Cutter’s Story...10:40 Aug 21 2009
Times Read: 664
During the early evening hours of February 14, 2009 a young Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis) we have come to know affectionately as “Cutter” was rescued and brought to the (MMC) in Key Largo, FL for rehabilitation...
This is Cutter’s Story...
Cutter was first spotted swimming alone in small circles at the Trumbo Point Naval Base in Key West on February 5th.
MMC personnel responded and began observing him from sunup till sundown while authorities from the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) and MMC personnel decided what should be done. After a short period of time NMFS made the decision on February 11th that this young animal—underweight, peculiarly out of habitat and alone—needed rescue. Just before MMC’s rescue began, Cutter disappeared from the Naval Base harbor, only to be found hours later swimming in shallow waters on another part of the Naval Base, still alone. While MMC personnel watched, a pod of Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins approached him and he joined them. Although known to intermingle for brief periods of time in the wild, Spotted dolphins and Bottlenose dolphins usually do not associate permanently. MMC personnel followed the group for approximately 4 hours until darkness set in, hoping that the young dolphin would be permanently adopted into the Bottlenose pod, even though we knew the odds were against him...The next confirmed sighting of Cutter was on February 14th, where he was found swimming alone once again, this time among large yachts at the Key West Yacht Club. MMC was alerted; we gathered our gear and headed South once again. An MMC staff member based in the Key West area had already been placed in the water with Cutter to start to desensitize him to human presence, and when we arrived the little guy was swimming circles around Mike as if he had always been there...Rescue nets were placed into the water and very slowly the area in which Cutter was swimming was decreased by making the net sweep smaller until Cutter literally floated into the arms of a staff member without any struggle.
Suffering from malnourishment and dehydration, Cutter made the transport from Key West to MMC’s rehabilitation site in Key Largo. It was during this transport that we first heard his signature whistle, or “name’, a sound "given" to each newborn dolphin just as humans are given our names. During Cutter’s stay with us he has shared his signature whistle time and again, and it is always heartwarming to hear...
Initially placed into a critical care pool, Cutter regained enough strength within 7 days to be placed into MMC’s natural sea water basin where he could once again hear all of the natural noises of the ocean. Soon after that, he was breaching and playing "seaweed games" with turtle grass, sargassum and floating leaves as he would normally do in the wild...From his first days with MMC, Cutter has captured the hearts of hundreds, if not thousands of people who have heard his story or have had the pleasure of observing him while noting his behaviors as part of their volunteer duties at MMC...Cutter is a typical young male dolphin--mischievous, playful, inquisitive, and even shy at times--looking to caregivers for protection as he would look to his mother and pod mates in the wild...He has also grown noticeably even in his short time with us. 35 pounds and a healthy status have not been his only gains—his personality, too, has expanded into a joyful repertoire of normal, healthy dolphin behaviors. We have also watched him begin to develop the spotted markings for which his species is known. While he doesn’t have many, to those who have had the honor of knowing him, each spot he has developed has been a milestone in his journey back to health...Cutter is estimated to be between 2 and 5 years old by veterinarians and experts who have studied Spotted dolphins for over 20 years, with most of these experts agreeing he is closest to the 2- 3 year old mark. At this age, he’s still a juvenile, but considered mature enough to have learned the skills he needs to survive in the wild WITH THE HELP OF A POD. After Cutter was deemed healthy enough by Staff veterinarians and husbandry personnel, MMC recommended to NMFS that Cutter be released and given a chance to succeed and live once again among his own kind. MMC has begun preparations for his release...Thanks to Dr. Denise Herzing, a specialist on Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, a pod of Stenella frontalis has been located near Key West. We are hoping this is Cutter’s original pod, and are planning to release him in the pod’s location in mid May...
...LET FREEDOM SWIM...
Story by
Nicole Storm...
COMMENTS
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Darkprince1990
05:59 Aug 23 2009
wow......