Beaufort area and had recently seen her in February 2010. This is the first time we have seen her with offspring. As far as we know, she is not matched with any other site. The first born of a dolphin will often die of toxins, but 11 years old is pretty old to have a first born. Sometimes dolphins pushing or carrying around dead neonates are seen alone. We were heartened to see her with other dolphins and possibly even a mother-calf pair. We will keep a sharp eye out for "Sammy" to see if she stays with her group and if/when she might again give birth .

And, now for a reminder that life goes on for the dolphins, Keith took this picture the other day of a dolphin eating a Needlefish.

Photos by Keith Rittmaster. Please do not copy without permission.

UPDATES

2010-03-19T10:13:00.015-04:00

Not as exciting as Baja and whales, but here are the Cape Lookout Studies updates this month.

Bonehenge.
The skull is still in the jacuzzi releasing grease - this whale had an amazing amount of grease. Two huge limbs from the oak tree just above the jacuzzi almost smashed the skull in a snow storm. Pierre-Henry Fontaine from Quebec visited Bonehenge (and our sperm whale) and offered sage advice. Starting with the tail, we've begun fabricating intervertebral discs, and we're drilling through vertebrae and mounting them on 3/8" stainless allthread. Dominic Brown, from Channel 12,ran a news story about Bonehenge, which portrayed his, and our, excitement about this project.

Central NC Marine Mammal Strandings.
At the annual NC Marine Mammal Stranding Network Conference in February, Keith requested an entire adult right whale skeleton should one happen to come ashore at a convenient location and time. Keith also agreed to develop a form to be used by anyone for formally requesting specimens, data, samples, photos, analysis etc. from stranded marine mammals in NC.
Vicky Thayer will present North Carolina delphinid stranding diversity from 1992-2009 at the SEAMAMMS Conference March 26-28 in Virginia Beach.

Our web sites and blog, have been wonderfully busy.

Bottlenose dolphin photo ID
Even with really tough weather conditions, we got out 5 days, had 11 sightings and have dorsal fin photos of 85 dolphins. We continue to see Manteo and Virginia Beach dolphins plus a few freeze brands.

The 'Protect Wild Dolphin' License Plate quarterly check was $3,180.This money really helps support our research. If you live in NC, please consider joining our group of dolphin plate people.
Click here for license plate information.

NC Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program
Two little used bins were removed from Emerald Isle beaches. One new outdoor bin went to Sarah Falkowski of Outer banks Center for Wildlife Education for use in Currituck County. One outdoor bin and one indoor box went to Allen Fitz of Network for Endangered Sea Turtles for use in Dare County.

Keith & Wild Life in Baja, Mexico

2010-03-03T12:01:00.027-05:00

Keith & wildlife in Baja, Mexico.Keith joined a friend and colleague on a whale, and other wild- life, observation journey. Here are some of his pictures, there will more pictures and text soon.
These gray whale pictures are from Magdelena Bay, Baja, Mexico. On the bottom, are the gray whale's blow holes and above on top, a gray whale right next to the boat and above center, gray whale flukes as whale goes into a dive.

Keith holding up rock and a blue booby - you can probably tell which is which.

Below, sea lions and a paper nautilus shell.

Blue whale mom and calf.

Pelican practicing full moon diving.
So, that's it for now.
All pictures by Keith Rittmaster - Please do not copy without permission.

One More Monofilament Recylcing Bin Placed

2010-03-02T15:53:00.003-05:00

Keith delivered a new outdoor Monofilament Recycling Bin to Allen Fitz(and his friend Johnny) of the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles. The bin will be located in northern Dare County. Mr. Fitz will install the bin and monitor it.

All ocean life thanks you.

UPDATES - Humpback Whale - Monofilament Recycling

2010-02-17T11:00:00.011-05:00

Humpback whale

On January 16, 2010 this juvenile humpback whale was seen at Cape Lookout. Keith sent Ryan's photo to Jooke Robbins with the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, MA and she immediately matched it as a whale they had IDed in the Gulf of Maine.

