MEET the W h ALES & DOLPh INS YOU ADOP t WIN! A COPY OF THe WHALe WATCHERS personality YOUR VeRY OWN WDC ADOPTION MAGAZINEAUtUMN 22 find out how every dolphin is unique full of
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Let’s make huge thanks to all of you who have been busy raising money for whales and dolphins. You really are the best supporters we could wish for! you also for all your fabulous name ideas for Rainbow’s baby. Find out which name we chose and what they have been up to on page 12. Complete our word puzzle on page 11 to have a chance of winning a brilliant new book, The Whale Watchers. This exciting adventure story takes place in the beautiful Moray Firth near the WDC Dolphin Centre. And don’t forget to take part in our short online survey at whales.org/ splashsurvey to tell us about your favourite things in Splash! Have your say and let us know what you would like to see more of. Everyone who takes part will be entered into a prize draw to win greatsomeprizes. pictures a photo of your art and email it to splash@whales.org NAME AND AGE WITH ANYTHING YOU SEND IN Rainbow by LivvyC(11)harlie by Leo (7) Check out our online gallery at kidzonewhales.org/ for more of yourpicturesfantastic Spirit by lucinda (11) Amazon River dolphin by Bayan (9) Award winner Congratulations to Eloise (12) for achieving her WDC Dolphin Defender Award. Eloise learned a lot about whales and dolphins while completing her award. She also baked lemon flapjacks, raised £30 and did a beach clean with her brother and cousins while they were on holiday. whales.org/dolphindefenders US WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF SPLASH!IN whales.org/ splashsurvey eloise
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R ose (10) adopts Salt and donated her 10th birthday. She raised £200 for whales and dolphins instead of receiving birthday presents at her party. Look at the fabulous dolphin-inspired birthday badge that Rose made! Emily (8) ran like the wind in the Brighton Marathon Mini Mile for whales and dolphins and raised a storming £160. Rainbow adopter Hannah (10) also raised £160 for WDC. She had her long hair cut and gave 43cm of it to the Little Princess Trust to make wigs for children with illnesses. Leo (7) adopts Charlie and has already raised £56.30 this year by doing chores around the house. Sisters Emilia (8) and Ottilie (5 donated funds and Our fundraising heroes rose SPLASHSPLISH& Emily hannahgonehair before LEO OTtilieEmiliaand Dolphins are self-awareand have the ability torecognise and inthemselvesexaminemirrors,justlikeus! DID YOU KNOW?
FACT FILE: Indigo will measure nearly 4m long and weigh up to 650kg when he is fully grown – impressive! glimpses of them out at sea. Sunshine also has a great time playing with Bonnie’s daughter and Porridge’s four-year-old Sugar.
D olphin activity at Chanonry Point has been quieter than usual – perhaps due to fewer migrating salmon this year. We have spotted dolphins regularly from our Scottish Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay. They have been rocketing around hunting and socialising there Dolphins have also been spotted north of Chanonry Point, coming right into the shallow water near the sandy beaches to hunt fish before carefully heading back out to deeper water. The range of hunting techniques these intelligent dolphins use is impressive. bay watch WHERE TO SPOT DOLPHINS INNERFIRTHMORAY KessockChannel CromartyFirth river Beauly DornochFirthBurghea 4 S PLASH ! Autumn 2022 R
Rainbow an D Ba By TO o ! SC ra PP in G WITh ot H e R M a L esIndigo
ChanonRy poInT & rOSemarkie Cromarty SutOrClIfFs WDc SCotTIshDoLPhInCentre
• Read more about Sunshine on page 12 of this issue By phCharlIeIllIps
THE GAMESHUNTER
GROWING FAST
I saw Indigo recently with Charlie, Honeydew and Mini-Fin. He is a large dolphin nowadays and, although he is only 10 years old, he looks like a fully mature adult. His skin is darker than it used to be and he has bulked out. He has some small new nicks along the back edge of his dorsal fin, just above his original one about halfway down, and he has quite a few new deep rake marks on his body. This is an indication that Indigo is asserting himself in the dolphin pecking order and scrapping with other males. It will be interesting to see whether his new rake marks scar or fade away.
FACT FILE: Rainbow is an experienced hunter – she targets juicy salmon as they migrate through the deep tidal waters off Chanonry Point.
