New Dolphin Baby Swimming In Sarasota Bay

SARASOTA, FL — There’s a new baby dolphin swimming in Sarasota Bay, according to the folks at Mote Marine Laboratory. “Ginger,” a bottlenose dolphin rehabilitated at and later released by Mote, was spotted recently with a baby swimming by her side.

According to Mote, the new arrival was sighted by members of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, on July 6. The program is a partnership between Mote and the Chicago Zoological Society.

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Ginger has been monitored by the program since her birth in 2005. Ginger has also received special care and attention by the folks at Mote in the past. In December 2008, then 3-year-old Ginger was found stranded on Siesta Beach, and was taken to Mote’s Dolphin & Whale Hospital for care. Dehydrated, covered in tooth-rake marks from other dolphins and suffering a respiratory condition, Ginger remained under care for quite some time, but the hope was always to return her to the wild, Mote noted in an email to media on Wednesday.

With that in mind, Ginger was fed mostly live fish to help her “stay as wild as possible and be ready for release,” Mote said.

“While Ginger was in our care, trained Mote volunteers spent 1,320 hours monitoring her condition, providing vital information about her progress,” Lynne Byrd, Medical Care and Rehabilitation Coordinator at Mote, said in a Wednesday statement. “Ginger ate nearly 4,000 pinfish during her rehabilitation. She was one of the most labor-intensive patients that I've had the privilege to work with, and it was obviously well worth our effort.”

The efforts to help Ginger recover paid off in February 2009 when she was released back into Sarasota Bay. The plucky dolphin was equipped with a small VHF radio transmitter so dolphin program members could continue to monitor her progress.

“From the time Ginger was released, she has demonstrated her ability to reintegrate into the local, multi-decadal, multi-generational resident dolphin community and engage in normal dolphin activities,” Dr. Randall Wells, director of the dolphin research program, said Wednesday.

The calf Ginger was spotted with on July 6 is her second, Mote said. The first was spotted in the summer of 2015, but disappeared about six months later. Mote officials say it is not uncommon for dolphins to lose first-born calves.

How To Help Protect Marine Life

The birth of Ginger’s second calf serves as a reminder of the need for people to be mindful of the creatures that call Tampa Bay area bodies of water home. Mote says that Sarasota Bay alone is home to many long-term resident dolphins. Up to five concurrent generations of dolphins live in Sarasota Bay year-round, giving birth to new calves in the late spring and summer months. So far in 2017, 18 new calves have been born to Sarasota Bay’s dolphin mothers.

To help protect dolphins, Mote reminds boaters that these creatures often do not or cannot get out of the way of approaching boats. Fatal crashes and serious injuries do occur in Sarasota Bay, the laboratory reminds. It is best for boats to remain at least 50 yards away from dolphins. Other tips that can help keep sea creatures safe include:

• Use Coast Guard-approved safe boating guidelines to avoid hitting marine animals
• Wear polarized sunglasses when operating a boat to make nearby marine life more visible
• Be sure to follow posted signs and slow-speed zones
• Never feed marine wildlife
• Make sure to stow trash and line in the boat and dispose of it properly when back onshore
• Maintain a safe distance from manatee herds

People who spot stranded, dead or injured dolphins, whales and sea turtles in Sarasota or Manatee County waters are asked to call Mote at 941-988-0212. The Stranding Investigations Program is manned 24 hours a day. Sightings in waters outside of those two counties should be called into the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-3922.

To find out more about Mote and its efforts to protect Florida's marine life, visit its website.

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Photo of Ginger and her second calf courtesy of Mote’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program