Monofilament - We weighted and sent off 38 pounds of monofilament for recycling. We received a "Fish-Hab" (pictured above) from Berkley Conservation Institute which is made from recycled monofilament.That is Keith holding it and next to him is one of our recycle bins.
Berkley Conservation Institute was founded to respect the outdoors and foster a passion for fishing. The 'Fish Hab' is made for fresh water and research has shown that in many places the fish populations increased four times with its use.

Bottlenose Dolphin VGT219 Necropsy Part of Training

2010-02-05T13:18:00.006-05:00

Stranded dolphin VGT219 was necropsied as part of a one day stranding training offered at CMAST in Beaufort, NC for volunteers by Vicky Thayer, Craig Harms and Keith Rittmaster. A vast amount of information was presented about individual and mass strandings with both live and dead animals.
Then in the afternoon, after delicious pizza, VGT219 was necropsied.
This older female Bottlenose dolphin had a stingray spine lodged in her right lung. It had been there for a while. Bone and soft tissue damage from the spine's migration was evident.
She had a double horned horned uterus. She had given birth to calves, although I don't know how many. Her health seemed to be compromised in several different ways, but more will be known after lab results. The picture below shows how we measured the length of the intestines - we laid them out in equal length lines and counted the number of lines multiplied by the line length. That is a lot of intestine.

.
All organs were weighted and measured. I still haven't been able to remove the olfactory reminder from my camera. Her bones were buried in anticipation of possibly becoming a skeletal display.

Florida SeaTurtle Necropsies Done in Beaufort NC

2010-01-29T12:36:00.013-05:00

Around half of the approximately 400 'cold stunned' sea turtles sent to Beaufort, NC from Florida have been necropsied. Measurements and weights were taken; samples of skin, tissue and anything unusual were taken and all internal organs and external parts were examined. It seems so far that there was no common pathology in most of the turtles to suggest that death was from a problem other than the cold but all data is not in.
Most had food in their stomachs and intestines suggesting they were healthy and eating until the cold. This one had a bite out of it's side that was completely healed.

The feathery looking part below is the esophagus and the frilly edge that looks like a wave coming on shore is the lung. The lung is all the color of the edge, the red is from warm water being poured into
the cavity in an effort to thaw the insides.
.
There were more female sea turtles that were necropsied but the population in general has more females.
It was a great collaboration of agencies and individuals to get this number of necropsies done in such a short time. The rest will be done after everyone has been able to get back to their regular work for a while.

'Cold Stunned' Sea Turtles from Florida Arrive for Necropsies

2010-01-22T13:08:00.005-05:00

Dolphin VG 219 had to be moved from the NOAA to NCSU CMAST (North Carolina State University Center for Marine and Science Technology) to make room for 400-500 dead sea turtles that were shipped here from Florida for necropsies.
Approximately 4,000 sea turtles died off the Florida coast over the last month, many of which were likely 'cold stunned'. Turtles become cold stunned at temperatures less than 50 F, smaller turtles reacting first. They will either float on the surface, unable to move, or strand. The necropsies are important to determine whether there were other contributing factors in the deaths. Scientists here are working on the necropsies and completed 40 yesterday. These sea turtles are mostly Green Turtles (endangered) with some Loggerheads(threatened), a few Ridleys(endangered) and possibly a few Hawksbills(endangered).
Of the turtles that were stunned but still alive, 80% were released. These turtles were taken to a facility nearby and placed in warm salt water to bring their bodies back to temperature. They were then weighed, tagged and released as soon as possible. The releases had to be in water above 50F. It is believed that there are no long term affects from 'cold stunning'. Each turtle was tagged with a metal tag placed on a front flipper.The tagging will be helpful in further research.
Here is a link to good sea turtle info. http://www.seaturtle.org/
This site has photos of the entire process of rescue, warming, tagging and release.
ht tp://www.myfoxtampabay.com/generic/photos/sea-turtles-release-012110

Program Updates

2010-01-13T11:59:00.006-05:00

MONOFILAMENT
We just sent off 41.8 pounds of monofilament for recycling from our receptacles around the coast. Yes!!
We are looking for volunteers to set up and maintain monofilament recycling receptacles in Dare and Currituck counties.
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN PHOTO ID
We were on the water 6 days and had 19 sighting sessions with a total of 139 individual dolphin fins photographed. We're working on how many are matches now.
Keith took the annual re-training with the Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network.
At Bonehenge, we continue to degrease the skull in the jacuzzi but have moved the jacuzzi outside due to mold problems. Alternating high and low temperatures seems to be effective at this stage. We are still looking for engineering advice regarding pipe diameter for the thoracic section.

