Fin of the Month: SOKA and c2SOKA

Meet SOKA, a well-known Indian River Lagoon dolphin, and her calf, c2SOKA.

Florida Atlantic University’s Marine Mammal Stranding and Population Assessment (MMSPA) team first sighted SOKA on Dec. 4, 2020, and has since documented her more than 30 times between Sebastian and Jupiter inlets. This past winter, she welcomed her second known calf, c2SOKA, who is now approximately 10 months old.

On Aug. 3, the MMSPA team saw SOKA and c2SOKA during a photo-ID survey in the St. Lucie River and noticed that the calf had significant boat strike injuries to the dorsal fin. While the wounds were severe, bottlenose dolphins are remarkable healers, and propellor injuries that are confined to soft tissues areas like the dorsal fin are often survivable.

On Sept. 2, the team sighted c2SOKA again, traveling with mom near the Wabasso Bridge. The team was relieved to see that, in just one month’s time, the wounds showed significant healing. The calf appeared to be in good body condition and kept up with mom as they socialized with other dolphins. Through consistent photo-ID efforts, the MMSPA team will continue to track c2SOKA’s progress.

While c2SOKA’s healing progress is encouraging, propellor injuries to the dorsal fin can increase an animal’s risk of becoming entangled, as the injury creates crevices where gear can get caught. And while researchers are happy to see mom and calf continuing to thrive, not all dolphins are as lucky to survive a hit. Everyone can help prevent boat strikes. By staying vigilant on the water and giving wildlife space, the public can help protect dolphins like c2SOKA while sharing the waterways with native wildlife.

Report marine mammals in distress by calling the FWC hotline (888) 404-3922. All work conducted under NOAA NMFS permit #29340.