Tanner represents everyone at DRC in thanking our nation's
military and veterans. His grandmother, Theresa, served in the U.S. Navy.

To salute the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, Dolphin Research Center (DRC) is offering free admission to veterans and current military service personnel and a guest on Veteran’s Day, November 11th. Personnel only need to show their military identification cards or other proof of military service when they arrive at the facility. Dolphin Research Center offers fun-filled, educational narrated demonstrations throughout the day and a variety of exciting interactive programs that bring you up close to their family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. The nonprofit facility is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at mile marker 59 on Grassy Key in the heart of the Florida Keys. For more information, call 305-289-1121, or visit DRC's website at http://www.dolphins.org/.
Throughout the year, the center offers a military discount of $3.00 off the regular adult admission. This discount is available to all military personnel and veterans. The center's oldest dolphin is herself a veteran. Theresa, believed to be in her early-to-mid-50s, spent time in the United States Navy's dolphin research program. Several staff members also served in the armed forces, including Chief Operating Officer Mandy Rodriguez who served in the U.S. Marine Corps. On the facility's grounds, there is a special garden area dedicated to veterans of all wars. This garden was installed by a group of veterans who participated in a dolphin assisted therapy program. It was rededicated in August with a special ceremony.

Happy Halloween!

Pandora and all of us at DRC hope you have a "spooktacular" Halloween.

Dolphin Research Center's Object Permanence Study

DRC's latest research study on What do dolphins understand about hidden objects? was recently published by the prestigious journal Animal Cognition. If you've visited Dolphin Research Center anytime in the last few years, chances are you saw this project in action. We've also produced a video that explains the study and what we found out about the dolphins in the process.

Check it out!

Holiday Photo Ops Return!

Warm sun, sparkling oceans and stately palm trees might not have the Florida Keys in the holiday spirit yet, but Dolphin Research Center (DRC) is giving guests a head start on their holiday photos. From now until December 22nd, when you participate in DRC’s Meet the Dolphin program, you can also pose with the dolphins for a holiday photo. We'll even have some props such as Santa hats, reindeer antlers, and holiday wreaths to use while posing.

DRC’s experienced photographers will shoot the pictures using high-resolution digital cameras.

Meet the Dolphin gives guests the opportunity to go onto the floating dock to give backrubs and share a “flippershake” with a dolphin. The program is offered several times each day on a walk-in basis and costs $25 per person in addition to general admission prices. The photos can be supplied on CD for $25 (including all members of the family), or as prints. Print prices vary depending on number ordered.

It's fun for you and the dolphins, and you'll have a holiday photo you'll always remember!

Great Dolphin Items Available at Online Auction!

This gold and larimar pendant and beautiful crystal statue are just two of the items available!

Our Founders’ Weekend is coming up November 14th and 15th and the highlight of Saturday dinner has always been the auction. At prior events we’ve always had many people who were not able to attend the dinner but wanted to participate in bidding on some of the wonderful donated items. This year we’re giving everyone a chance to bid by sponsoring an online auction on our website. It’s NOW online and available for you to view and bid!

To bid on items such as crystal dolphins, works of art, and jewelry, all you need to do is click here or type http://www.dolphinsociety.net/Founders2009/Auction/drcauction.html in your browser to go directly to our online auction site. All proceeds from this auction go to supporting DRC’s mission and the dolphins and sea lions in our care. Good luck and have fun bidding on your favorite item!

Merina Does Her Part for the Environment!

Recently, a staff member, Kris, walked by the front lagoon and stopped to speak with a family of visitors. The guests were completely enamored with the beautiful lady dolphins and little Jax. They asked the staff how we tell the dolphins apart and wanted to know the names of each dolphin.

As the Kris pointed out Ras and Gypsi, she noticed a piece of plastic floating in the water. (From time to time, unfortunately, things drift into the lagoons from the water outside the fences.) Excusing herself from the family, she noticed that all of the dolphins followed her towards the middle dock. She grabbed a target pole and tried to get the floating debris, but no luck! It was just out of reach. The next thing she knew, Merina came to the rescue. She swam up under the plastic, grabbed it in her mouth and swam over to the dock.

After Kris took the plastic, she gave Merina a little pat on the melon and told her she was awesome. The visiting family applauded! Merina gave a little jump and vocalized a small scream as if proud of herself for saving the day and doing what she good to protect the environment. She sure gave the visitors and Kris something to remember for a long time.

DRC's Latest Research Study Published!

In the top picture, Administrative Director of Research Emily Guarino demonstrates how we asked the dolphins to choose which container held the alligator. In the second photo, she shows Tanner that he got the answer correct!

Research Explores Dolphins Understanding of Hidden Objects

Grassy Key… When you watch someone put chocolate into a cabinet, you know where to find the treat, even when you can’t see it. If a person shows you a gold coin in their hand, reaches into their pocket, and then, when they remove their hand, they are no longer holding the coin, you’ll have no problem figuring out where that gold must be. This ability to reason about things that have disappeared from view is known as object permanence. It has been studied in many land animals, and now Dolphin Research Center (DRC), located in Grassy Key, FL, is the first to explore this ability with marine mammals. Dolphin Research Center’s research paper on What Do Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Understand About Hidden Objects was recently published by the prestigious scientific journal Animal Cognition.

“When you show an object to a human infant who’s only a few months old and then hide it, as far as the baby is concerned, it's as though the object ceases to exist. They won't look for it,” explains Research Director Dr. Kelly Jaakkola. “By the time humans are around 12 months old, they seem to realize that the object still exists and search for it even if they can’t see it.”
For this study, DRC’s researchers hid an object -- a plush toy alligator -- in one of three containers while the dolphins watched. They then asked the animals to choose the container holding the alligator. The dolphins chose correctly with a high rate of accuracy.

Several other non-human species have demonstrated this ability -- which scientists call "visible displacement" -- including gorillas, chimpanzees, parrots and dogs. DRC next explored a harder condition called “invisible displacement”. This time, they showed dolphins the plush alligator being hidden in a cylinder. They then placed the cylinder in one of three containers and emptied the alligator into the container where the dolphin could not see this action take place. They showed the dolphin the empty cylinder, and again asked it to choose the container holding the alligator.

Chief Operating Officer/Co-Founder Mandy Rodriguez places the alligator in a cylinder while Pax watches.

Apes are the only animals besides humans that demonstrate they can solve these kinds of trials. Since apes, humans and dolphins share other specific cognitive skills – including mirror self-recognition, ability to imitate and to understand symbols– DRC’s scientists fully expected that dolphins would also succeed with invisible displacement. Surprisingly, they didn’t.

“The reasons why remain unknown,” Jaakkola said. “There are many possibilities. They might lack an understanding of containment, since containers as we understand them do not exist in the sea. Also, in their underwater world, dolphins use echolocation, which is their natural sonar. If a fish disappears beneath the sand, for example, dolphins can echolocate and still perceive exactly where the fish is located. Perhaps they just don’t need this ability in the first place. Further research could address this puzzle.”

Even though the dolphins did not demonstrate the ability they expected, DRC’s research team is anything but disappointed. “Our studies are helping to build a more complete picture of dolphin cognition,” Jaakkola adds. “To do that, it’s just as important and fascinating to figure out what they can’t do as well as what they can, so that we can really begin to understand how they think and learn.”