It has been brilliant to see Sunshine learning from Mum about the best techniques to catch salmon. Sunshine cannot handle the whoppers that Rainbow catches just yet, but he or she is getting better all the time. I was thrilled to see Rainbow and Sunshine back right in front of me at Chanonry after only a few fleeting
ainbow and her baby arrivedSunshinelaterthan usual at Chanonry Point. They followed the migrating salmon who didn’t arrive until July.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH SPIRIT
I had a
SP eCI al M oments
CharliewhothewatchingwhileencounterwonderfulwithhimIwasonadolphin-tourwithDrummondfamily,haveadoptedandIndigo. We were watching two dolphins clowning around in the distance and when they came over to the boat to check us out, I realised it was Charlie and Indigo! We were so delighted to see them – Charlie hasn’t changed in appearance much, as there are no new marks on his fin, and he’s still just as cheeky as always!
C harlie has been unusually difficult to find from shore this summer. I’ve seen him fleetingly here and there, but he has not been around Chanonry Point much at all. He has been hanging out with other lively males, including Indigo, Clyde and Honeydew.
Charlie A CHEEKY CHAPPIE WHO CLOWNINGLOVES AROUND
PHILLIPSWDC/CHARLIE
I had a very special close encounter with Spirit and Spriggan when I was onboard a dolphinwatching boat. We set out from Inverness and passed Chanonry before I spotted some dolphins in the distance. As we travelled on, Scoopy appeared right beside us. Then two more dolphins came to say hello –Spirit and Spriggan! They came so close that I could see Spriggan has some new dolphin bite marks on her dorsal fin. They looked fantastic swimming strongly alongside us until they overtook and headed off to rejoin the main group. They swam away with Porridge and Spirtle, their two babies, and some other dolphins. We waved them all farewell with big smiles on our faces. Spirit
Autumn 2022 S PLASH ! 5 han GI n G out WI th ‘The Ba
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FACT FILE: Charlie is part of a group of large males we have nicknamed the Bad Boys Club. They play rough and boisterous games.
FACT FILE: Spirit’s name is perfect for such a sociable and busy dolphin. D B oys
Bend NO CHANGE
FACT FILE: Fife’s fin started to sprout in 2003. Fern will mature physically and socially after the age of 20, just like Fife.
6 S PLASH ! Autumn 2022 Orca Odysseys
BY PAULSYMONDSHELENA&SPONG
FACT FILE: Holly has six children and one known grandchild so far. There is plenty of time for her to become a grandmother again. I t is surprising that Bend has not had more babies. Jamieson, her only son, is eight. Three to five-year intervals between babies are considered typical. Perhaps Bend lost a baby? The percentage of newborns lost in their first year is as high as 50%. We hope Bend may be on track to have another baby. A recent sighting of her family showed no change. Orca babies are often born in the autumn.
Holly EARLY ADOPTER T his summer we were able to welcome our international volunteers back to OrcaLab. We repaired and upgraded cameras both above and below the water as well as our network of hydrophones. We can see, hear and follow the orcas from the time they enter our area to the time they leave, which is wonderful. Thank you for supporting our work at OrcaLab to protect these incredible whales.
I t’s hard to Simoom’sbelievefamilyis so big, with 12 members and still growing. Before 1989 there were only four: Simoom, her mother Scimitar, and two brothers Pulteney and Nimpkish. In 1989 Simoom gave birth to her son Echo and then a few years later two her family would survive into the future. Simoom is now entering a new phase of her life. She is 47 years old and not likely to have any more babies. She is the senior matriarch responsible for ensuring the family thrives.
Simoom NEW PHASE
F or so long, Fife has been the lone adult male in his group. When they pass by, it is Fife’s magnificent fin that grabs everyone’s attention. It is beautifully straight and just under two metres tall. Fife reminds us of past male members of his pod – Top Notch, Foster and Okisollo. Fife’s nephew Fern is 11 years old and his dorsal fin is about to grow much taller as he goes through puberty, which only happens to male orcas.
FACT FILE: Simoom’s identification number is A34. Her family will beA t the end of May, Holly’s family and the A64 family were heard calling overnight. The following morning they were seen socialising and playing together in Squally Channel. We wondered what Holly’s adopted son, Mystery, would do. He belongs to the A64 matriline led by his sister, Schooner, but for the past two years has travelled with Holly. No one knows why and we are not sure after this last encounter whether he rejoined his natal group or stayed with Holly.
HILDERINGJACKIETOWERS,JARED
Fife MAGNIFICENT FIN
FACT FILE: Bend has been a dedicated mother to Jamieson, who seems to be thriving.
