Dolphins and Kayaking and Snorkeling

November 17, 2014  Monday

Everybody was ready early this am to travel to Anthony’s Key for the dolphin experience!  RIMS: the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences is Roatan Bay Island's Marine Research & Educational Facility. Founded in 1989, the primary objective of this facility is the preservation of Roatan's natural resources through education and research. In the past decade RIMS has established itself as a dedicated teaching institution. The facility is visited year-round by colleges, universities and high schools from abroad to study tropical marine ecosystems and the bottle nose dolphins housed at the facility. 

The research facility is in Anthony Key.  The dolphins live near a small island so we all took the shuttle boat to the site. 

Dedicated to Roatan Dolphins & Marine Ecosystems Education

Eldon Bolton.  He was telling us about the research center in the food prep area.  They get fish from the US and Canada, getting about 40 thousand pounds at a time which lasts a couple of months.  The coolers at the left of the photo each have a name on them and each one belongs to a specific dolphin.  The diets are monitored very closely.  

Eldon Bolton, Director of RIMS

Eldon was instrumental in the establishment of this facility and has been there since the facility opened its doors in 1989. He is involved in every aspect of its operations. He is in charge of the management, care and training of the bottlenose dolphins housed at the facility and oversees the education department and the research projects that are underway.

Bailey, the dolphin we got to interact with.

There are currently about 30 dolphins living at the facility, ranging in age from 8 months to over 40 years of age.  Only 8 of the dolphins are wild caught, the rest were bred at the facility.  The dolphins live in a sea pen and could easily leave anytime.  In fact, one wild dolphin spent two years hanging around outside the pen wanting to join the pods and was finally allowed in!  The dolphins are very well cared for, trained and participate in educational exercises to help teach people about these amazing creatures.

The dolphins are amazingly soft and smooth.

We got to stand in the water to meet the dolphins up close and personal.  We were allowed to pet Bailey, give hugs and get kisses from her.  Then we got to swim with the dolphins!  They like to play with visitors, one game is playing with seagrass.  I dove to the bottom to get some grass, the dolphin took it from my hand, blew it back at me, I tossed in back and he sent it back over and over!  I was laughing so hard under water!  What an experience!  The dolphins were swimming under and over us.  One of the guys in our group was actually playing fetch with one!

Terry has her ultrasound unit in the box so the screen can be seen.  The dolphin, Meeka, is trained to float next to the little floating dock and lay on her side for several minutes to allow the ultrasound to be done.

Terry is a biologist, married to Eldon, participating in much of the research.  Here she is showing us some ultrasound of the lungs (95% of death in these lovely animals is due to respiratory issues) and checking Meeka for pregnancy!  She is pregnant!  Saw the fetus for the first time today.  Dolphins are trained to participate in different studies, such as stomach tubing and respiratory studies.

Each time the fetus was found on the ultrasound, it would disappear... moving away from the ultrasound waves!!  Remember dolphins use sonar to find/see things.  Amazing that the tiny fetus already reacts to that!

It is amazing that the dolphin, Bill, will allow Terry to pass the stomach tube.  Goes to show how much trust there is between the dolphins and handlers and what you can do with positive reinforcement!

In preparation for a respiratory study, the dolphin, Richie, is being sensitized to having this funnel over his blowhole.  Eventually the funnel will be attached to a bunch of wires, tubes and an analysis machine to collect data.

Most of the team went off to lunch and to set up for the clinic.  Sandy and I strolled back through the little dirt streets of the locals to a tiny restaurant for lunch.  We had a local dish called balaeta con pollo.  It was HUGE!  We split one, only $5!  

Each plate is holding only 1/2 of the balaeta!

In the afternoon we joined Brad and Harmony and took the kayaks out to the reef and went snorkeling.  This was Harmony’s first time, and she was like a little minnow!  Off she went like she was born in the water!  Saw some nice fish and coral.  

Trying to get back into the kayak from the water was a hoot.  I finally flopped into the kayak and Sandy and I were laughing so hard, it took awhile to get my fins off and me sitting up in the boat.  The laughter continued when it was Sandy's turn to get back in.  Brad said the highlight of the trip was listening to me and Sandy laughing so hard!

Harmony kayaking after her first snorkeling experience!

A local family had us all over for a nice dinner and visit.  Tomorrow we start clinics!  Oh Boy!