Wednesday, February 14, 2018

JoJo has a Puncture Wound

Hi All, This weather pattern just won't give up. I'm not complaining I could be shoveling snow! However, I do wish the wind would calm down! The ospreys are both out this morning, perhaps they are fishing together. We head out Leeward through the channel markers and the waves are all but washing over our bow. We get the hydrophone in the water, what a racket! They must be right really close. Melanie our guest gets to hear how eerie they sound from low grunts to high pitched squeaks. We look all over and circle slowly but don't see a spout. The big waves are not helping us spot them. We decide it's best to head in before our friend turns green and doesn't want to come out with us ever again! Now, to find dolphins in the somewhat quieter water. JoJo appears to be waiting for us right past Leeward. He wants a ride toward Beaches. Once we get there he branches off but stays near Spy Hop. That usually means he wants company. I get in. As we are swimming along I notice a protrusion along his throat. I can see something has happened but I'm not sure what. I'll need him to turn over so I can see what is going on. He takes me over to Beaches where there are lots of boats milling around. He wants to circle our boat right in the middle of all this. Perhaps a short nap. I'm waiting for a good opportunity to see the wound and more importantly to get some footage so I can show Mark, the island vet who helps me with dolphin questions. I get my chance when he goes down to scratch on our anchor line. He's very careful not to rub the wound. I can see swelling and a punture about as big as a quarter. JoJo and I then swim off to explore a buoy. JoJo apparently sonared and knew something was going on. When we got there a kayak was right near it with tools. There was also a diver in the water holding a wrench. JoJo dove down to inspect. He then came up for a little "bang the buoy" but I think he was more interested in what the diver had done to the chain attaching the buoy to a block at the bottom of the ocean. I got a better look at JoJo's punture and good footage to send Mark. I think it was a good sign he wanted explore and scratch on the anchor line. As soon as I got back to the condo I sent off pictures to Mark. He said that it was a punture wound that was infected and ready to pop out the foreign body. He thought it might have been from coral or a ray barb. I imagine coral seeing he is always rolling in it. I have never seen him have any interest in a ray but who knows! In any case Mark thought it should resolve on its own but wanted me to keep an eye on it which of course I will.

JoJo has Punture Wound from Jay Sargent on Vimeo.

JoJo is curious about what's going on with the buoy from Jay Sargent on Vimeo.

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