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Fins to Feather

by Scarlet Colley - December - 2002

The New Year is underway. 2003 and so many of us will have to make a two into a three for a few weeks until it finally sinks in that 2002 is gone and 2003 is here. 2002 was an incredible year to be with the Bottlenose Dolphins of South Padre Island. They had many new little ones and we have watched the boys growing up to form their own groups. Each year we learn more about their unique social behavior as family groups and that they have a very impressive social structure. Matriarchs play a very important role in the family groups and lead them with the wisdom of experience.

Since our dolphins can live up to forty plus years in the wild they are equal to us in the amount of time to develop personal relationships with family members and friendships with other groups. Their range is about seventy five miles along the inshore coastline and the Laguna Madre Bay. They overlap with other groups at their southern and northern tips and also meet with offshore dolphins at times. Because our dolphins have lived in shallow water area for so long they have become smaller than the offshore pelagic groups and they are shallower breathers holding their breath only a minute or so at a time. We have found that the mothers push the babies to hold their breath longer in case of emergencies such as a wave runner barrage or a need to disappear quickly unseen. We have seen them on many occasions come up huffing and puffing much like we do if we hold our breath too long under the water. Many times when we see a great leap it is one for a breath of air after staying at the bottom longer than they should of.

We have seen wonderful things that our dolphins do in the wild as wild families. We never feed them, touch them or swim with them and this is not only enforced by law but also it is common sense that wild dolphins have the freedom to remain free and wild and not become the mooches that they would become if fed. Just like the rest of us it is always easier to grab fast food than to prepare our own meal. The family groups know just what the best food is in the bay and dine on Mullet, Flounder, Trout, Whiting, Sheepshead, and so many other types of fish that are good for them and most of all fresh. We have found that thru the years of respecting this with our dolphin families they now come to us to interact with play and fun on their own terms. This allows us to observe their behavior and social structures.

Each year more and more is confirmed by our dolphins as we suspect certain things about them. They are highly in tuned to using their echo location over off shore dolphins because of the murky water they live in. They love to feed in the muddiest water they can find so that the fish don’t see them but they see the fish just fine. They also love the water when it is clear and that is when they can see us the best too and become very curious about our nature too. They seem to understand that we rejoice in seeing them and they react with play and fun. We also know when they are on a mission. When they have feeding on their minds they are just like us and don’t leave the dinner table until they are full. We do love to encourage them to play with their food though and they will actually come up and show off the fish they have caught. Many times they will play with a fish as a game after they are full. They play keep away with it or toss the fish.

2002 provided us with so much joy that we are brimming and overflowing with it. We feel very privileged to have a life on the bay with these magnificent and wonderful friends. Most we have known for eight years now and the little ones their entire lives. Sharkey, Titan, Nicki, Buddy and the rest of the boys are all going on five, six and seven years old now and have provided us with hours and hours of play. The matriarchs are always busy taking care of the family groups and the dedicated mothers raising their little ones. Now we see the young girls helping their mothers raise the new little ones and learn just how to be a great mom too someday. We are seeing the new young mother with her first little one and the excitement in the family group when a baby is born. We see them celebrate birthdays and they seem to know when we have special days too and celebrate with us. They are part of South Padre and sometimes are just the unseen neighbor or just catch of glimpse of neighbor to many who live