ATLANTIC SPOTTED DOLPHINS IN THE BAHAMAS

Dolphins are smart, fun, social and just plain cool.

There is a very special group of Atlantic spotted dolphin living on the edge of the Little Bahama Bank that have developed a unique bond with the humans that visit them. A voluntary relationship based on play and curiosity has developed over the years, never reinforced with hand- feeding or training. This has given us the chance to learn from the dolphins in their world - the open ocean.

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin... or Stenella frontalis are considered a near-shore species ranging the temperate and tropical coastal waters of the Atlantic. As the name suggests, they are commonly recognized by their spots that develop as they age. The population of spotted dolphin on the Little Bahama Bank is very fluid both in range and division into smaller groups, making a firm definition of a “pod” impossible. Spotted dolphins lead very complex social lives. Behaviors we have documented include juvenile male aggression, tactile swimming arraignments with a lot of caressing, and exchanges of a piece of dead coral during courtship. Play factors heavily in their social structure including repeated chasing of non-food fish for fun and seaweed exchanges with a variety of rules and meanings.

So, what is it like to swim with a wild dolphin? In a word - incredible! For many people it is a very personal event, for some it can be a life-changing experience. There’s very little doubt when you look into a dolphin’s eye there is someone looking back. In the water you can hear the dolphins communicating with whistles and echolocating with clicks and a humming sound you can feel as a tingling sensation. Graceful, fast and highly maneuverable, they are perfectly adapted to their 3D environment. We seem pretty awkward and clumsy in comparison.