FACT FILE: Mars is known to sometimes blow bubbles around schools of fish when she is feeding.
Our conservation projects include spreading the word about the need for whale and dolphin protection, working with our Marine Animal Rescue & Response team, and encouraging all whale watchers and boat users to watch whales responsibly, including the adoption humpbacks.
MARS REFLECTION Autumn 2022 S PLASH ! 7
alt has a new baby called Miso, named after a traditional Japanese seasoning used in cooking. Salt’s family members all have salt or condiment-themed names. Salt’s daughter Sanchal (meaning black salt) also has a new baby, as does Salt’s eight-year-old granddaughter, Toboggan. Incredibly, Salt now has four greatgrandchildren. She became a mum, a grandmother and a great-grandmother again this year.
THE WANDERER PLANET GRANNY PEPPER
W e have been busy working hard to protect the humpback whales and other marine mammals on the US east coast.
M ars has welcomed a new grandchild into her big family this year. Her daughter Nile has had her seventh child. Nile and her baby, who hasn’t been named yet, have delighted whale watchers this summer with their spirited and energetic behaviour. They have been seen breaching, lobtailing and flipper slapping.
R eflection has been sighted again this summer. She is not taking care of a baby and it is five years since she last gave birth. We notice that as the babies grow during the summer months, they become more adventurous and spend more time away from their mothers. During this time they learn how to catch fish and need less of mum’s milk.
FACT FILE: Reflection has four known children so far. They are now five, 13, 15 and 22 years old.
P epper has not been sighted yet this year. She is known to be a bit of a wanderer and we suspect she has been feeding in a quiet, remote corner of these feeding grounds, no doubt feasting on sand eels (lance), herring and mackerel. As the environmental conditions change, the areas with the most abundant fish also shift around.
BY ASMUTIS-REGINASILVIA SALT BABY BOOM S
FACT FILE: Pepper was named for her all-black dorsal fin, and because she was often seen with Salt when younger.
FACT FILE: Salt’s family tree now has 39 whales who span four generations.
CARE FREE
Humpback headlines
Scientists studying bottlenosedolphins living off the coast of Italyhave proven that each dolphin has aunique personality, just like us.The scientists monitored how individualdolphins responded to somethingunexpected, such as a scubadiver appearing. The resultswere crystal clear.
WILD PERSONALITIESDOLPHIN
Just like us, some dolphins are bold, others are shy, and some are in-between! Bold dolphins like to investigate new things such as a scuba diver – they are curious and outgoing.
Shy dolphins are more cautious and prefer not to take risks. Bold and shy personalities are equally common in males and females, and dolphins of all ages.
ALL SORTS Shy dolphins prefer not to approach unfamiliar things in case they turn out to be life-threatening. Being cautious and staying safe means shy dolphins are less likely to be injured or killed from contact with humans or other risky situations.
Identity parade DID YOU KNOW DOLPHINS HAVE PERSONALITIES? YOU CAN FIND OUT ALL ABOUT THEM 8 S PLASH ! Autumn 2022 SHUTTERSTOCK
SAFETY FIRST FOR CAUTIOUS TYPES
FACING LIFETOGETHER HELPSPODS FLOURISH
Bold dolphins love to explore –they are outgoing and curious. They have the most sociable personalities and develop strong bonds with both shy and bold dolphins. Bold dolphins encourage togetherness and harmony in their communities. They are good at spreading news too, because they tell all their friends about anything important such as a new hunting hotspot.
ANDOUTGOINGCURIOUS
Underwater habitats where dolphins liveare dynamic and constantly changing.Dolphins remain safe and secureby relying on one anotherand facing things together.The range of personalities within theircommunities is key to theirsuccess and helps them flourish.
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The Whale Watchers tells how whales play a key role in combating climate change. We can all help protect them and their ocean home by reducing single-use plastics, reusing and recycling.
10 S PLASH ! Autumn 2022 READERS NOA AND AUSTIN LOVE THE WHALE WATCHERS!
Finn longs to be somewhere hot, lying by a hotel pool with his headphones on. He’s sick of his mum’s work, and of the knot in his stomach that tightens whenever he thinks about endangered whales and the plastic-polluted ocean. But when a girl with binoculars around her neck and a dog at her heels takes Finn and Jesse to her secret lookout point, Finn soon finds himself swept up and out to sea in an unforgettable adventure. Will he find hope at the end of it all?
