Fin of the Month: STAR
Researchers Track an Indian River Lagoon Dolphin that Forages for Bottom Fish
Meet STAR, a resident bottlenose dolphin of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). STAR is most frequently sighted by the FAU Harbor Branch Marine Mammal Stranding and Population Assessment (MMSPA) team between Hutchinson Island and the St. Lucie Inlet.
Bottlenose dolphins are highly adaptive animals known to develop feeding techniques specific to their environment, and the IRL locals, including STAR, have learned how to use some of the lagoon’s characteristics to their advantage.
In the southern region of our study area — particularly in the south fork of the St. Lucie River where STAR spends much of their time — we have frequently observed dolphins lifting and waving their flukes straight up into the air, almost head-stand style, before resurfacing with mud coating their heads and dorsal fins. This behavior is thought to be similar to crater-feeding, a foraging technique used to root out bottom-dwelling fish that rest or partially burrow into the muddy sediment. Of the many times this behavior has been observed by our team, STAR has often been the star of the show.
If you see marine mammals while out on the water, please remember to stay at least 50 yards away and admire them from a distance. If you see a marine mammal in distress, please call the FWC hotline (888) 404-3922. All work conducted under NOAA NMFS permit #29340.