Dolphin Watch
Big day for Little X
By ANN WEAVER
| Article published on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007 |
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| Little X demonstrates the art of high-leaping while playing with Stick and PC. Close examination of the picture shows a remora clinging to Little X's belly. |
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Last Sunday, a calm survey became exciting when the waters whooshed with romping dolphins. Little X and Oyster rocked a southern bay. We hardly noticed the third dolphin hunting nearby: Little X's mother, X, stayed submerged between business-like breaths.
There was nothing business-like about Little X and Oyster. Side-by-side, they'd swim normally for a time and then muscle each other, vanishing to the depths and flinging skyward. Their moves were smooth and loose.
Dolphin behaviorists call this 'socializing.' Other people would call it a marvelous time.
Little X was born summer 2005 as the Red Tide intensified. He's two years old now. Oyster is a young bull.
Seeing Little X hold his own against Oyster last Sunday, I remembered Nov. 26 2005, a very big day in his young life. He was 4 months old, a turning point for bottlenose dolphin calves. If they've survived, they've mastered the difficult arts of incessant swimming, nursing on the run and sleeping at sea. Streamlined by blubber, their swimming has smoothed. Mothers relax their vigilance and let them explore the exciting world beyond her side. They have endless toddler energy. They start to play.
Little X's big day started with a quiet morning stroll with mother around the islands of John's Pass. Matching her flow, he swam rhythmically at her side. The tranquility of their style was hypnotic.
We approached to collect data. Suddenly Little X dashed over and cut across our bow. As always, thrill rippled our boat. Then he rushed back to X. They resumed their hypnotic rhythm. The thrill waned. But he did it again, and then again. Our own thrill ebbed and flowed with the darts of this dinky dolphin.
Alternating between something exciting and scary (boat) and comfortable and familiar (mother) is an expression of attachment. Attachment is the emotional bond between mother and baby that, among other things, keeps the infant safe until it can fend for itself.
Once babies can move around on their own, they need some sense of 'home and hearth' so they know where to flee from danger and calm down after excitement. Frightened infants with someone to rush to calm down, renew their courage and go out to explore some more. With time, they develop a sense of security.
You see this in infant monkeys and apes as well. Whether frightened by rough play or the bark of a big male, infants who rush to mothers who stop and give a hug recover quicker. They get back to the game sooner.
Indeed, every person is a reflection of their mother's tendency to stop and give a hug.
So Little X rushed back and forth between the boat and X. It was all very exciting. His little self became animated.
For her part, X showed a dramatic change of attitude about Little X and boats. She actually let him play with them. For the first couple months of his life, she didn't let him anywhere near them. If he zoomed closer than 50 feet, she'd literally stop what she was doing and speed over to retrieve him. During the next couple of months, he could only approach if at her side.
Data collected, we backed off. Again he matched X's hypnotic rhythm.
Presently, they joined mother P and tiny calf PC. Like humans with similar-aged kids, bottlenose mothers with similar-aged calves spend time together. The two calves initially stayed with their mothers. Then they swam together and began the tentative play of young calves. Mothers monitored from a near distance.
Now two tiny calves did what Little X had done alone before: raced between the boat and mother's side. Judging from his activity level, this was even more exciting for Little X than before.
Then it was down time. We left to continue our survey. Mothers and calves resumed their hypnotic side-by-side swim.
We found them again on our return route. Things really heated up for Little X now. They'd joined Scrapefin, Top Notch, Stick and Stick's Mom. With her mother, adolescent Stick was a popular and playful babysitter. She always played nicely with calves. Being older, she took play to a new level.
Mother forgotten, Little X played hard with Stick and little PC for half an hour. They whipped through crystal waves in the most delightful, admittedly anthropomorphic, show of joie de vivre (joy of life). He leapt higher and more often as the play wore on, revealing a remora clinging to his zinging body.
For a baby dolphin like Little X, life is an alternating series of exciting "up" periods and calm "down" periods. This is natural. It's how the mammalian body is designed to develop. Constant stimulation is not good for developing nervous systems. But when young minds and bodies get excitement in tolerable doses, they grow up strong and flexible.
Postscript. Close inspection of Little X's picture from Sunday reveals a remora on his stomach. I chuckled when I saw it. Little X often has a remora on his body. I wonder what attracts them to him. I know what attracts me.
Other stories about these dolphins
Adorning the Ages, Attack of the Oyster, Dolphins for my Dentist?, Gift of Giving, Just Swinging By, Ocean Commotion, Oyster's Pearl, Powersharking, Pretty Pirates, Rain Dance, The Mother X
Dr. Weaver studies wild dolphins under federal permit GA1088-1815, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Send her an e-mail at acweaver@tampabay.rr.com or visit www.dazzlingdolphins.com.
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Article published on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007
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