Nicks 'n' Notches Online
A monthly enewsletter from the
Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
May 2022
Calves of 2022
Meet 1975 — the second young-of-the-year (YOY) calf that we’ve observed this season in Sarasota Bay! This new baby is F197’s fifth calf. Interestingly, we had seen mom on May 3 without a calf; then we saw her the next day with her new baby.

We were excited to see this young-of-the-day and — being Star Wars fans and all — we spent the day calling her YODA (May The Fourth Be With You!), though it’s not an official nickname. You can learn more about her mom here. (See a picture of 2022’s first observed calf below.)
Be a Dolphin-Safe Boater

Did you know that late spring is prime calving season in Sarasota Bay? Moms and babies are often feeding in shallow seagrass meadows, so be sure to give them extra space when you're out on the water!
Notes from the Field and Lab
First, I want to thank everyone who supported the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program during the 24-hour 2022 Giving Challenge hosted at the end of April by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation. Thanks to you, we raised $21,850 to support dolphin rescues, research, conservation and outreach! This support is amazing and I want you to know that each and every donation supports dolphins and dolphin conservation here in Sarasota Bay and in other parts of the world.

I’m also pleased to announce that we’ve been able to add two new sites to the Sarasota Bay Listening Network. Thanks to Disney Conservation Fund support for our ecosystem monitoring efforts, we installed underwater listening stations on the campuses of Anna Maria Elementary School and New College of Florida in February.
We first started recording dolphin vocalizations way back in the 1970s. (Check out this old photo of us recording a dolphin in 1976!) Today, our colleagues at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, continue this work as they record the sounds produced by Sarasota Bay dolphins.
Over the years, we’ve acquired recordings from 269 individual dolphins. Among the more interesting findings has been confirmation of the existence of individually specific signature whistles, and how these whistles are used as identifiers, similar to how humans use names.
Now, thanks to the Sarasota Bay Listening Network, we’re able to record and identify dolphins as they pass by our listening stations!

It’s amazing how far technology has come in the 53 years we’ve been studying Sarasota Bay dolphins.

If you’d like to hear what some of the Bay’s dolphins sound like, please visit the “Meet the Dolphins” section of our website.
In addition to documenting the first calves of 2022, one of our recent dolphin surveys turned up some other great news! We observed 18 of the calves that were born in 2021, and we also documented all eight of Sarasota Bay’s 40 and older dolphins!

We’re getting ready to head into our busiest time of the year, and we’re finally able to get back to some of the projects that were put on hold by the pandemic. I’ll share more info as the summer progresses.

Until next month, here’s to fair winds and following seas!

Randy Wells
Fin of the Month
Name: F217
Age: 15
Sex: Female
A Dolphin’s Life: We’ve known F217 since she was born in 2007 to a dolphin we call Big Shout (F141).

We’ve observed F217 more than 280 times since her birth.

F217 became the first documented mom of 2022, when we observed her with a calf on April 26 (pictured below)! Calf 2172 is her second documented calf; her first was 2171 born in 2017.
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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