The second in this year's series of Exit Interviews comes from Field Assistant Carrie! She is a returning assistant, having helped us out in 2023. Carrie has a gift for photo ID and for puzzles! The assistants left in September but these posts were delayed by the hurricanes:

What was unexpected or surprising about the experience as a field assistant?
This was my second year as a field assistant, so there weren’t too many surprises for me! However, the dolphins never fail to surprise me with their interesting behaviors! I was especially surprised at how often we were able to observe driver-barrier foraging this year. 
What was your favorite job as a field assistant?
My favorite job is taking photos of dolphins. It can be really challenging and chaotic, especially during what we call “dolphin soup” sightings, in which we are surrounded by many dolphins. The challenges make it so satisfying when you finally get a great shot!  
What did you learn about dolphins from this summer?
Because I got to see calves grow up over the past two summers, I ended up learning a lot about maternal care in dolphins. For example, I learned that calves may remain closely associated with their mothers for up to around six years, but this amount of time can vary a lot! It was really cool to see one mother, Bow (BWDI), several times with her two-year-old calf Quiver (QRBW), and her calf born this year, Feather (FRBW)! It was also interesting to see an older calf, Velocity (VYSD), foraging without its mother, Speed (SDWE), this year, because Velocity was consistently seen with Speed last year!
Favorite dolphin experience? 
My favorite dolphin experiences this year were probably when we discovered new participants in driver-barrier foraging. Observing this behavior is always exciting for me, because it’s unique to this population of dolphins, as far as we know. It’s also just really cool to see dolphins stick their heads out of the water to catch fish! Finding out that new dolphins are participating in driver-barrier is especially exciting, because it raises so many questions about how this behavior is learned and transmitted throughout the population.  
Favorite place to boat to (dolphins or no) and why? 
I love boating through the creeks around the Waccasassa Bay area. Being surrounded by mangroves while following dolphins through the winding, narrow paths feels so surreal! 
Favorite dolphin of the season and why? 
This is a tough one. My favorite may have been Billy (BLWB), a driver-barrier participant who we spent a lot of time observing this year. We learned that she is a female this summer after seeing her mating with fellow driver-barrier participants, Thor (TRWB) and Peacock (PKWE)!
Other than dolphins, what animal(s) did you like seeing out on the water?
As a marine mammal nerd, I loved seeing manatees. We saw a lot more this year than we did last year, which was encouraging! Another highlight was seeing a small shark leap fully out of the water! I also loved seeing lots of Roseate Spoonbills, with their bright pink plumage and goofy bills!  
Most memorable day or moment on the boat?
My favorite moment this year was probably observing a one-year-old calf, Treasure (TESG), foraging for fish alongside its mother, Smaug (SGYR). It was so cool to see such a young calf practicing its new foraging skills!
What would your advice be for future assistants? 
Photographing dolphins and photo-ID work will feel difficult at first, but know that it gets easier with practice! On the boat, stay hydrated and reapply sunscreen often! Stay curious about what you are observing and ask tons of questions. Don’t forget to enjoy watching the dolphins while you’re working hard! 
Key food item for the field? 
This season, I was introduced to the Canadian delicacy, All Dressed chips, which are my new favorite chip flavor!   
What do you wish you had brought with you this season? 
I think I actually managed to bring everything I needed this year! 
What is the one thing you could not do without?
I couldn’t do without my electrolyte tablets on the boat. They did wonders for keeping me hydrated in the intense heat and humidity!

Like last year, we asked our Assistants to participate in an Exit Interview where they answered some serious and fun questions about their experiences! Their time ended in September; these posts were delayed by the hurricane. First up is Mira! She is also a very talented artist, and look for new merchandise designed by her in the near future!

What was unexpected or surprising about the experience as a field assistant?
Before becoming a field assistant, I did not know whether finding dolphins out in the wild would be a difficult task. I was surprised to discover that it is pretty easy to find dolphins around Cedar Key, and it is not unusual to see groups as large as 15-20 dolphins! 
What was your favorite job as a field assistant?
My favorite job as a field assistant was taking pictures of the dorsal fins of dolphins when we were out on the water. I enjoyed being on my feet, staying vigilant, and observing the dolphins up close.
What did you learn about dolphins from this summer?
From conducting surveys out of Yankeetown, Cedar Key, and Waccasassa, I quickly learned that some dolphins clearly prefer certain areas. For example, this summer we would always see the dolphin called Lightning at Waccasassa, while the dolphin named Fling seemed to like spending his time at Yankeetown. 
Favorite dolphin experience? 
My favorite dolphin experience was the day when we went out of Cedar Key and found ourselves surrounded by a group of 60 dolphins! Although sorting through the photos from that sighting was no easy task, it was amazing to see so many dolphins (moms, calves, juveniles, and adults) traveling together!
Favorite place to boat to (dolphins or no) and why? 
My favorite place to launch from was Yankeetown because we observed the most Driver-Barrier behavior in this area this summer.
Favorite dolphin of the season and why? 
My favorite dolphin this season was LUMM because its fin is shaped like the head of a beluga whale!
Other than dolphins, what animal(s) did you like seeing out on the water?
There are many animals I liked seeing out on the water, including manatees, roseate spoonbills, and sharks. One of my most memorable encounters with one of these animals was when we saw a shark torpedo out of the water and spin like a ballerina.
Most memorable day or moment on the boat?
The most memorable day on the boat for me was when we went out one night to Crystal River to collect data. Not only was it interesting to see up close how the dolphins took advantage of our boat lights to catch fish, but it also happened to be the night of the super blue moon!
What would your advice be for future assistants? 
I would advise future assistants to always remember to reapply sunscreen and stay well hydrated! Additionally, developing skills such as being vigilant and maintaining good attention to detail will help a lot both in the field and in the lab when sorting through photos.
Key food item for the field? 
I loved a refreshingly crisp apple!
What do you wish you had brought with you this season? 
Something that I had wished that I had brought with me this season was closed-toe water shoes. It would have been nice to have more protection against the sun on my feet, as even with sunscreen, the sun beating down directly on your feet is harsh.
What is the one thing you could not do without?
One thing I could not do without was my hat and polarized sunglasses. Not only was it essential for keeping the sun out of my face all day, but the polarized sunglasses were helpful in spotting dolphins and bars beneath the surface of the water.

