Friday, March 16, 2007
Tagging Program Searches for Source of Big NC Dolphin
 In many ways dolphin, a.k.a. mahi mahi, are the perfect bluewater gamefish. On top of being one of the most beautiful and colorful fish in the sea, dolphin are incredible fighters and go airborne at a moment's notice. Best of all they are also one of the most delicious gamefish around. A lot of pressure has been put on dolphin populations and despite their prolific reproduction, marine scientists have been trying to keep a close eye on them to make sure they remain a viable food source for anglers and billfish alike. Don Hammond, who retired last year from his job as a SC Division of Marine Fisheries biologist, has made it his personal mission to establish the finest dolphin tagging program anywhere. A few years back, Florida scientists managed to tag 57 dolphin - Hammond's group has tagged over 6,100 dolphin off the North and South Carolina coasts to date. Hammond is now looking for the secret to NC's disproportionately larger dolphin as compared to other southern states. Although dolphin are known to migrate north and south from the Carolinas to Florida, Floridian fishermen rarely catch big bulls. Hammond's theory is that a second, previously undiscovered migratory route exists between NC and the Bahamas. Last week he and the Beaufort, NC crew of the Makara with Capt. Tom McMurray spent the week fishing out of Highborne Cay in the southeastern Bahamas and were able to tag and release 24 dolphin to start the study. Hammond's group offers rewards for anglers to return their tags. Dolphin are tagged with either a 6 inch yellow or orange "spaghetti tag"; yellow tags offer a tagging study t-shirt for the return of information and orange tags offer a t-shirt and a $20 reward. More on the tagging program is available from the Myrtle Beach Sun News and be sure to check out Hammond's program, dolphintagging.com to learn how you can contribute to this great research.
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