Dive Into Your Imagination

Monday, October 13, 2008
I made it! Within my first week as a Mote intern, I have grown accustomed to stuffing thawed out frozen fish with vitamins and, for some animals, putting the fish on feeding sticks. This process creates a mess, but it is necessary to provide the best food and care for the animals I am helping to treat. I have also acquired over 20 mosquito bites – and that's just on one leg (while somehow nobody else in the office gets bit). I have returned to my rented condo after a long day to be greeted by a huge black snake in the bushes, a broken air conditioner, and my cat, who has discovered tiny pieces of fish bits that like to hide underneath my fingernails. This is definitely not the life of glamour – but then again, that's not what I signed up for.

During my first week I have also befriended several other devoted interns, tens of dedicated volunteers, and the hard-working staff of Mote's Dolphin and Whale Hospital. My time is shared between caring for Pete, the pygmy killer whale, and our three "Paps," a term we have generically nicknamed our sea turtles with papilloma tumors. When I am not feeding the animals or testing water qualities, I am cleaning, doing kitchen duties, folding laundry, and entering data onto the computers. But by far, one of my favorite things to do is take care of Pete. For this reason, I would like to introduce you to Pete and explain to you how our hospital is helping him.

This summer, Pete was brought to Mote's dolphin and whale hospital along with a second pygmy killer whale (later nicknamed Dallas), after stranding in Boca Grande, Fl. These two were transported to Mote for care on June 16 and began immediate treatment for a number of conditions. They were both very weak, so weak in fact that Dallas had to be supported in the water by volunteers in order to breathe! This lasted for three days! The two whales underwent a variety of treatments with antibiotics and MRI and CT scans, and remained under constant care. Sadly, after great improvement, Dallas suddenly developed acute pneumonia in the lungs and passed away on September 9. Pete, however, has continued to improve, and plans are being developed to release him. If everything goes as planned, Pete's release will be a landmark experience, and I cannot wait to share in the joy with the Mote team!

But first things first. Pete is still under 24-hour supervision, and it is my job to make sure he is fed, his tank is clean, and that he gets immediate care whenever he might need it. A common misconception is that Pete is a whale, when in fact, pygmy killer whales are actually a species of dolphin! He is about 7 feet long, has a small beak, and is all black except for white coloring on his face and underside. When we feed him, we stuff some medicine and/or vitamins into thawed fish (a messy task), to supplement the nutrition he gets from fish. We feed the dolphins frozen fish that has been thawed to avoid introducing parasites to them. We only feed the dolphins restaurant quality fish.

I also learned how to feed him at the edge of the tank! I blow through a whistle, and on the third blow, I make sure a fish smacks the water. Pete perks up and charges toward the sinking shiny fish. Food is presented with this whistle technique so that animals in the hospital associate food with a sound and not humans. (We, of course, want him to look for food on his own when he is released instead of associating humans with food which can be dangerous for the dolphins and people.) My favorite thing is when he grabs the fish in his mouth and shakes his head from side to side. I also learned that his feeding behavior is more similar to sharks than most dolphins because he approaches food with his mouth wide-open.

I was shocked but happy when during my first week, David, one of Pete's caretakers, invited me to meet Pete in the tank (and help scrub algae off the bottom – but that was beside the point)! I ran to the changing room, telling everyone on the way, "I get to go in the tank! I get to go in the tank!" and I suited up.

David showed me how to climb down the steep wall and hang from the rope like Tarzan. In the water, I got to meet Pete! He swam over to David and I during one of his laps, and when he got close, I had this huge grin on my face. I said, "Hiiiiii Pete!" I caught my breath and realized – I am working with a dolphin!!!

Since that day, I volunteer gladly to go down and scrub the tank. 
 
Until Pete's release, we will continue to monitor his breathing, appetite and behavior. Thanks to the great care he has received at Mote, Pete will soon be able to return to the life of a wild pygmy killer whale in the Gulf of Mexico! Check back next week and I will update you on Pete's progress! Until then, I will keep on scrubbing…

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