By Carrie Cramer, Field Assistant

The dolphin photo-identification (photo-ID) process often feels like solving a puzzle, especially when dealing with calves! To identify dolphins, we primarily analyze the nicks and notches gained over time on their dorsal fins. Scars can sometimes also be used, although they often fade or disappear over time. The overall shape of the dorsal fin can be an additional clue, but it can look deceivingly different when viewed from different angles. Because calves usually have not accumulated many nicks, notches, and scars, their dorsal fins can be extremely difficult to identify. Check out the photos below to see how the dorsal fins of some calves have changed over the past year.

Dorsal fin of one-year-old calf Treasure (TESG) in 2023 (left) versus 2024 (right). Treasure’s fin hasn’t changed much over the past year. Can you spot the two tiny, new notches in the photo from this year?

​Dorsal fin of one-year-old calf Artemisia (AAOO) in 2023 (left) versus 2024 (right). Artemisia’s  fin has changed quite a bit over the past year. We have sighted this calf in close association with its mother, Orazio (OOWB), several times this year, which helped us confirm that it is indeed Artemisia. 

Dorsal fin of two-year-old calf Chomp (CPBE) in 2023 (left) and with fresh wounds in 2024 (right).
 
Dolphin calves remain closely associated with their mothers for their first several years of life, so we can usually identify who their mothers are. When a calf is seen repeatedly swimming and surfacing right alongside an adult, this is a good indication that the adult may be the mother. However, we need to wait a few times to see them, because sometimes other adults will swim closely to calves. Especially in sightings with multiple calves and many other dolphins, it can be tricky to identify the mom-calf pairs. Calves are also notoriously difficult to photograph because they surface more quickly than adult dolphins, as they are still experimenting with their buoyancy. For these reasons, we wait to name a calf and add it to the catalog until it has been seen with its mother on at least three separate days.
 
This year, we’ve been able to identify and name twelve young-of-the-year (YOYs), which are calves born this year. Four of the mothers of these YOYs were not known to be females until they were observed with their calves this year. We have been excited to see one known mother, Bow (BWDI), with two calves in tow this year! Her older calf, Quiver (QRBW), was born in 2021, and Feather (FRBW) was born this year. There are six remaining calves sighted this year who will hopefully gain their names next year!

Furthermore,we recently solved a calf mystery that began in 2022! This calf was only seen once in 2022 with its mother, Mavis (MSWB). Mavis was also only seen once in 2023, and we didn’t get any clear pictures of her calf during that sighting. This year, we saw Mavis with her calf on four separate days, so we were able to name it Beacon (BNMS)! We were excited to discover that Beacon is still alive and well, especially since it had a fresh shark bite wound in 2022. Because Beacon’s dorsal fin has changed a lot since 2022, the scars from this wound were actually very helpful for identifying this dolphin (see photos below).

Calf Beacon (BNMS) with a fresh shark bite wound in 2022 (left) and in 2024 (middle and right). Can you spot the shark bite scars in the photos taken this year?
  
In another interesting calf sighting, we observed the three-year-old calf Velocity (VYSD) without its mom, Speed (SDWE), for the first time. Velocity was seen foraging with six-year-old Bumps (BSWE), who is also a calf of Speed! While we know that dolphin calves nurse and remain closely associated with their mothers for several years, we don’t know exactly how long this period lasts in this population. A long-term study of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Australia, revealed that the average age that calves were weaned was around four years old, with the youngest weaning ages around two years old and the oldest over eight (Karniski et al. 2018). This is an example of the insights that can only be gained from long-term studies, such as those conducted by CKDP!
 
As we are always collecting more data, we are looking forward to solving more calf mysteries while learning more about the communication and behavior of these fascinating animals!
  
References
 
Karniski, C., Krzyszczyk, E., & Mann, J. (2018). Senescence impacts reproduction and maternal investment in bottlenose dolphins. Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 285(1883). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1123