Marine Mammal Strandings - Cental North Carolina

2010-01-07T15:19:00.014-05:00

There were 4 known strandings in December 2009 in central NC.
Dec. 10 - A pregnant Grampus whale on N. Core Banks

This is the fetus found inside the Grampus whale.

Dec. 15 - Male bottlenose dolphin on Bear Island
Dec. 18(ish) - Kogia on N. Core Banks
Dec. 22 - Large female bottlenose on Ocracoke (Outer Banks). She was an old dolphin with teeth almost worn down to the gum. She traveled by truck and ferry from Ocracooke to Beaufort. She was frozen for a necropsy workshop Vicky Thayer will offer on January 30.VGT 219 is her ID number.

Carrying to the freezer and in the freezer.
Vicky Thayer is currently running the Central North Carolina Stranding Network full time. We will have ongoing updates on strandings.

Virginia Beach Dolphins Update

2009-12-21T14:47:00.006-05:00

The three definite identified matches were Moja, Ocrab and Monkey Wrench pictured above. Moja and Ocrab were last seen here in 2006 and Monkey Wrench in January 2009.

Octopus Update

2009-12-21T14:17:00.005-05:00

The visiting Octopus Vulgaris appeared one morning as a dead gelatinous blob. She must have shown up after tending her eggs when there would be little time left before she would die as part of her natural life cycle.

Virginia Beach Dolphins Have Returned

2009-12-18T14:55:00.003-05:00

When we were out on Photo ID today we identified the
dolphins that have also been identified at Virginia Beach, VA..
More details and pictures next week.

Octopus Visitor -- Shy and Smart

2009-12-08T16:32:00.008-05:00

This Octopus has been under Keith's dock for the last 3 days. That means (let's call her she) she has come into and up the Newport River almost to Core Creek.They are often seen on the coast here but it may be pretty unusual for them to be this far inland.
She is an octopus vulgaris or Common Octopus. She is part of a group of Mollusks called Cephalapods who are among the most evolved and intelligent invertebrates. Through giving them complex tasks to solve we have learned that they have both long and short term memories and learn quickly. Some people who work with them in captivity think they may even like to play tricks on us. Their eyes are similar to ours, they have a cornea, lens and retina. Some octopus see color but not the Octopus vulgaris.
For protection they can release a purple-black ink when they feel threatened for camouflage and to temporarily destroy the predator's sense of smell. They are short-lived. The males generally die shortly after mating and the females usually die after they have protected their eggs for about a month during which their appetite is reduced. An article in Science News describes a gland, the optic gland, that seems to dictate when they die. Their mouth is like a parrot's beak and is found where the legs come together. It is the only rigid part of their body. One of their fascinating characteristics is their ability to change the texture and color of their mantle.

2 Pairs of Bonded Males- 1st Winter Dolphins

2009-11-04T15:12:00.008-05:00

We photographed our first winter bottlenose dolphins October 23rd - a little earlier than usual. We saw two pairs of bonded males that have been photographed together - Onion and Butterfly since 1993 and Mohammed and Buddha since 1994. Adult male bottlenose dolphins often form pair bonds that last a few years or until one of them dies. Research suggests the pairs have often been in the same juvenile group. These four dolphins have been seen in the summer at Manteo, NC together in the same pairs we see here in Beaufort.
The photo shows Onion and Butterfly, Onion is the one with the dorsal fin notched on the leading edge. Sorry the picture is old and not so good. Since our focus is photo ID, 99% of our photos are of individual fins. I had to go back to 1997 to find this one.
Male pair bonds are a fascinating subject that needs more study. They seem to vary due to location. If anyone out there has information about this, please comment.

