40th Anniversary Celebration Gala

Join us on March 15, 2024 at The Pelican Club in Jupiter, Florida. ​We'll be celebrating Dr. Herzing's 40 years studying spotted dolphins in the wild. The evening will include a cocktail reception, a fabulous dinner, a silent auction, research vessel tours, and nostalgic memories collected from the past 40 years. If you have meaningful photos or a short video to contribute, please email info@wilddolphinproject.org for submission information.

Tickets are limited. Purchase them HERE.

These sponsorship levels highlight 4 generations of an Atlantic spotted dolphin family line observed by Dr. Herzing and her team of researchers at Wild Dolphin Project. Choose your sponsorship level: Next Generation, Nesta, Nassau, Nereide, Nippy.

Dr. Herzing first observed Nippy in 1985 when she founded the project. In 1992, Nippy and her daughter, Nassau, were featured on the cover of National Geographic Magazine. Nassau has given birth to many offspring one of which is named Nereide, who was first observed in 2009 and now has a calf of her own, a curious and playful female we have named Nesta. Your support helps us continue long-term non-invasive research on dolphins in the wild studying them "In Their World...On Their Terms." Support us in studying the next generation of dolphinsNational Geographic Photographer Brian Skerry joined us in 2013 for an expedition to find and photograph Nassau, the “Afghan Girl” dolphin. Read our blog about Nassau here www.wilddolphinproject.org/a-nat-geo-photographer-and-dolphin-named-nassau/

Dr. Denise Herzing, Founder and Research Director of the Wild Dolphin Project, has completed almost 40 years of her long-term study of the Atlantic spotted dolphins inhabiting Bahamian waters. She received her B.S. in Marine Zoology; her M.A. in Behavioral Biology; and her Ph.D. in Behavioral Biology/Environmental Studies. She is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida. Dr. Herzing is a 2008 Guggenheim Fellow, a fellow with the Explorers Club, a scientific advisor for the Lifeboat Foundation and the American Cetacean Society, and on the board of Schoolyard Films. In addition to many published scientific articles, she is the co-editor of Dolphin Communication and Cognition, author of “Dolphin Diaries: My 25 years with Spotted Dolphins in the Bahamas” and “The Wild Dolphin Project (2002)”.

Coverage of her work with the spotted dolphins has appeared in National Geographic Magazine 1992 and 2015, BBC Wildlife, Ocean Realm and Sonar magazines and featured on Nature, Discovery, PBS, ABC, BBC, NHK and TED talk.

Dr. Herzing has spoken at the Society for Marine Mammalogy, European Cetacean Society, International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Explorers Club, TED2013, Boston Museum of Science, American Cetacean Society and others.

PBS NewsHour correspondent and Emmy award winning Journalist, Miles O'Brien, will emcee the evening.

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Other Happenings

Interested in Careers in Marine Mammal Science?
Visit the Society for Marine Mammalogy Careers page for more information.

Did You Know

  • Spotted dolphin calves are unspotted and look like young bottlenose dolphins.
  • Spotted dolphins regurgitate hard, indigestible parts of their food, such as squid beaks and fish vertebrae.
  • As spotted dolphins grow up they learn how to behave from their mothers and also from siblings, peers, and elders in the society.
  • Juvenile spotted dolphins babysit younger spotteds.
  • As a spotted dolphin grows up, its role and responsibilities in the dolphin community change Sometimes spotted dolphins travel, forage for food, and socialize with bottlenose dolphins.
  • Atlantic spotted dolphins are relatively unstudied, compared to their pan-tropical cousins who have been slaughtered in the tuna nets.
  • Spotted dolphins use their signature whistles in many different ways, including initiating contact with other dolphins. Spotted dolphins can be identified over long periods of time by spot patterns, by flukes, and by dorsal fins.

Education

Interested in Learning About Marine Animals?
Check out this new iPad app developed by Duke University in itunes. Look under Atlantic spotted dolphins for our information.

To report a marine mammal stranding please call 1-888-404-FWCC

For Kids

Dolphin Word Puzzle Search

Answer the questions and search for their answers in the wordsearch puzzle. All the clues and answers to the questions can be found throughout the website. Have fun!

Dolphin Food Pyramid
Try to match the names of the prey to their pictures then color the Dolphin Food Pyramid.

Dolphin Picture
Try to label all the parts of the dolphin, then color it! Try to think of the other animals that share the ocean with the dolphins and draw them in. Are there predators in your picture, food for the dolphins to eat, or researchers, like those at Wild Dolphin Project, taking pictures and videotaping the dolphins?

Safeguards

Disclosure statement

A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352). Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state. www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com (CH3673)

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