Success

We placed a pop-up satellite tag on a dolphin yesterday. It is programmed to pop off in 30 days, float to the surface and then transmit the data collected by the Argos satellite system back to Don Hammond. The data will give critical insight into the daily movements and behavior. Don Hammond has tagged 4 other dolphin with these tags off the East Coast, deploying the first in 2005.

Securing the tag on a dolphin is a complicated procedure, and with a $4500 price tag, mistakes could be costly. Early yesterday we caught a bull dolphin which was 58" in length and hooked in the corner of the mouth, making it a perfect candidate for the tag. Bringing a fish of this size into the boat and safely controlling it was a major obstacle. Once we brought it through the tuna door, it took several people to subdue it with towels and oxygenate its gills with saltwater while Don Hammond manually inserted the tag into its back. Despite these difficulties, the operation went smoothly and the tagged dolphin was released safely after spending just over a minute in the boat.

Fishing has continued to be slow. We are still catching several larger dolphin each day, but we have not encountered the schools of small fish that we saw during the first couple of days. Waves today range from 8-10 feet and we have decided to take a break from fishing and explore the local culture.