An awesome BOOK SHOWS THE ROLE WHALES PLAY IN FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE
W
NEW
DC and BRITA have teamed up to create a fantastic new children’s book, The Whale Watchers, written by Dougie Poynter of pop band McFly. We have three copies to give away as competition prizes. This exciting new adventure story is about two brothers, Finn and Jesse, who spend their summer holiday in Scotland with their mum while she works to protect the whales living there.
BRITA continues to support WDC and commissioned Dougie to write this book to raise funds for our vital work to protect whales and their ocean homes. You can buy The WatchersWhale at org/shopwhales.
adventure Enter our Splash! competitionfor a chance to win a copy of The WhaleWatchers. We have three copies to giveaway to lucky winners.All you have to do is solve our puzzle.Which of the words shown below cannotbe made from the letters inREDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE?Email your answers by 10 October,with your name and address, tosplash@whales.org WIN A COPY OFTHE WHALE WATCHERS Autumn 2022 S PLASH ! 11 RULER CRY DEER CRUEL RACES DUEL SUEDE DRY CLUES SURE ULCER DICE SEA REEL YES THE WDC SCOTTISH DOLPHIN CENTRE GETS A STARRING ROLE DOUGIE POYNTER OF MCFLY WANTS TO RAISE MONEY FOR WDC
Sunshinewelcome NAME
RAINBOW’S NEWEST BABY NOW HAS A
12 S PLASH ! Autumn 2022
We think it really suits this beautiful young dolphin living wild and free, surrounded by family and friends in Scotland. When Rainbow and Sunshine were last spotted near the North Sutor cliffs at Cromarty, they both looked great and were very active! Sunshine now surfaces smoothly to breathe and no longer pops their whole head out of the water like a newborn typically does. Now that Sunshine is a stronger swimmer, he or she no longer has to stay in Rainbow’s slipstream in the echelon position but can move in and out.
I n the last issue of Splash! we asked you to help us give Rainbow’s newest baby a name. Thank you for all your wonderful ideas – it was Spirit adopter Carol Jardine of Edinburgh who came up with Sunshine.
Rainbow and Sunshine have been spending lots of time with other mother and youngster pairs such as Porridge and Spirtle and their youngsters, and Sickle and her wee baby who is only a few months old. Sunshine loves having fun with these young friends and is big enough now to catch fish instead of relying solely on Rainbow’s milk. This little dolphin still has much to learn about using echolocation to hunt and the best places to look for fish. Sunshine is also learning important social skills that will help them become more independent and find their own place in this very special dolphin community.
DID YOU
Dr Cheney normally names the dolphins, but sometimes WDC supporters and field officer Charlie Phillips can put forward name suggestions.
In parts of Brazil dolphins team up with fishers so they both catch more fish. The dolphins herd shoals of mullet fish towards the shore, where fishers wait in a line, either standing in the water or in their canoes. When the dolphins signal with tail or head slaps, the fishermen throw their nets. The dolphins find it easier to catch fish once they are herded against
Charlie took this joyful photoof Sunshine last year. The stripesare foetal folds which developedwhen the baby was scrunchedup inside Rainbow before birth.The stripes took a fewmonths to fade.
KNOW?JUMPER
PHILLIPSWDC/CHARLIE
How are named?numbereddolphinsand
• The dolphin names follow a theme, such as Rainbow, Raindrop, Prism, Indigo ... and Sunshine.
• Another family have Star Wars names – Chewbacca, Yoda and Skywalker.
• Baby dolphins are normally at least a year old and have survived their first winter before they get an ID number. Sunshine’s ID number is ID#1290.
•
RAINBOW AND HER BABY SUNSHINE, WHO IS NOW ABLE TO CATCH FISH
• Dr Barbara Cheney from Aberdeen University is head of the Bottlenose dolphin Photo ID Project. She assigns an identification number to each dolphin.
ORCA WATCHING FROM THE JOHN O ’GROATS FERRY P rofessional goalkeeper Ben Foster has played football for England and Watford FC. Ben’s job is to keep things out of nets and he is supporting our campaign #NotInOurNets to stop whales, dolphins and porpoises from dying in fishing nets. More than 1,000 dolphins and porpoises die in UK fishing nets every year. WDC is campaigning for governments to take action to keep them safe in our seas. There are solutions to this bycatch problem but urgent action is needed now to save lives and stop the suffering.
