WDP Research Associate Studies Shy, Elusive Species in the Pacific NW.

Little is known about the harbor porpoise, including their social structure. That’s why Cindy Elliser, Ph.D., research director and founder of Pacific Mammal Foundation (PacMam), launched a research project in 2014 to study this small coastal species off Fidalgo Island in Washington State. She recently published the first 3 years

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10 Fascinating Dolphin Facts

This year, our blog has covered everything from highlighting aggressive behaviors to a“creature feature” on a unique species of dolphin, like the Amazon River Dolphin.  So, to wrap up the end of the year, this month’s blog is going to highlight 10 fun facts about dolphins. For instance, did you

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Sargassum Seaweed, a Favorite Dolphin Toy

We talk a lot about sargassum seaweed being a favorite toy for the dolphins we study in the Bahamas, but what exactly does that mean? For our blog this month, we want to share more about this special seaweed, how the dolphins use it, and how we use it to

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The other dolphin of the Bahamas….

People travel from all over the world to snorkel and dive with the charismatic dolphins of the Bahamas, like the the playful spotted dolphins or aloof bottlenose. They’re pretty well-known marine mammals for the area. But, there’s another dolphin that cruises the waters of the Bahamas, and is far more

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Human Activities Cause Deaths of Sarasota Bay Dolphins

In the span of two weeks, three dolphins died in Sarasota Bay  because of human activity, two adults and one four-month old calf. Their deaths were preventable. The two adults likely died from hook-and-line fishing gear, and the third was killed by a boat strike, according to Randy Wells, director

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Careers in Ocean Science: Education Specialist, Hannah MacDonald

Careers in Ocean Science: Education Specialist, Hannah MacDonald Introduction:  At the age of 20, Hannah MacDonald was the youngest woman in a team of women that dove a historic site in each one of the five great lakes in 24 hours. “This feat was to empower women divers and bring

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Are Dolphins and Porpoises the Same Thing?

    Ever wondered what —  if any — the differences were between porpoises and dolphins, and why it even matters? It turns out that while the words are used interchangeably, dolphins and porpoises are in fact, different. To understand how, first you need to understand taxonomy. As humans, we

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