General Chat

For the initial 4 years, Donald's movements and socialising were monitored by Dr Horace Dobbs. Christine Lockyer of The British Whale Research Unit wrote up an academic account and Dr Nicholas Webb covered the two final years. During this time the dolphin made a southward long, adventurous journey along some 480 kilometres of the British coastline from the Isle of Man and then to Cornwall. Along this course, he adopted a series of home territories, leaving in his wake reports of sociable behaviour. These viewed overall exhibit a remarkable development in variety and complexity. The small harbours, havens and coves in which Donald stayed show similarities. Boating and fishing activities were intensive with moored small boats, diving and swimming activities usually present. He had a fascination for wooden dinghies and mooring buoys and would usually establish his 'home base' around one or the other, leaping over dinghies, lifting, tugging and circling buoys so that his whereabouts soon became known to the locals. If overcrowded in his 'special areas' he would become upset and apparently defensive. Donald enjoyed yacht races or contact with small craft and canoes, probably because they presented opportunities for interaction with people.. He would push boats around, peer over the gunwales at occupants. The more excited people became, the greater his activity. He found many opportunities to interfere with the work of fishermen, meddling with lobster pots and nets, towing anchors and boats and preventing them from picking up mooring buoys. He showed little interest, for the most part, in ball games but he had the same devotion to children as other studied dolphins and delighted teasing dogs. He also rescued a dachshund. As long as people were gentle with him, he would be docile and compliant, depite his enormous strength, allowing them to stroke his head, mouth and jaw while he remained motionless, occasionally shutting one eye as if in a trance. He even allowed scientists to measure his length from beak to tail (11ft 10inches) but he would not allow people to impose their will upon him. Nor did he accept offers of dead fish. He clearly recognised people from voice or appearance and showed a marked preferencefor the company of sensititve, intuitive people. There's more Len

Marine biologists were re-locating an experimental rig on the seabed near Port Erin marine laboratory, Isle of Man. Just before diving, Mike Bates sighted a large, bottle-nose dolphin alongside their boat while he waited for a wire strop being lowered to lift the rig. Through the gloom, the bottle-nose appeared beside the wire. As the divers attached it, the dolphin watched. It stood on it's head watching them first with one eye, then the other. All the time they were shifting the rig the dolphin kept them company and on successive days began meddling with their work, playfully. They dubbed him Donald. Donald's socialising had begun. There's more. len

Bryan Amphipods. Don't worry about it. len

oh dear,i know ime going to look a fool again,but if whales dont eat fish...what do they eat? bryan.

I do hope they're successful...that would be such a lovely thing to see. K x

Whale of a task. Conservationists are planning to fly 50 gray whales from California to Cumbria in an attempt to reintroduce the species to British waters after 400 years. If successful, the coast of Cumbria will join North America and Korea as the only sites in the world to have a population of the whales. The 40 ton whales will be flown across the Atlantic to the Irish Sea off the Cumbria coast at the Solway Firth. The whales, which eventually grow up to 50ft long, would make a 12 hour journey on cargo planes before being released into the sea. Drs. Andrew Ramsey and Owen Nevin of the University of Central Lancashire have come up with the proposal which will be unveiled at a world conference in Brazil on Tuesday. If approved, there will be gray whales in British waters within 10 years. Dr Nevin said 'some people will say its impossible but we are deadly serious about this. It is ecologically, logistically and economically feasible' The whales would present no threat to fishing as they do not eat fish. It would be a huge boost for Cumbria as whale-watching is a multi-million pound business. The proposal already has the backing of the public after a Lake District survey that 90% of the people would be in favour of re-introducing the gray whale to British waters. len

Ohhhh Bendy!!! wat u like?? Thank you Len - amazing creatures:o)) jude sarf wales

What are they like with throats??

Although dolphins have between 8 and 250 razor sharp, pointed teeth (depending on the species) they don't use them to chew but to grasp and manipulate. They normally use their teeth to catch fish which they gulp down. Although able to exert enormous pressure with their powerful jaws, they can be exceedingly delicate and grasp (say a human arm) without causing injury len