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Keith Rittmaster

NORTH
CAROLINA
MARITIME
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315 Front Street
Beaufort, NC 28516
(252) 728-7317

Meet Some of Our Dolphins


 
Keyhole #0025Keyhole (#0025) is a summer dolphin that we first photographed in 1989 and have seen every summer since then (never in winter). We have matched Keyhole to photos taken by researchers at UNCW. Keyhole was part of a capture and release program directed by scientists south of us near Holden Beach in 2004. A satellite tag was attached to his fin. Over time the tag came off changing the appearance of the dorsal fin. In July of 2005 we photographed him for the first time as FB444. What a different look!
Onion #0026Onion (#0026) is a winter dolphin that we first photographed in 1990 and have seen every winter (never in summer) since then. Onion is always seen with "Butterfly" (#271) and we have matched them both to photos taken by researchers of the Nags Head Dolphin Watch where the pair are seen together every summer near Manteo.
Dolphin #0056Dolphin #0056 is a male who was captured, tagged, and released in the Indian River Lagoon in Florida by Hubbs Sea World Research Institute in 1979 as part of a bottlenose dolphin population study. At the time of capture he was estimated to be 12 years old. He often approaches boats begging and has become our "Don't Feed the Dolphins" poster child. We've seen him near Beaufort on 7 days between 1997 and 1999. He's been all the way to Long Island with the most recent reported sightings of him from North Wildwood New Jersey in June '07.
Butterfly #0271Butterfly #0271 and Onion seem to breathe each other's breath. They are always seen swimming, if not side-by-side, in very close proximity. In Sarasota Bay, Florida and Shark Bay, Australia, there are known males who are very long-term associates. It is possible Onion and Butterfly are such a pair of males, but we don't know for sure. They are here in the winter months only. Summertime finds them in the waters near Manteo, NC, where they hang together also.Pretty cool, eh??
Courage #0105Courage #0105 is another summer dolphin and a known mom.  She, too, is a southern traveler frequently seen in Wilmington.  We have seen her with three calves in the years since 1985.  As you can see, her most prominent feature is her leading edge cut.
Ciento #0100Ciento #0100 is the Spanish word for 100. Ciento is an unusual dolphin in that his/her sightings occur not just in the summer months, but also in the winter months, and in between. Ciento's greatest number of sightings are in the months October - April, with 5 sightings spread out in May, June, July, and August. .