Parade of Freeze Brands

2009-10-22T15:55:00.016-04:00

On Wednesday.October 21 we saw 4 dolphins with freeze brands in the Beaufort area. The freeze brand numbers are: FB 717; FB 730; FB421 and FB 416.

FB 717 has also been seen in Manteo, NC and Virgina Beach, VA.

FB 717

FB730 FB416

FB 421

Spirit Sperm Whale Painting at Bonehenge

2009-10-16T13:01:00.032-04:00

For our Bonehenge building where we are re-articulating the sperm whale skeleton, Karen Hattman designed and painted a unique and beautiful painting for the outside of the building. It is her interpretation of the spirit of 'our' whale in the Pacific Northwest Native American style. It is a powerful experience to approach the building and be greeted by this image. I am certain that it will assist us and our work to honor the life of this great whale.

Journey of our sperm whale painting from her studio to its new home at Bonehenge

loading up from Karen's studio and away down the driveway

lifting, positioning and attaching painting to building

covered for unveiling

Karen describing the symbolic meaning unveiling the painting

North Atlantic Right Whale Mom and Calf

2009-10-14T15:20:00.014-04:00

Mom is on the left and the calf on the right in the single picture above. In the other pictures, the calf is the one with the white belly showing. .

Click on pictures to enlarge them.

Photos by Keith Rittmaster & Brooks.

We had a truly exciting sighting of a right whale mom and her calf, the calf was less than 3 months old.
This was a while ago, May 23, 2008, but looking at these pictures again I had to share them.
New England Aquarium keeps a catalog of Atlantic Right Whales, identifying each whale by several criteria, especially their unique pattern of callosities (raised tissue) primarily on the top of the head.
It was a beautiful sunny day, May 23, 2008, we were out doing our dolphin Photo ID work when we saw the pair. There had been reports by boaters of sightings for the past 2 days, but we hadn't been able to verify them. We were thrilled by their beauty and saddened that less than 400 of them are surviving in the Atlantic Ocean.
They were 1/2 a km off Shackleford Banks and 3 km east of Beaufort Inlet near Cape Lookout, NC. The right whale females are usually 9 or 10 before their first calf. The males don't usually sire a calf until about 15 years of age. Gestation is 12 - 14 months and the calves only stay with their Mom for approximately a year. A short time for a whale .Since they spend 80% of their time under water, there is much we don't know.
this is the energetic calf.

To have perspective, the right whales grow up to 55 feet long and to 70 tons. That is big. This is Mom in front of a boat. Remember, the dorsal fin you see, is only about 1/2 way down the body.

We learned from New England Aquarium that they know this female well. She is #1321 and named Mono. She was first photographed in our area in October 1990 with a young calf. This calf from 2008 is her fourth, the last one was born in 2004. There is often 6 -7 year interval between calves. Interestingly, this one was born quite late and her first calf (that we know about) in 1990 was born quite early. I guess she didn't read the book.
This link, rwcatalog will take you to the New England Aquarium North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog, click search for individual whales and put in her #1321.
A sighting like this is a gift that stays with you.

'Cape Lookout Studies Program' T-Shirt & Mud

2009-10-09T14:09:00.011-04:00

Notice two things.1. Pink 'Cape Lookout Studies Program' T-shirt and 2. feet are invisible because they are sunk deep down in marsh mud.
Be careful this doesn't happen to you when you wear your 'Cape Lookout Studies Program' T-Shirt.

photo by Paula Gilikin. Taken on Rachael Carson Reserve.

WOW !! 14 Known Dolphins in One Sighting & Stats

2009-10-07T14:41:00.011-04:00

On September 14th, 09 we had a sighting in the nearby estuary for our dolphin photo ID program and it turns out that 14 of the dolphins that day are ones already known to us and catalogued. that makes for an exciting discovery with data.

photos by Keith Rittmaster

September Stats:
Summer dolphins still here.
6 days on the water
A total of 7 sightings with 68 distinct dolphins.
capelookoutstudies.org web site received 220 hits in September.
bonehenge.org received 5,516 hits and this blog received 108 hits.
Bonehenge is hot.
We continue to collect monofilament.

"Protect Wild Dolphins" Scholarships

2009-10-07T12:20:00.007-04:00

Scholarships.

