NOAA’s Trevor Spradlin addresses the audience at an open seminar on the dolphins Tuesday night.
It was science versus passion as marine mammal experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
sought to explain last night why they don’t intend to evacuate five remaining
Atlantic bottlenose dolphins from the Shrewsbury River in advance of a
possible freeze.
But the effort failed, in the view of some of the 100 or so people who showed up for a seminar on the dolphins’ plight at Monmouth University.
Again and again, non-experts pressed the scientists to put aside their
hydrophonic measuring measuring devices and dolphin diet studies to just act — by luring, herding or carrying the dolphins out to sea.
“Are you saying the plan is basically to watch these animals die?” asked Victor Amato, chief law enforcement officer of the Monmouth County SPCA,
who said he’d had dolphins perish in his arms. “All the [prey] in the
world isn’t going to help these animals once that river freezes over.”
“I
don’t need to see that,” snapped Scott Longfield of Fair Haven, when a
scientist displayed a bar chart in an attempt to answer one of his
questions. Like others, he insisted on action.
David Gouveia of NOAA, center, fielded questions from Karla LaVoie, left, and the SPCA’s Victor Amato, right.
As they have for months, though, the NOAA researchers said there’s
no indication that the dolphins need any help, and that giving it to
them could in fact kill them.
They noted that while three of the original 16 animals that took up residence in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers last June have died, eight others are unaccounted for and may have left the area.
They also noted that over the weekend, two of the pod members swam into Sandy Hook Bay but
returned to the river after two hours. NOAA officials said the dolphins appear
healthy and unstressed.
More basically, the scientists contend that the dolphins are wild animals that continually expand their habitat and can survive in cold waters — contrary to the insistence of several laymen who claimed that the dolphins are yearning for warm waters. NOAA researcher Aleta Hohn said dolphins live in oceans all over the world, including off the coast of Scotland.
“We might speculate, given their distribution around the world, that they can withstand colder temperatures, provided there’s enough prey,” she said.
Sue Barco, a marine mammal stranding expert from Virginia, recounted the six-year extended stay by a pod of dolphins in the Lynnhaven River in Virginia Beach, which has water temperature conditions similar to those in the Shrewsbury. In fact, the presence of two new dolphins that arrived in the Lynnehaven just before Christmas was confirmed Monday, she said.
But the members of the public who spoke appeared mostly concerned about a solid freeze-over, which NOAA officials acknowledged had not been seen in the Virginia example. They were unsatisfied by the assertion that NOAA has a contingency plan in place to help the dolphins if they strand themselves on beaches or appear trapped.
“Why aren’t you doing something before it’s an emergency?” asked Maura Kramer of Highlands, who said she’d seen “chunks of ice” in the Shrewsbury during the last week of December, shortly before a pregnant bottlenose was found dead on the Sea Bright side.
With the deepening cold of winter, “there may be deaths,” said David Gouveia, marine mammal program coordinator, NOAA Fisheries Service, Northeast Region.”It’s a wild population, but that’s what happens in wild populations.”
One NOAA expert characterized the split as a disagreement over
whether the agency’s mandate is to “save every individual” dolphin or
to protect the stocks of wild marine animals. The agency, he said, sees
its duty as the latter.
Earlier yesterday, a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
official wrote to NOAA head William Brennan imploring him to take up
offers from nonprofit stranding-assistance groups that have offered to
move the dolphins out of the river.
The dolphins, “who may be more intelligent than human beings and
certainly are every bit as emotional and family-oriented as we are,
will slowly die as winter progresses,” wrote PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch.
The plea follows similar ones issued by Congressman Frank Pallone and U.S. Senator Robert Menendez.
Wow. People are passionate about these dolphins. I admit, I like them too.. A bright spot from 2008.
So, of the summer population of 16-20, most chose to return to open water. The dolphins act on their own free will.
..Which prompts a question: How is it that an armchair philosopher from Fair Haven suddenly know better than career marine researchers and the dolphins themselves?
Perhaps Mr. Longfield and friends should seize ownership of my pet fish. They CERTAINLY know better.
Wow. People are passionate about these dolphins. I admit, I like them too.. A bright spot from 2008.
So, of the summer population of 16-20, most chose to return to open water. The dolphins act on their own free will.
..Which prompts a question: How is it that an armchair philosopher from Fair Haven suddenly know better than career marine researchers and the dolphins themselves?
Perhaps Mr. Longfield and friends should seize ownership of my pet fish. They CERTAINLY know better.
Look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottlenose_dolphin
They are classified as "least concern" - meaning who cares if some die just because they're cute.
On the other hand, think about the Dracula Ant. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adetomyrma
These creatures are "critically endangered" … where are the "armchair philosophers" on this one?
I agree with Mr. Ameika - let the experts do their work. NOAA doesn't tell Fair Haven and Rumson residents how to bankrupt companies using credit default swaps, so those same residents should let NOAA do their job.
" "who may be more intelligent than human beings and certainly are every bit as emotional and family-oriented as we are, will slowly die as winter progresses," wrote PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch."
I think the above should be edited to replace "human beings" with PETA Members.
Also many wild animals will die if we have a hard winter including squirrels, geese, deer, coyotes and countless others…it's called natural selection and a very large part of nature.
Our State and Federal governments are hemorrhaging money. Taxes are on the rise and services are being cut. I love dolphins as much as the next guy, but come on already! How much has been spent monitoring and studying these wild beasts? And why? Because of the TV Show Flipper?
Our State and Federal governments are hemorrhaging money. Taxes are on the rise and services are being cut. I love dolphins as much as the next guy, but come on already! How much has been spent monitoring and studying these wild beasts? And why? Because of the TV Show Flipper?
If they were as smart as people, they would probably would not choose a slow death by freezing so they know something we do not. I think they would have left if they did not want to be there. Leave them be.
People need to chill and let nature run its course. The urge to micromanage everything by do-gooders is laughable on many levels. Natural selection will take care of everything. If the animals become food for other animals, that's what they become. Dolphins and rivers have been here for millions of years. It's happened millions of times before.
As a former resident of Fair Haven/Red Bank, I have been watching this unfold. Admittedly, Scott is my brother. That is only a plus in my book. As a member of the USN assigned to a unit that I will only say performed "ocaeanographic operations". I have been in the water with Dolphins, Barracuda, and Great White sharks (off Alaska), and have never been threatened by any of them. But while in their presence, offering food, assistance, and friendship, established a bond that I will never forget. The closest was with a pod of dolphins off the coast of ***** (can not say). They were absolutely the most intelligent creatures I have ever encountered. A wounded(?) one wound up being the hit of the group with the humans involved. It showed…and the mammal improved in health and ability.
What personal involvement do the NOAA personnel have with these animals to know what they are thinking? Tank animals are cool, and you can learn much, but get in the water with them in their own habitat and see what happens. These are mammals … just like you and I. They are scared, and now VERY cold… I believe they would reach out to anyone that would lend them a hand. As of today, they are MIA … hopefully not a statistic. If your child was in trouble, what would you do? I would like to make mine the first to reach out ….
To Mr. Ken … I have two SW aquariums if you need a home for your fish ….
To Mr. Ken … I have two SW aquariums if you need a home for your fish ….
Bruce, you fed an animal and it seemed to like that you fed it, and so now you have a bond with it. Very thoughtful, Bruce. And you believe that the animals would lend a hand to anyone, Bruce. You are so kind, Bruce.