AUSTRALIAWESTERNWATCHWHALEBAIN,CATHLOTT/WDC,ROB ON
Amazingtales
AS SEEN SCOTLANDIN
BEN ABOUTKNOWSFOSTERALLNETS
EYES PEELED
Goalie Ben is A good catch
Well spotted T his summer’s Scottish Orca Watch Week was a big success. Shorewatchers gathered on headlands and clifftops at Caithness, Orkney and Shetland hoping to spot orcas. One sunny afternoon in Orkney, 15 orcas (two pods) swam close to shore along the western coast. The stars of the week were two male orcas known as Ulfur and Trinkie. They were seen a few times both from the shore and from the John o’Groats to Orkney passenger ferry.
CLIFFTOPSTHE 14 S PLASH ! Autumn 2022
ASK Ali HOW DOES THE ‘WHALE PUMP’ WORK?
Whales dive into the ocean depths to feed and then return to the surface to breathe. They stir up nutrients that all ocean life needs to survive and that would otherwise just sink to the seafloor and be unavailable.Whalespoo at the surface and their poo is rich in nutrients, particularly iron. So, by swimming from the deep ocean to the surface and pooing at the surface, whales ‘pump’ (circulate) vital nutrients throughout marine habitats. These nutrients are vital for all life in the ocean, from the tiniest krill to fish and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are very small – usually one-cell plants that float in the ocean. They play a key role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Through the whale pump, sperm whales living in the Southern Ocean help phytoplankton grow and absorb over 180,000 tonnes of carbon from our atmosphere every year. That’s the same amount of carbon absorbed each year by eight million trees!
The whale watchers who saw the interaction believe the orcas simply acted out of kindness.
top freesteamworkhumpback
Autumn 2022 S PLASH ! 15
W hale watchers in Australia filmed a pod of orcas who helped free a humpback whale tangled in fishing rope. Orcas are very intelligent and curious. Queen, the pod’s matriarch, and two males, Blade and Hookfin, approached the tangled whale to investigate. The frightened humpback lashed out with her powerful flippers and tail. When the water cleared, there was a large chunk of the fishing rope floating away and the orcas swam off allowing the humpback to escape safely. It’s hard to know if they were trying to get hold of the tangled rope to help the humpback, and we don’t know why they didn’t attack. It could be that the orcas had just eaten or they prefer other prey at this time of year.
H elp WDC create healthier, safer seas for whales and dolphins. The ocean has become a rubbish dump with millions of tonnes of plastic litter finding its way into the sea every year. Up to 95% of all the plastic in the ocean comes from our towns and cities. We can help tackle the problem together by cleaning up litter. Individuals, families, brownies, cubs, guides, scouts and schools can all get involved. Doing your Urban Beach Clean is easy. Get in touch at events@ whales.org – we are here to help you get started. And the good news is your clean will also contribute to your WDC Dolphin Defender Award! See dolphindefenderswhales.org/ Urban Beach Clean WDC Dolphin Defender Theo carries out regular clean-ups on his local beach in Norfolk to help protect the local wildlife – including many seals! Editor Ali Wood SPLASH! is sent to all junior whale and dolphin supporters by WDC Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Brookfield House, 38 St Paul Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 1LJ Registered Charity No. 1014705 Tel 01249 449500 Email splash@whales.org Patrons Julia Bradbury; John Craven; Jerome Flynn; Monty Halls; Miranda Krestovnikoff; Michaela Strachan Published for WDC by Think Account director Rachel Walder Editor Angela McManus Design Amanda Richardson, Matthew Ball Sub editors Sian Campbell, Kirsty Fortune, Andrew Littlefield Cover image Shutterstock, cartoons Glen McBeth Winner of the Amazing Whales and Dolphins Fact Cards competition in the summer issue is Luke Darcy Think Media Group, 20 Mortimer Street, London, W1T 3JW Tel 020 3771 7200 www.thinkpublishing.co.uk WDC cannot guarantee the return of unsolicited articles, photographs etc. Reproduction of articles is not permitted without approval. Opinions expressed in SPLASH! do not necessarily reflect those of WDC. Up to 95% of plastic litter in the ocean comes from the land and is a threat to whales and dolphins. We’re determined to reduce plastic waste, so your magazine comes without a polythene wrap. We hope it arrives in great condition, but if it has been damaged, let us know at info@whales.org If undelivered, please return to: WDC, Brookfield House, 38 St Paul Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 1LJ Take part in our reader survey and win a pack of Amazing Whales and Dolphins Fact Cards by Button and Squirt. Tell us what you would like to see more of in Splash at whales.org/splashsurvey HAVE YOUR SAY IN OUR SURVEY whales.org/urbanbeachclean