The following North Carolina students whose work promotes the protection of wild dolphins had abstracts accepted for presentation at the 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Quebec City, Canada, October 12 through 16, 2009. These four students were each awarded a $210 grant from the "Protect Wild Dolphins" license plate income through the Friends of the Maritime Museum, Beaufort, NC.
These students are:

Laura E. Bagge. UNCW. Thermal Properties of the blubber of adult short - finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus)

Reny Tyson. Duke. Abundance and Community Structure of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the

Big Bend of Florida, St. Vincent Sound to Alligator Harbor.

Sara McClelland. UNCW. Variation in the vascular patterns of
blubber in shallow and deep diving
Odontocetes: implications for diving
physiology ?

Anna McGregor. Duke. Modeling the cost of locomotion for traveling and foraging North Atlantic

Right whales with a computational
fluid dynamics simulation.

Congratulations !! Keep up the good work.

Bonehenge. Marine Mammalogy Conference. Fun Dolphin Pictures.

2009-09-28T12:02:00.018-04:00

It is busy here in many ways. Keith is going to Quebec City, Canada in early October to present a poster session on creating a skeletal display from a stranded sperm whale at the biennial Biology of Marine Mammals Conference. This is the poster.

To see a legible version of the Bonehenge Poster go to bonehenge.org and click on 'Bonehenge Updates' on the front page and then on 'bonehenge Poster'.

We've been out on the boat doing Photo ID often in the last weeks. As is pretty typical of September we have seen some larger groups of dolphins in the estuary and in the ocean, primarily adults but a few calves. They have often been in shallow water and have seemed very energetic. We too have felt more energetic as the intense heat and humidity have lessened. These are photos from these sightings.

The dolphins were swimming under the boat, around the boat, away from the boat and toward the boat, with each other and separately. They would zoom around and then slow down and stop. They didn't seem to be feeding. Since they are so fast,
some of the pictures are just after the 'perfect moment'.
photos by Keith Rittmaster

August 2009 Stats

2009-09-10T15:50:00.017-04:00

Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-ID. Our sightings of dolphins continue to be low for this time of year. We did see 'Oprah' with a nursery group and 'Caitlin' with her calf.
We were out on the water 8 days in August
We had 3 separate sightings and
We have photos of 13 distinct, and therefore identifiable, dorsal fins.

http://capelookoutstudies.org/ web site received 312 hits this month.
http://www./bonehenge.org/BONEHENGE/(S(3jfax35541rmmj45ywd5lff4))/Default.aspx web site received 9,804 hits this month
http://www.spyhoplog.blogspot.com/ blog received 101 hits this month.

NC Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program. We sent off 2 boxes, approximately 40 miles. of recovered monofilament to the recyclers. Terry Greene delivered a new bin to the Estuarium in Washington, (little Washington) NC.
Received a $100 donation from Linda Boyer in little Washington, for this program NCMRRP.

No known Marine Mammal strandings.

More on Cutty and her Neonate in 2009

2009-09-10T13:40:00.011-04:00

Back in May we reported seeing 'Cutty' and her neonate in the Newport River estuary here in Beaufort, NC. Here is a little more information about her:
Cutty is one of our most photographed dolphins. She is an experienced mother now with the seventh calf we have seen her with since we started photographing her in July of 1985. (There may have been some we missed) She is an example of one of our summer dolphins, seen in our waters from late April through early October. When Cutty and her calves are not in Beaufort waters, we know they go south to the area around Wilmington, NC. This is confirmed by comparing our dolphin dorsal fin photos with those of researchers from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, NC. and excitedly finding matches.

photos by Keith Rittmaster

July Photo ID and Stranding Stats

2009-08-24T17:12:00.001-04:00

4 Days on the water looking for dolphins
3 Sightings of dolphin individuals or pods
10 Dolphins with fins distinct enough to identify as either known or new.
Predictably and fortunately there were no known marine mammal strandings in our area.

