Featured Image Credit:Wikipedia.org
By Natasha Lehr
Scientists studying dolphins off the shores of Bermuda recently discovered that bottlenose dolphins dive deeper and longer than what was originally thought. Currently, there are a number of different bottlenose dolphin eco-types in the region. Scientists in Sarasota, Florida are just beginning to study how different the newly recognized deep-diving race just might be. The behavior of the bottlenose dolphins near Bermuda is very different from that of their cousins in the shallow waters of Sarasota Bay.
Intriguing, we know.
Analysis of data collected from an ongoing study by the Bermuda Wild Dolphin Project, in collaboration with an international team of marine mammal scientists and Dolphin Quest veterinarians, shows that these deep-diving bottlenose dolphins regularly dive more than 900 meters and for as long as 13 minutes. Now that’s impressive.
Apparently, the extreme pressure at these depths does not seem to harm or hinder the dolphins, and this was discovered by outfitting the dolphins with two different tags. The satellite-linked tags are fitted on the dorsal fin for long-term tracking like the dolphin’s location and movement data. The second tag is a small recording device that collects small sounds as well as additional movement information. These tags are suction cupped to the dolphins and are released the next morning. Although this is a pretty short collection window, it may still recover enough valuable information to help them understand how these bottlenose dolphins communicate and hunt while diving in deep waters.
The ongoing study has already gathered new data on travel patterns, bioacoustics information, dive depths and durations. Thanks to Dolphin Quest, the public will soon be able to view the dolphins’ movement patterns on their website. Information gathered from the project will aid researchers in understanding the health, size and behavior of the bottlenose dolphins in the area for preservation purposes of both species and oceans.
Learn more about the amazing research being conducted off the coast of Bermuda from The Royal Gazette.