Experts Attempt to Teach a Baby Dolphin to Speak

In a Florida Keys marine mammal rehabilitation facility one special dolphin is pregnant. Being pregnant isn't what makes this dolphin unique, the soon mother to be is also deaf. She was a stranded Atlantic bottlenose dolphin and was given the name Castaway. She arrived at Marine Mammal Conservancy in late January and is due to give birth in about a month.

Castaway was originally stranded off Vero Beach and spotted in November of 2006, she was in the care of Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota and deemed healthy enough for release after convalescing for more than two months. However instead of swimming offshore, she returned to the beach. After doing so three times she was transported to the Keys for more examination.

A battery of tests suggested that the dolphin, Castaway, was deaf and could not be released back into the wild for her own safety. The diagnosis was confirmed by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Marine mammal experts are concerned about the deaf dolphin's well being and are equally concerned for her unborn calf's well being.

"We asked ourselves `How do we get the calf to speak when we have a deaf mother?"' said Robert Lingenfelser, president of Marine Mammal Conservancy.

While in the womb the calf will not hear his or her mother talking and there are concerns about how well the dolphin would learn to communicate after it is born.

"The calf gets really upset when we do ultrasound," Lingenfelser said and added "Even before it is born, we want the calf to have an idea of what normal dolphin vocalization is." This leads Lingenfelser to believe that the unborn calf can already hear.

A dolphin's hearing ability is very important for their survival because they have to utilize dolphin sonar. When listening to echoes of sounds they produce, dolphins are able to find food, defend themselves against predators and other dangers and socialize.

Lingenfelser's question 'How do we get the calf to speak when we have a deaf mother?' is going to be attempted to be answered. Castaway's habitat will be connected to a lagoon at Dolphins Plus a few miles away. Dolphins Plus is an research and interactive educational facility. Underwater microphones and speakers were installed, via phone lines donated by AT&T Florida, at both locations.

Although the unborn calf won't be hearing his or her mother speak they will be hearing other dolphins. Castaway and her calf will be staying at the conservancy of a minimum of nine months after the calf is born. During that time experts will be able to determine if the two dolphins can be released in the wild and know that they will be safe.