Surprise Donation to Help Wild Dolphins

2009-08-21T17:21:00.011-04:00

CHANGE FOR CHANGE

Marissa McCabe, an elementary school girl from Wake Forest, NC learned about our program of Monofilament Recycling and Recovery . On her own she created a very catchy 'save the dolphins' campaign. This is the info that she circulated.And, to add to the appeal she made small change purses for people collecting their 'Change for Change'. When they donated their money, they could keep the purses. Here are pictures of both sides of the purse.

Her card reads: "Change for Change". Bottlenose dolphins are getting entangled in discarded fishing line. This is killing and harming these beautiful dolphins off the NC Coast. Please consider donating the change you collect to protect this precious marine wildlife.

What a wonderful, thoughtful and caring act of contributing Marissa did. Thanks, Marissa, maybe you will inspire others.

Bones

2009-08-21T14:47:00.027-04:00

We do a lot with bones here. The biggest project is the sperm whale skeleton re-articulation -http://www.bonehenge.org/
But, I am particularly moved by the beauty of many types of bones.From time to time I will post some pictures of various bones. Still deciding if it would be more fun for you to guess whose they were or tell you....hmmmm....
With bone pictures, please don't copy them - email us and we can get a copy to you. http://www.spyhoplog@gmail.com/
Thanks.

photos by Brooks

And just a few more,

Fox Kits

2009-08-21T12:42:00.015-04:00

On the Gallants Channel property in Beaufort, NC. near our office and the water are fox dens. Last year they were dug in the bottom of a 3-4 foot rise in the sand, well disguised. This year they are much more right out in the middle of an open area. No idea why. Keith swept the sand smooth in front of the den to confirm that they were currently in use. Fresh footprints appeared. He took some pictures - these are from last year but the kits look pretty much the same this year. The way Keith took the pictures was neat. Early one morning -they are more active dawn and dusk-he set up a digital camera on a tripod set to take a frame every 2 seconds. He went to the office and returned in 2 hours and found these pictures.

On this first picture you can see one of the den entrances behind the kit. He or she is looking at the camera - something new in his familiar environment.

photos by Keith Rittmaster

July Public Interaction

2009-08-18T11:00:00.012-04:00

This writer has been traveling and nursing the flu, so after no posts for a month, there is a lot to post.
July Public Interaction

George Olson of NPR/PRE aired an interview with Keith about the Bonehenge Sperm Whale Skeleton project. It was good and here is the link

Keith was interviewed and quoted in the July '09 Outside magazine in their featured article on Dolphin 56 - the 'Beggar'.

Keith gave three presentations at the NC Maritime Museum about Bonehenge.org. and three about NC Dolphins. He also gave six tours of the Bonehenge Barn where we keep and work on the the Sperm Whale bones.

The portable monofilament recycling container spent two days at a fishing tournament on Atlanta Beach, NC in the main tent where everyone gathered. This shot was taken
just before they gathered.
photos by Brooks

Dolphin Photo-ID Update

2009-07-17T15:36:00.006-04:00

June 2009 Dolphin Photo-ID Statistics
~8 days on the water
~7 days of sightings
~55 dolphins counted and photographed

We don't know yet how many of the dolphins are ones we know. That process takes time in that the best pictures have to be selected; then the fin photo cropped and printed; then compared with every picture we have of dolphin fins by hand and then if a match is not found we search for a match on the computer with the 'fin scan' program. Possible fin matches are overlaid and assessed in a graphics program. Finally, the resulting data is recorded. There are four people who work on this.

Dolphin FB 438 seen furtherest south April 2009

2009-07-02T14:17:00.011-04:00

This April, exactly the kind of coastal Dolphin Photo ID coordination we hope for unfolded with Dolphin FB438 - FB indicates he/she has a freeze brand and that the number is 438. Here is his history that we know so far:
Sept. 14, 2003 - he was tagged and freeze branded in New Jersey waters.
March 4, 2004 - he was sighted off Ocracoke, south of Hatteras Inlet in North Carolina.
April 12, 2004 - Duke University staff or students saw him/her in Frisco, North Carolina.
Feb 20, 2005 - Duke University saw him by Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina. and then
April 28, 2009 - We saw him off Shackleford Banks, about mid-way, off Beaufort, North Carolina, with 12 other dolphins. This is the farthest south he has been sighted that we know of. Most of us are not able to be out on the water
'Photo ID ing' every day, so he may have around much more often and/or even further south or north. If we are able to ID some of the other dolphins in the group of 12, in the future we will want to see if s/he is with any of the same dolphins again. If the dolphins have smooth fins with no nicks, indentations or marks that are permanent we can not ID them. They will often have scrape marks or superficial scars but these come and go and can not be used for long term ID. The holes you can see in dorsal fin are the result of a satellite tag that was placed on the dolphin at the same time it was freeze branded.When the tag came off, it left the holes. My understanding is that the area is anesthetized locally before the tag is attached. The people who have watched the procedure, report that there seems to be no reaction from the dolphin from any part of the process.
photos by Keith Rittmaster

