In its commitment to supporting marine and mammal research, education and conservation action, Dolphin Quest International has donated over $2-million to various research projects since its inception.

These include the local Bermuda Wild Dolphin Tracking Project and several university-level research studies, Including the prestigious longstanding study of wild dolphin societies in Sarasota Bay, Florida, the significance of signature whistles in bottlenose dolphins, Hawaiian monk seal prey, nutrition and the deformities and decline of Bermuda’s giant toads.

These projects are conducted jointly through renowned universities and organisations such as Texas A&M University, University of California, University of Hawaii and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

The behaviour and habitat use of offshore bottlenose dolphins found over the deep waters around the Bermuda Pedestal is the focus of the Bermuda Dolphin Tracking Project, currently in its third year.

General Manager Christine Mihelcic explains that additional movement data can help verify if these dolphins are an Island-associated population, or part of a larger oceanic population.

But, she adds, more dive data is necessary to better understand the species diving capabilities and adaptations to a wider variety of habitats than previously known.

Between May 12 and May 15, 2005, a crew of Dolphin Quest staffers and BAMZ staff and volunteers affixed satellite telemetry tags to the dorsal fins of three dolphins and released the marine mammals back into the ocean.

Working in co-operation with local fishermen, the scientific crew located the local dolphin groups and attached the satellite tags on two males and one female dolphin.

Ms Mihelcic elaborates how data is transmitted to a satellite and downloaded by Dolphin Quest researchers to reveal dolphin movements and diving behaviour.

The satellite tags are small and lightweight and are designed to automatically detach from the dolphin’s fin after a few weeks.

A marine research associate at Dolphin Quest, Leigh Klatsky, organised the Bermuda Dolphin Tracking Study in conjunction with the Bermuda Maritime Museum and the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ).

While Dr. Jay Sweeney, co-founder of Dolphin Quest, led the Bermuda Dolphin Tracking Project team along with Ms Klatsky.

As for their findings, Ms Mihelcic explains: “The only female dolphin, Bermudiana, was tracked for 12 days, while one of the two males, Chip, was tracked for 14 days and the other male, JD, was tracked for 46 days. Both Bermudiana and Chip travelled north-east to Muir Seamount, nearly 250 kilometres from Bermuda before the tags stopped transmitting, while JD remained close to Bermuda during this tracking period.”

Scientists also found that Bermudiana dove to depths exceeding 1,950 feet - by far the deepest dives recorded for the species.

In her recent San Diego State University masters thesis, based on the initial 2003 Bermuda Dolphin Tracking Project, Ms Klatsky theorised that the ocean-going dolphin’s aptitude for deep diving may be timed to coincide with the movements of deep-dwelling squid, other invertebrates and fish, which dolphins seek as a source of food.

Ms Klatsky and the Bermuda Wild Dolphin Tracking team hope to continue monitoring the comings and goings - and the ups and downs - of JD, Chip and Bermudiana in the near future.

Meanwhile back on dry land, Bermuda’s schoolchildren followed the dolphin’s progress on the Internet and incorporated the real time research reports into lessons in maths and local marine life.