07-11-2009, 09:47 AM
Dolphins show up in Long Island Sound
By John Burgeson
Staff writer
Posted: 07/03/2009 09:49:11 PM EDT
Updated: 07/05/2009 01:51:36 AM EDT
BRIDGEPORT ---- Dolphins in significant numbers are making a rare appearance in Long Island Sound this summer.
"It's not just dolphins, but the size of the pod that makes it spectacular," said Joseph Schnierlein, manager of professional development at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. "Historically, dolphins have been seen in Long Island Sound, but as far as I know, we haven't seen pods this big since the 1950s."
Reports indicate there is one pod with at least 100 dolphins, and there may be other pods, as well.
"We identified them as bottlenose dolphins," said Kim Durham of the Riverhead Foundation, based at the Atlantis Marine World Aquarium in Riverhead in Long Island.
"There's two distinct genetic subtypes of dolphins, and these look like the coastal type," she said. "Typically, we see them more off of New Jersey on south."
She said the pod includes adults and juveniles.
"Everything seems OK with them. Our only concern is whether they'll be disturbed by humans."
Foundation scientists have been listening with a hydrophone to the pod's communications. Groups were seen off Long Island's North Shore, particularly Port Washington, Huntington Harbor and Hempstead Harbor, she said.
"When they all got together, there could have easily been 100 animals."
Other sightings were made off Stamford and Norwalk by fishermen and oyster boat captains.
The reappearance of dolphins means that their prey species, primarily
bunker, is healthy, Schnierlein and Durham said. Dolphins also like herring, but the Sound's herring population is down this year. Dolphins don't usually feast on stripers because stripers like to congregate near the shore.
Dolphins will eat bluefish, if given the opportunity. The nasty teeth of the bluefish don't present much of a problem for a 400-pound dolphin, Schnierlein said. "They'll just swallow them head first."
There are 10 species of dolphins found in the North Atlantic. They include the bottlenose, common, rough-toothed, spinner, Atlantic white-sided, white-beaked, Atlantic spotted, pantropical spotted, striped and the harbor porpoise.
The pod's appearance could be fleeting, however.
"They're such fast swimmers that they could be in the Sound one day and gone the next," Schnierlein said. "After they've gotten everything that they came here for, it's, 'See you next year.' "
All dolphins ..........http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/localnews/ci_12750659
By John Burgeson
Staff writer
Posted: 07/03/2009 09:49:11 PM EDT
Updated: 07/05/2009 01:51:36 AM EDT
BRIDGEPORT ---- Dolphins in significant numbers are making a rare appearance in Long Island Sound this summer.
"It's not just dolphins, but the size of the pod that makes it spectacular," said Joseph Schnierlein, manager of professional development at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. "Historically, dolphins have been seen in Long Island Sound, but as far as I know, we haven't seen pods this big since the 1950s."
Reports indicate there is one pod with at least 100 dolphins, and there may be other pods, as well.
"We identified them as bottlenose dolphins," said Kim Durham of the Riverhead Foundation, based at the Atlantis Marine World Aquarium in Riverhead in Long Island.
"There's two distinct genetic subtypes of dolphins, and these look like the coastal type," she said. "Typically, we see them more off of New Jersey on south."
She said the pod includes adults and juveniles.
"Everything seems OK with them. Our only concern is whether they'll be disturbed by humans."
Foundation scientists have been listening with a hydrophone to the pod's communications. Groups were seen off Long Island's North Shore, particularly Port Washington, Huntington Harbor and Hempstead Harbor, she said.
"When they all got together, there could have easily been 100 animals."
Other sightings were made off Stamford and Norwalk by fishermen and oyster boat captains.
The reappearance of dolphins means that their prey species, primarily
bunker, is healthy, Schnierlein and Durham said. Dolphins also like herring, but the Sound's herring population is down this year. Dolphins don't usually feast on stripers because stripers like to congregate near the shore.
Dolphins will eat bluefish, if given the opportunity. The nasty teeth of the bluefish don't present much of a problem for a 400-pound dolphin, Schnierlein said. "They'll just swallow them head first."
There are 10 species of dolphins found in the North Atlantic. They include the bottlenose, common, rough-toothed, spinner, Atlantic white-sided, white-beaked, Atlantic spotted, pantropical spotted, striped and the harbor porpoise.
The pod's appearance could be fleeting, however.
"They're such fast swimmers that they could be in the Sound one day and gone the next," Schnierlein said. "After they've gotten everything that they came here for, it's, 'See you next year.' "
All dolphins ..........http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/localnews/ci_12750659