In Honor of Deaf Dolphin and Memory of Its Calf

Here is the movie clips of Castaway and its calf to remember the calf:

http://video.msn.com/v/us/fv/fv.htm??g=ce155baf-024d-4ce8-a49c-3cb7f261a64f&f=05&fg=rss

http://player.clipsyndicate.com/main/player?playlist_id=7&wpid=47&clip_id=811368&cpt=8&

I tried to make post after posting the movie clips on Saturday but as soon as I was about to post, my internet was down.

From my observation of the movie clips, I am disturbed by the fact there is too much involvement by different people since the birth of the calf, Wilson. It led me to believe that too much of human interference is a potentially contributing factor.

First, knowing deaf animals, their sense of smell is sharper than their hearing animal counterpart due to their loss of another sense. I can only imagine it is the same for the mammals. Castaway would have sensed it and feels she is not valued as a mother and being allowed to do it her way. It was reported that Wilson was born healthy and doing well for several days, so what's the point of human interference?

Secondly, what struck me as odd is all the fuss these people did with this calf and the sound machines that imitated the vocalizations when in fact Castaway did alright without people involved or without any vocalization ability when it was born in the wild. It was cared for by its mother and it's obvious that Castaway managed to survive into adulthood. If Castaway did, Wilson would have and even if he failed to properly vocalize, he'll always be safe in the sanctuary like his mother. It bothered me a great deal in one of the pictures or movie clips that the humans would bring Wilson closer to other hearing dolphins to be exposed for vocalization purpose. All different things humans did to Wilson and away from its mother in short 4 days must be too much. I wish Castaway and Wilson are allowed to bond and progress naturally without any interference from humans. It is reported that the calf was born healthy. One of the

Lastly, no one knows for sure, but it is possible that Castaway stayed close with a group of dolphins for as long as she can until she got distracted or something happened in the ocean that separated them.

Deaf Dolphin's Baby Calf Dies

A time for mourning along with the deaf dolphin who lost her beloved calf. Like any mothers, it must be tough. I wish the calf is left alone by the humans because the deaf dolphin is capable of looking after her calf. Testing will be done to determine why calf died.

http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2007/06/15/784171-deaf-dolphins-calf-dies-at-florida-lab


Here are two beautiful pictures of the calf:

Deaf Mom Gives Birth to Baby Dolphin!

As reported by www.marinemammalconservancy.org, on June 11th, at approximately 3:00 pm Castaway delivered a healthy calf. The birth was amazingly quick and at this hour, both mother and calf seem to have bonded and are doing well. Baby is approximately 42 inches long and probably weighs about 30 to 40 pounds.



Mon Jun 11, 9:46 PM ET

KEY LARGO, Fla. - A stranded deaf Atlantic bottlenose dolphin delivered her calf Monday at a marine mammal rehabilitation center in the Florida Keys. The unnamed calf is approximately 42 inches long and weighs about 30 pounds, according to officials at the Marine Mammal Conservancy.

"The calf looks great. It's swimming real well and breathing normally," said MMC president Robert Lingenfelser

The calf's mother, Castaway, has been vocalizing to the calf and the baby has answered back, said Lingenfelser.

But Lingenfelser said he is certain that Castaway cannot process the calf's return sounds.

"Castaway's vocalizations are not normal," Lingenfelser said. "She speaks in a monotone, similar to the way that people who cannot hear speak."

Because Castaway can't hear, MMC officials installed a dolphin "chat line" of sorts, electronically connecting Castaway's habitat with a lagoon at Dolphins Plus, a research and interactive educational facility a few miles away. Underwater speakers and microphones were installed at both locations and connected via phone lines donated by AT&T Florida.

Officials hope the calf will develop communications' skills by speaking to dolphins at Dolphins Plus when the system is fully turned on soon.

Mother and calf are to remain at the Conservancy for at least six months before relocating to a more permanent facility. Castaway can't be released because a dolphin needs to hear to utilize echo localization, or dolphin sonar, to survive.

The calf is not a candidate for release either, Lingenfesler said, because the first few months of a dolphin's development in the wild is the most critical time for it to learn about self-preservation.

Castaway stranded off Vero Beach in November, but was initially deemed healthy enough for release after convalescing for more than two months at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. But instead of swimming offshore, she returned to the beach three times and was then transported to the Keys.




http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070612/ap_on_sc/stranded_dolphin

Deaf Mother Dolphin Gets Speech Training for Her CODA Baby!

Monday, April 30, 2007
"Chat line" to aid calf of deaf dolphin
From The Miami Herald
KEY LARGO - Any day now, Castaway the dolphin will deliver a calf in an idyllic lagoon birthing pen at the Marine Mammal Conservancy.

For dolphin caretakers, this is uncharted waters: Castaway is deaf. he brainstormed solution? The world's first dolphins' ``chat line.''

The calf will be able to hear and communicate with a pod of 10 other Atlantic bottlenose dolphins located three and a half miles away at Dolphins Plus, a research and interactive education facility.

Highly sophisticated underwater speakers and microphones have been installed at each site. The sounds are captured and processed using special software that allows high-speed data transmission through a telephone line.

Like humans, experts believe, dolphins need to be taught language. Castaway does not make many sounds, and when she does it is monotone -- much like a deaf person's voice, Lingenfelser said.

http://tallahassee.com/legacy/special/blogs/2007/04/chat-line-to-aid-calf-of-deaf-dolphin.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,264884,00.html