Nicks 'n' Notches Online
A monthly enewsletter from the
Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
April 2022
News and Updates from Our Colleagues
Dolphins & Human Health: Did you know that some of our dolphin research has implications for human health? While our colleague Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson, a veterinary epidemiologist, was studying the health of older dolphins, she discovered that a fatty acid — C15:0 — naturally found in Sarasota Bay dolphin diets that helps keep them healthy.

Subsequent studies found that it can help regulate glucose, immunity and cholesterol in humans. Today, her company Seraphina sells a supplement called Fatty15. In honor of National Dolphin Day, Seraphina is donating 5% of sales — through the end of the day today, April 17 — to our Program.

  • Learn more about Fatty15 here
Whale Superhighways: Our long-time collaborators Michael Moore, veterinary scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Ari Friedlaender, professor of ocean sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, were recently featured as part of WBUR-Boston’s story called “Protecting Whale Superhighways,” which aired on NPR's "On Point" program on March 25.

This fascinating story discusses how scientists have used telemetry to map whales' aquatic highways, how extensively human activities overlap with these highways, increasing risks to whales, and discusses how to protect these vital corridors. Part of the story focused on the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale, which is in decline due to continuing losses from horrific entanglements in fishing gear, and from ship strikes. 

  • Listen to the story here
Notes from the Field and Lab
This spring, we’ve been seeing more negative interactions between humans and dolphins — for instance, dolphins patrolling or stalking fishing boats looking for an easy meal. And, on March 24, a female dolphin washed up dead on Fort Myers Beach. A necropsy (animal autopsy) by Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission showed that the dolphin — a nursing mother — had an injury from a spear-like instrument above her right eye that killed her. FWC staff surmise that the mother was begging when she was injured.
Thanks to our partners at Mote Marine Laboratory’s Stranding Investigations Program (SIP) — which helps us identify and analyze the causes of death for Sarasota Bay dolphins — we know that the one of the main causes of dolphin deaths is related to human actions.

Between 1985 and 2020, SIP documented the deaths of 115 resident dolphins and identified a cause of death in 94 of the cases. Gretchen Lovewell, the Program’s Manager, reports that:

  • 26% (24 of 94) of the resident dolphins examined died due to impacts from humans, with nearly half of the deaths occurring during summer months.
  • Interactions with fishing gear are the most common human-related mortality and accounted for 79% (19 of 24) of all human interactions.
  • Fishery interactions accounted for the highest overall number of any known cause of death.
  • Dolphins typically died when they became entangled in, hooked by, or ingested fishing gear.
  • Four dolphins were killed by vessel strikes.
Dolphin 1092 is the second calf of F109 and comes from a long line of dolphins that engage in bad feeding habits. In this image, 1092 is with her calf patrolling, or stalking, a fishing boat, hoping for an easy meal.
CZS-SDRP staff are trying to learn more about these kinds of interactions, and have developed a new reporting system to collect information about where and when these negative interactions are taking place so we can work on efforts to mitigate the problem.


As we head into summer boating and fishing season here in Southwest Florida, please be kind to our marine-life neighbors by stowing your trash in closed containers while you’re underway, by following our Dolphin Friendly Fishing and Viewing Tips and by encouraging your friends and family to do the same.

Some of the threats that dolphins face in the wild are larger than we as individuals can tackle ourselves. But protecting dolphins from fishing interactions and entanglements in fishing gear or other discarded human debris is within our power.

Here’s wishing you fair winds and our dolphin neighbors debris-free seas.

Randy Wells
Your Support Allows Us to Respond
Several times a year, we get called away from our regular duties to help with dolphins in distress, like this 2016 rescue of a dolphin we refer to as Bill that was entangled in the float line from a crab trap. Grants & contracts only partially cover our operations & it takes additional support for us to respond at a moment’s notice.

If you value dolphins and think our work is important, please consider making a donation to the SDRP during the 2022 Giving Challenge.
  • The Giving Challenge is a 24-hour online giving event from Noon-Noon April 26-27
  • Donations from $25-$100 will be doubled, giving your support an even greater value.
  • The Giving Challenge is hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation.
  • When the time is right, make a donation here. Don’t worry. We’ll send you a reminder!
Fin of the Month
Name: FB79, also known as Vespa
Age: 43
Sex: Female
A Dolphin’s Life: At 43, Vespa is one of the oldest-known dolphins in the Sarasota Bay community.

Since we first identified her in 1985, members of the SDRP have observed her more than 1,000 times. Her ninth calf was born in 2016 and her second calf, F109, also known as Scooter, has given birth to four calves of her own. In 2021, Vespa gave birth to her 11th calf.

Unfortunately, many of Vespa's calves and grandcalves have not survived.
Why? Vespa’s lineage is known for interacting with people fishing: stalking boats, bridges and piers and waiting for discarded bait and catch. It seems that Vespa has been passing bad behaviors down to her calves and grandcalves, which has led to their entanglement in fishing line, hooking, ingestion of gear and other negative interactions.

The image above of Scooter's daughter, 1092 and her own calf patrolling near a recreational fishing boat means the cycle is still going on. When you're out on the water, please be dolphin safe and don't reward begging behaviors.

  • Learn more about Vespa's lineage and listen to her vocalizations here.
Be Dolphin Safe

  • Don’t feed wild dolphins.
  • Reel in your fishing line if dolphins appear.
  • Change locations if dolphins show interest in bait or catch.
  • Release catch quietly away from dolphins when and where it is possible to do so without violating any state or federal fishing regulations.
  • Check gear and terminal tackle to make sure it won’t break off easily and, if your line does break, be sure to collect anything left behind in mangroves or on docks.
  • Use circle and corrodible hooks and avoid braided fishing line.
  • Stay at least 50 yards away from dolphins.
  • Stash your trash in a lidded container on your boat until you can get to shore and dispose of it safely in a place where it will not blow back into the water.

Download the Dolphin-Friendly Tips Card

Celebrating More than 50 Years of Research, Conservation and Education
For more information on how you can help support wild dolphin research, please contact Randy Wells, Director of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, at RWells@mote.org or 941.374.0449.
Dolphin Biology Research Institute — DBA Sarasota Dolphin Research Program — is dedicated to research and conservation of dolphins and their habitat. Community Foundation of Sarasota County Giving Partner Profile available here.

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