| The Dolphins of the Bay
- With new photos by Eduardo Lugo |
Ever since ancient times,
dolphins have been the subject of human curiosity.
September, 2004. - Versión
en Español
|
 Ever
since ancient times, dolphins have been the subject
of human curiosity. There have been many places where
dolphins have been studied and one that is not so well
known is Puerto Vallarta. In this place so unique for
its geographical position, there is a large variety
of species, among which the most common are the spinner
dolphin (Stenella longirostris), the spotted dolphin
(Stenella attenuata), the rough-toothed dolphin (Steno
bredanensis), the orca (Orcinus orca) that despite its
size and the fact that it is known as the killer whale,
which is erroneous, is simply the largest representative
of the dolphin family, and finally the bottlenose dolphin
(Tursiops truncatus), the ones we most often see in
dolphin pools. This latter is the species which Wildlife
Connection realized its studies of behavior and social
formations as these are permanent residents and our
bay is the ideal place to conduct those studies.
The main part of this
program is photo identification, i.e.: the individual
identification of the dolphins. This is done by photographing
their dorsal fins which, because of their shapes and
markings, represent a method of identification as efficient
as that of fingerprints is for us. Using this method,
and being able to distinguish them one from the other,
is how we discovered that there are at least three distinct
groups of the same species (Tursiops truncatus) with
a population of at least eighty dolphins in each group.
We are beginning to know more about how they use the
different areas of the bay and the importance of each
of these areas for their survival. After five years,
we have also started to study the interaction that exists
among them,  and
the different roles each individual plays within the
group. For example, for three years we have followed
the development of one of their offspring to learn how
young dolphins integrate into their society, observing
very interesting events. This will obviously take a
long time considering that dolphins, like humans, have
a rather long infancy and adolescence during which they
have much to learn and many dangers to overcome before
they become adults. Thus it is extremely important that
we continue these studies to better understand and conserve
the dolphins of the Bay of Banderas if we want future
generations to enjoy them as we do.
Marú & Eduardo Lugo –
Wildlife
Connection
cetacea@prodigy.net.mx
* Wildlife Connection is a Mexican
organization dedicated to the study and conservation
of dolphins and whales. Apart of our research activities
and educational efforts, specialized tours are organized
to offer general public an opportunity to experience
a close contact with nature and its wild animals. Visit:
http://www.wildlifeconnection.com
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