Bottlenose Dolphin Internships Accounts - Week 3 - By Julia: (February 11th – February 17th, 2008)
Week 3: (February 11th – February 17th, 2008)
Monday:
The total of this day was focused in the lab, in the morning and afternoon with a break at midday. The weather was too windy for surveys. Lab work consisted of Bioacoustics, and photo ID with Andrea. Stephanie and I would switch between looking for whistles and recording the identity of dolphins per photo with Andrea. We continued to try and learn the various falcate dorsal fin characteristics to help ID the dolphins captured on film in 2007. Some of the nicks and marks are similar and we used their complied Catalog of 2005 and 2006 to help learn the different dolphins. Bruno and the mechanic were working on the Spartana to get it ready for surveys.
Tuesday:
Today was basically a repeat of Monday, the only differences being what we did in our free time, and what we had for lunch and dinner.
Wednesday:
Today we got to go to sea for a new course from a Fish Farm Boat. Solitary dolphins did arrive at the fish farm while we were there. Stephanie recorded behavioral data while I collected survey information, and Andrea and Bruno directed our recordings for accuracy and to help us learn the trade. We came back for lunch and then did lab work in the afternoon transcribing data and continuing the work of Monday and Tuesday.
Thursday:
Today was a lot like yesterday, except I made the coffee for breakfast. We went out in the morning on a Fish Farm Boat. Unfortunately, it was cold and windy both days, but I enjoy the fieldwork of searching for dolphins and recording their behavioral data. I also like any chance I can to see Italy and Golfo Aranci. We went in for lunch and then had free time to see more of Golfo Aranci and catch-up with people at home. Then we worked in the lab in the afternoon to finish the day.
Friday:
The important thing to note today was that a Mouflon fell off the mountain and broke it’s jaw. It was found wandering the streets and is currently enjoying the local rehabilitation center, lucky mouflon. Ok, back to the work at the BDRI. Stephanie and myself drew the dorsal fin characteristics for seven frequently seen dolphins in the Golfo Aranci area today. We drew fins in order to help us recognize individual dolphins for Photo ID and (eventually) in the field. Then after lunch we worked with bioacoustics and finished with Photo ID work.
Saturday:
Again the morning consisted of Stephanie and myself drawing 16 more frequently seen dolphins of Golfo Aranci including new dolphins seen once or up to 8 times. We finished our drawings after lunch, and then were tested on the accuracy of our drawings by being given 60 photos to ID. It was rather fun to test our drawings with past photos. Stephanie and I both ID all 60 photos accurately which was very rewarding.
Sunday:
In the morning we did in house cleaning (switching from the jobs we did last week) and free day. Bruno and Andrea worked on the Spartana, while Stephanie and I mainly caught up with our journals and our families. It was a beautiful warm day without a lot of wind and hardly any clouds in the sky.
All in all it was a wonderful week at the BRDI to learn the vocation of wild dolphin research in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.
