06.12.01 - TRAGIC END TO C-6 SAGA

Dolphin C-6 ("Philippe") was found dead Tuesday, June 12, in the Sebastian River about 40 miles north of HARBOR BRANCH. "Philippe" apparently died of natural causes. A preliminary examination found the remains of a large fish stuck in the dolphin's airway and it appears he died of asphyxiation.

Steve McCulloch, Director of Dolphin Research, said "We're saddened and disappointed and feel that we've lost not only a valuable animal but one that was also a friend. However, Philippe provided invaluable data to us while in captivity and even in death will be able to teach us more about how he and other dolphins lived."

04.04.01 - C-6 (PHILIPPE) IS HOME AND DOING WELL

Based on recent observations by the Dolphin Research Team we have learned that C-6's (Phillipe) body condition is good and his respiration rates and behavior are normal. Over the past month since his post-rehabilitation release from HBOI, C-6 has been seen many times as he continues to avoid boat traffic and human interaction. He has been foraging for himself, he is interacting with groups of dolphin, and seems to have adapted socially. He has also reunited with lifelong partner, C-7, who was thought to have been with C-6 in August, 2000, during the shark attack. It was not known if C-7 had survived the shark attack, but C-7 has been sighted in the Indian River Lagoon with C-6 once again (see video below). The VHF tag worn by C-6 (which has a 30 mile range in calm weather) continues to perform flawlessly. Until the tag falls off, the Dolphin Research Team hopes to get 3 - 4 visual sightings, and several terrestrial sightings each day to plot his location.

Click here for a map of C-6 sightings.

03.05.01 - C-6 (PHILIPPE) RELEASE IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF FURTHER STUDY, MANAGEMENT EFFORTS

Dolphin C-6 ("Philippe") has been released into east-central Florida's Indian River Lagoon - free to once again join the other dolphins living there. The release marks the end of one of the most successful marine mammal rehabilitation efforts ever attempted. But the release also signifies the beginning of a new chapter in wild dolphin research that will help HARBOR BRANCH scientists better understand how these magnificent animals live and thrive within their natural environment.

Dolphin C-6 is a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) rescued by personnel from various Florida State agencies and scientists from HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution (HBOI) last August, after barely surviving a brutal attack by bull sharks in the Indian River Lagoon. In October, C-6 was renamed "Phillipe".

Dolphin C-6 has been fitted with a two-ounce, state-of-the art VHF transmitter that will enable the researchers in HBOI's Division of Marine Mammal Research and Conservation (DMMRC) to track his movements for the next 60 to 90 days. Scientists attached the transmitter to the trailing edge of the dorsal fin prior to release. The transmitter was attached using a small plastic pin and a simple surgical procedure similar to an ear piercing in humans.

The transmitter can send its signal up to 30 miles under ideal conditions. Dolphin Research Division Director Stephen McCulloch said the data received will provide valuable insight into how dolphins survive and how better to protect their environment. "This gives us a chance to learn more about their social structures, habitat utilization, and what's referred to as their 'grand-scale movement patterns,' and their ability to re-adapt to the wild after an experience like the one Phillipe has had. It also gives us more of a management tool for our ongoing efforts to learn how we can be better stewards of the environment and the animals that live there," McCulloch said.

Over the past six months, Philippe has gained a total of 130 pounds, increasing from an immediate post-attack weight of 405 pounds to a release weight of 535 pounds. By the time he was released, Philippe was eating between 18 and 20 pounds of live, fresh fish daily, supplemented with vitamins. During his last three months of captivity, he was taken completely off of antibiotics and in the past few weeks, human activity was reduced to an absolute minimum to prepare Philippe for return to the wild.

The last medical check on Philippe was performed the morning of Friday, March 2nd. Blood and tissue samples were all normal, and the dolphin's heart and lungs were also monitored and deemed normal. The release plan was reviewed by a panel of marine mammal experts and approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

HBOI researchers will attempt to make visual sightings of Philippe at least twice a week for as long as they continue to receive signals from the attached transmitter.

Examinations of the teeth show put Philippe's age at 24 years. In the wild, bottlenose dolphins may live to between 30 and 35 years of age. But scientists caution that Philippe's future is uncertain. As long as Philippe is alive and resident within the Indian River Lagoon, however, he and the other dolphins that make the estuary their home will continue to provide valuable insights into the world they - and we - live in.

>>SEE PREVIOUS C-6 REPORTS>>

C-6 Medical Exam Performed By Dr. Bossart - Quicktime format

C-6 Transport Procedures - Quicktime format

C-6 Ultrasound Exam Performed By Dr. Hayes - Quicktime format

C-6 At Play In The Johnson Pool At HBOI - Quicktime format

C-6 Final Feeding - Zero Human Interaction - Quicktime format

C-6 Release From HBOI - March 05, 2001 - Quicktime format

C-6 foraging in the IRL with C-7 - April 04, 2001 - Quicktime format