Monofilament Recovery & Recycling

2009-06-20T17:03:00.010-04:00

We Have had a monofilament recovery and recycling program for a while and have tried to implement what has been successful in Florida's and Georgia's programs. We have 40 bins already strategically placed and we just set up three more bins on Bogue Banks; one at the new West Beaufort boat ramp and replaced one on the fishing pier along side of the high-rise bridge between Beaufort and Morehead.

This picture is of our new portable recycling bin that we can take to fishing tournaments, fairs or educational programs.

This is a link to an incredible video A Tale of Entanglement,http://vimeo.com/1870031 about the monofilament problem and recycling - be sure to have your volume turned up, the music is beautiful. Some disturbing but all too real images. It is positive at the end.
Then look at their newest video, If the Ocean Could Talk http://vimeo.com/5074427. Some of it was filmed at Cape Lookout Studies waterfront and dock. Keith and some local seventh graders are in it. It is very good

.

What does that Pelican Have ??

2009-06-19T16:39:00.009-04:00

When we were out looking for dolphins on Spyhop we went by a pelican sitting in the water between Shackleford and Cape Lookout who seemed very interested in what looked like a brown ball floating on the surface. We turned around and netted whatever it was. It turned out to be a puffer fish as puffed up as possible. A useful defense. I love the way he/she looks - what a cute face.

After we took pictures we gently put it back in the water and as it swan away it deflated down to normal size which was about a third of how it looks in the pictures . It was an unusual and fascinating process to watch.

photos by Keith Rittmaster

Thank You & Sperm Whale C 2-7 Vertebrae Capture

2009-06-08T11:22:00.012-04:00

Thank you http://http://southernfriedscience.com/ for your $200 check from your matching funds challenge for http://bonehenge.org/ and its sperm whale skeleton re-articulation project.
One of the latest triumphs in this project is the replacement of a vertebrae missing from our sperm whale with one approximately the same size (their whale was 33 feet and ours was 33.5 feet). Keith put word out to the international stranding network that he was looking for cervical vertebrae C 2-7. It is called C 2-7 because in sperm whales the 6 cervical vertebrae are fused into one bone.
At Fort De Soto Park in Florida a sperm whale had been buried after stranding and dying a couple of years ago. After much arranging of logistics and a grueling hot day with the back hoe digging up the whale skeleton to find C2-7, the right bone emerged. Success.
It was very smelly and had to go on the plane in a cooler for the trip back to Beaufort. Kitty Litter was the primary 'de-smeller' of choice with help from those spray fragrances. The vertebrae is here at our site on top of the roof drying out and still smelling.

Bottlenose Dolphin Sightings for April and May 2009

2009-06-05T15:59:00.009-04:00

In this picture the sliver of land behind the dolphins and water is Shackleford Banks where we see a lot of dolphins. Shackleford is unihabited by humans.
Bottlenose dolphin sightings for month of April 2009 in both the ocean and estruary under Keith's research permit are:
4 days out on water
6 separate sightings and
73 total individual dolphins
and for May 2009

6 days on the water
7 separate sightings and
46 individual dolphins.
In May there were 10 dead neonates on NC beaches which is a record high but we have seen 2 live ones with moms in Beaufort so far and we expect there will be more.
photos by Brooks

ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT - HELP

2009-05-28T17:30:00.007-04:00

We only have 3 days left to take advantage of a matching funds offer. (Sounds like NPR).
southernfriedscience.com is offering to match any funds donated to Bonehenge for the next 3 daysIf you scroll down on their site, you will come to an image on the right of a Sperm Whale skeleton that says 'donate now'. There is a link to Bonehenge.org but don't click the link because you will only get the matching funds by donating on his southernfriedscience site. Take a look at the Bonehenge.org site though, it is really interesting and worth donating to. A sperm whale skeleton is being re-articulated here in Beaufort, NC in a building built just for this project. There are some state of the art procedures being used such as x-rays of one of the flippers that was frozen at the time of stranding to assure accuracy in arranging the complex flipper bones, comparisons to human bones of the same approximate age, analysis of stomach contents and bone degreasing. We are learning from what has and has not worked in the past.
Thanks !

Stranded Right Whale

2009-05-28T16:32:00.023-04:00

This past winter a Right Whale stranded on Shark Island which is right off Cape Lookout near Beaufort, NC.

We were asked to get some additional tissue samples after the necropsy(autopsy for an animal) had been completed. The whale seemed to have been entangled and also to have a curvature of the spine. It was thought to be a 2 year old male. Where it had stranded was a very tricky site only accessible by boat and only at a certain tide.

The first picture shows how even though we mourn the loss of the whale, the seagulls remind us, as we arrive, that nothing is wasted.

Keith and Duck, a volunteer, work at getting the samples as they stand with chilly ocean above their knees.

They returned successful.

The good news is that this year there was the highest number of Atlantic Right Whale calves born in the last number of years. They are very endangered.

photos by Brooks

The Main Players

2009-05-28T15:28:00.009-04:00

Here are Keith Rittmaster and NanBowles, the long time CapeLookout/Dolphin ID staff. Keith is Curator of Natural Sciences for the North Carolina Maritime Museum. It is surprizingly often that you will see Keith carrying a marine mammal skeleton somewhere, on the phone is pretty typical also - on the boat picture is coming. Nan, who is usually pretty colorful, manages the data for Dolphin Photo ID Project and whatever else needs doing. Everyone here is very good at wearing multiple hats. She has the best 'dolphin spotting' eyes out on the boat. I am a helper who is doing this blog. Any errors are my responsibility. There are many wonderful volunteers who keep everything from boat engines to morale in excellent condition.photos by Brooks

Cutty and Neonate

2009-05-28T13:23:00.008-04:00

'Cutty' was seen swimming with her newborn calf Sunday, May 24th, 2009 in the Newport River. The Newport River goes past Beaufort NC up to Core Creek and is also the Intracoastal Waterway (a couple of us live here too). This is a place where moms and calves are often seen spring and summer - some refer to this area as the 'nursery'. We have seen Cutty since 1985 in the Beaufort area although not every year. We also have seen her with other calves. We are excited. In the picture you can see the fetal folds (the dark lines across the back of the calf). Like us, they pretty much have to curl up in the uterus due to lack of space. She was with 2 other dolphins when she was seen.
photo by Keith Rittmaster

Spyhop Log becomes Spyhop Log blog

2009-05-07T16:46:00.003-04:00

Welcome as Spyhop Log moves into the 21st century by becoming Spyhop Log Blog. Expanded mission, some changes and lots of activity. Keep checking with us.
Our biggest change is the Bonehenge Project that started in 2004 with a stranded Sperm Whale at Cape Lookout, NC. That whale's skeleton is now being prepared to be re-articulated and will eventually hang in the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, NC. Check all the info and pictures at Bonehenge.org. It's fascinating - just last month there were 6,644 hits.

We continue our 18 year Bottlenose Dolphin photo ID work in Beaufort, NC with a NOAA Fisheries protected species research permit.
And we respond to Marine Mammal Strandings in our area and help with necropsies. Over the past year there have been both dolphins and whales.

Our NC Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program keeps growing and we just sent off 31 pounds of of monofilament line (that's a lot) for recycling. We now have 39 recepatcles installed at key fishing sites and shops with more on the way.

Pictures and more details will follow, at least you know we are still doing the work and are very much alive and well.

A post sent by e-mail

2009-03-07T14:15:00.001-05:00

Here is the message of the post.

Has an attachment of Loggerhead rescue.