BajaNomad - Dolphin Question

Dolphin Question

Gypsy Jan - 4-18-2008 at 02:47 PM

Today I saw a couple of distinctly separated groups of dolphins circling slowly around, very close in to shore. I counted four-to-five dorsal fins in each group.

Is this mating behavior?

Lauriboats - 4-18-2008 at 03:01 PM

Interesting question, I watch dolphins swimming in and out of the bay all of the time. They are in large separated groups quit often. I always thought that when they were circling around they were feeding.

shari - 4-18-2008 at 03:04 PM

Yep, sounds like feeding behavior to me...sometimes they are right beside the rocks and Juan tells me they get octopus from the rocks!!! cool eh!

Wingnut - 4-18-2008 at 04:14 PM

Good for the Dolphins, never liked Octopi anyway!

Capt. George - 4-18-2008 at 05:06 PM

Wear a one piece bathing suit if you go in the water when they're doing that. Unless of course, you have a particular love of dolphins.

Iflyfish - 4-19-2008 at 08:14 AM

George,
I once read a story of a guy who did, apparently they mate for pleasure, much like humans who also at times mate for pleasure.
Iflyfish

Gadget - 4-19-2008 at 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Capt. George
Wear a one piece bathing suit if you go in the water when they're doing that. Unless of course, you have a particular love of dolphins.

I generally do George :lol:

Would like to see what it looks like when you don't :lol:

[Edited on 4-19-2008 by Gadget]

Santiago - 4-19-2008 at 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Iflyfish
George,
I once read a story of a guy who did, apparently they mate for pleasure, much like humans who also at times mate for pleasure.
Iflyfish

sigh....ok, somebody's gotta do it:
Iflyfishwhennotmatingforpleasure

Oso - 4-19-2008 at 03:32 PM

This and other behaviors were studied extensively by a professor at Florida State University in the 60's until the studies were interrupted by his arrest. Concentrating on feeding behavior, the professor discovered they had a varied diet of seafood but certain individuals developed a preference for birds, particularly seagulls. Narrowing his studies to these particular individuals, he made a startling discovery. The ones who ate more seagulls were much healthier and physiologically appeared to have slowed or halted the aging process. Experimenting with captive individuals, he fed them on a diet of only seagulls, nothing else, and found that they had indeed completely halted the aging process and appeared to have no limit to their lifespan. Obtaining the seagulls was somewhat problematic, but since they are not a protected species he was able to hunt them regularly. One day in April of 1968, he was returning from a seagull hunting expedition. Unbeknownst to the professor, a lion had escaped that day from the State Zoological Park adjacent to the campus. When he arrived at his lab where his subjects were kept in large tanks, he found the lion sound asleep on his doorstep. He had several seagulls in a gunny sack that he did not want to spoil by any delay caused by calling Zoo authorities. Therefore, he bravely decided to take a chance on awakening the lion and lept over him, opened his door and proceded inside to feed his study subjects. Shortly thereafter, the police arrived and placed the professor under arrest. The charge was..."Transporting gulls across a state lion for immortal porpoises."

Osprey - 4-19-2008 at 03:42 PM

At one time marine researchers discovered a mineral, Dolphinium, stopped aging in dolphins. Mining operations for the mineral were begun in Bolivia. Two miners flew back to the states to deliver the compound to the marine park. When they landed the aircraft was impounded and the pilot was arrested for importing miners across the state line for immortal porpoises.

Pescador - 4-19-2008 at 06:39 PM

Oso, you are the absolute worst. :no:

Iflyfish - 4-19-2008 at 07:28 PM

Oso, wrong, Mann act. Transporting seals accross the border for immoral porpoises. You are forgiven.....nearly

Iflyfish

dolphin behavior

Photog - 4-20-2008 at 01:13 PM

Feeding

Various methods of feeding exist, not just between species but also within a species. Various methods may be employed, some techniques being used by only a single dolphin population. Fish and squid are the main source of food for most dolphin species, but the False Killer Whale and the Killer Whale also feed on other marine mammals.

One feeding method employed by many species is herding, where a pod will control a school of fish while individual members take turns plowing through the school, feeding. The tightly packed school of fish is commonly known as a bait ball. Coralling is a method where fish are chased to shallow water where they are more easily captured. In South Carolina, the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin takes this one step further with what has become known as strand feeding, where the fish are driven onto mud banks and retrieved from there.[25] In some places, Orcas will also come up to the beach to capture sea lions. Some species also whack fish with their fluke, stunning them and sometimes sending fish clear out of the water.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin

jeans - 4-20-2008 at 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Oso
This and other behaviors were studied extensively by a professor at Florida State University in the 60's until the studies were interrupted by his arrest. Concentrating on feeding behavior, the professor discovered they had a varied diet of seafood but certain individuals developed a preference for birds, particularly seagulls. Narrowing his studies to these particular individuals, he made a startling discovery. The ones who ate more seagulls were much healthier and physiologically appeared to have slowed or halted the aging process. Experimenting with captive individuals, he fed them on a diet of only seagulls, nothing else, and found that they had indeed completely halted the aging process and appeared to have no limit to their lifespan. Obtaining the seagulls was somewhat problematic, but since they are not a protected species he was able to hunt them regularly. One day in April of 1968, he was returning from a seagull hunting expedition. Unbeknownst to the professor, a lion had escaped that day from the State Zoological Park adjacent to the campus. When he arrived at his lab where his subjects were kept in large tanks, he found the lion sound asleep on his doorstep. He had several seagulls in a gunny sack that he did not want to spoil by any delay caused by calling Zoo authorities. Therefore, he bravely decided to take a chance on awakening the lion and lept over him, opened his door and proceded inside to feed his study subjects. Shortly thereafter, the police arrived and placed the professor under arrest. The charge was..."Transporting gulls across a state lion for immortal porpoises."

By line #5 I felt a chain-yanking yarn was in play...

How long have you waited for just the right post to set that up??? :bounce:

Too funny!

osoflojo - 4-21-2008 at 06:14 AM

I'm with you Jeans, mi tocayo must have been waiting years for just the right moment to spring that one..............

Skeet/Loreto - 4-22-2008 at 01:13 PM

Gyspy Jan:

For many years on the Sea of Cortez I have watched the Dolphins:

Last week I was fihung of of Pt.St. Tersa South of Mulege when I was Astonished by the Amount of Bait: There were several Large Schools of Dolphin as well as Yellowtail, AmberJack,Sharks feeding off of the Millions of Bait.

When the Dolphins start a Feeding Frensy the Birds will also be diving and grabbing the Scraps. At this time of the year the Bait is in close and all types or Feeding. Also have seen Sharks surround a Wonded Dolphin and Feed.
The other day reminded me of the times Past, so it seems to me that the Fish are Back in Great Numbers.

Normally the Dorado will come in, swing over to the Eastside of the Sea then come back and work the West Coast, this year with the Large amount of Bait and the presense of Seaweed I feel that it will be an early and good Dorado Season.

Skeet/Loreto

Barry A. - 4-22-2008 at 01:18 PM

Skeet--------do you have any idea why there is "seaweed" now? I have always been amazed at the lack of seaweed in the middle and upper gulf. Why no seaweed, normally? Do you know?

barry