Folks that spend time on the water are reporting a few more dolphin sightings this year. Researchers in Maryland and Virginia are undertaking the first comprehensive studies of bottlenose dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay, and they are finding more dolphins in the bay than was originally thought.
“We may have well over 1,000 dolphins coming into the bay, which is far more than I think anyone expected,” said Helen Bailey, a research professor with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science told Tim Prudente of the Baltimore Sun.
Chesapeake dolphins are still somewhat of a mystery. “We know almost nothing,” said Eric Patterson, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We don’t even really know what population or stock they belong to.”
Many of us have witnessed large pods near the north end of the CBBT off of Fisherman’s Island. Researcher’s think this could be due abundant food sources found there.
“We think it is actually a really important feeding area,” said Janet Mann, a biology professor at Georgetown University. “They’re getting pregnant here and they’re having babies here.”
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