ABACO WHALES & DOLPHINS: BMMRO SIGHTINGS & NEWSLETTER
I haven’t posted Abaco whale, dolphin & manatee news for a while. Time for a catch-up. Georgie the young manatee that left her mother Rita and came to Abaco from the Berry Is. alone, is no longer here. She survived a very long journey, and investigated various coastal areas of Abaco – all the while being tracked. In the end she settled down in the Cherokee area. There were anxious times during Hurricane Sandy when she went missing (having by now shed her tracking device) but she eventually reappeared at Cherokee having found a safe haven from the storm. Sadly, however, her condition deteriorated and in the New Year she was relocated to Atlantis Dolphin Cay Marine Mammal Rescue Center. Some weeks ago a healthy Georgie was moved to a sea-pen to acclimatise her for release back into the wild.
Read more about Georgie the Manatee’s epic trip HERE and about the operation to relocate her HERE
ABACO DOLPHINS – A MOTHER & HER CALF 
The Bahamas Marines Mammal Research Organisation (BMMRO) is based at Sandy Point, Abaco. A number of research projects are underway, and recently these have involved work on Andros. The team are now back, and encountering Abaco’s own dolphins and whales. The main photos on the page have all been taken in the last week or so. [The header is by Norwegian artist Roll Inge Haaver]
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN, ABACO
SPERM WHALE ‘TAILING’, ABACO (1 of 3 found yesterday using acoustic tracking)
BMMRO CHART OF CETACEAN SIGHTINGS FOR MARCH 2013
Of special note are the big whales – 3 sperm whales, and a humpback whale reported close to Cherokee.
Sperm whales. Humpbacks. How big are they? This useful chart shows the average lengths of various whales. I grabbed it off the internet a while ago, but regrettably forgot to mark the source. So, apologies to the originator for using it uncredited, a cyber-sin I try to avoid.
Finally, the BMMRO’s latest 4-page Newsletter contains a wealth of information about their current activities, some great pictures, and even a quiz – check out BMMRO NEWSLETTER_Apr13
Click logo to link
ROLLING HARBOUR ABACO 
And thanks to BMMRO we have identified at least 3 healthy Manatees on Long Island one traveling from Stella Maris in the north to ClarenceTown in the south. Thanks, Kendria and Diane. What is attracting these gentle sea cows? Grass and clear water. B
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That’s wonderful news Barbara, thanks for the comment. The recent increase in manatee sightings is very encouraging… that said, it’s sad that Abaco’s sole manatee had to be relocated. She was quite a star! All the best, RH
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