Keith_Rittmaster – Cape Lookout Studies Program

Dolphin, porpoise, and mahi-mahi (dolphinfish)

Keith_Rittmaster — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:17:56 +0000

The interchangeable use of the terms “dolphin”, “porpoise”, and “mahimahi” contributes to the confusion regarding the occurrence and taxonomy of three distinct species. Dolphins and porpoises are marine mammals – warm-blooded, have lungs (air-breathing), and bear live young. The mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) is a fish – cold blooded, has gills (extracts oxygen from water), and […]

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“Rainbow” returns with a new calf

Keith_Rittmaster — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 01:41:55 +0000

“Rainbow”, #789 in our dolphin photo-identification catalog, is one of our best known bottlenose dolphins. First photographed in October, 1989, we’ve see her 62 times since then, most years during the months of October-April. On September 27, 2012 between Radio Island and Pivers Island we spotted her for the first time this season with a […]

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A young bottlenose dolphin dead with multiple entanglements

Keith_Rittmaster — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:59:45 +0000

On October 7th, 2011, Kat Fourhman of the NC Aquarium at Roanoke Island responded to a stranding of a dead bottlenose dolphin on the shore of Roanoke Sound near Manteo, NC. Paul Doshkov of Cape Hatteras National Seashore assisted with the investigation. It was a 175cm (5’ 9”) male. At that size he would […]

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Stumpy the Right Whale is Being Installed in the NC Museum of Science

Keith_Rittmaster — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Keith Rittmaster, the leader of Cape Lookout Studies Program,was in Raleigh, NC last week working with Dan DenDanto and his Whales and Nails team installing a reassembled 52 foot right right whale in the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Good practice for the 34 foot sperm whale that Keith will soon install in […]

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Dolphin ID and Razorbill

Keith_Rittmaster — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

It is unusual to see a Razorbill close to shore where this one was. They are interesting birds, on shore they stand upright like a penguin and they dive to at least 60 feet. The top right dolphin picture is shot through the water and with the Xenobalanus – known as Xeno(see post from Dec. […]

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Beaufort NC Dolphins – Fabulous Photographs Showing Dorsal Fins, Xenobalanus and Action

Keith_Rittmaster — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:35:00 +0000

A fabulous collection of Keith Rittmaster’s photographs of our local Beaufort, NC dolphins. Notice the differences in dorsal fins (the fin on the back). That is how we ID them and keep records of individual dolphins sometimes going back over 20 years. Notice in the upper right photo something hanging off the top of the […]

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Old Friends Return

Keith_Rittmaster — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:07:00 +0000

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Minke Whale Baleen

Keith_Rittmaster — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:35:00 +0000

MOST IMPORTANT – this article is just for your interest because it is illegal for anyone without an official government permit to possess any part of a marine mammal. This piece of baleen is legally permitted. As I was preparing to unfreeze and condition an entire rack of baleen from a minke whale that stranded in […]

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Keith Rittmaster’s Fabulous Presentations

Keith_Rittmaster — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:26:00 +0000

The first one on, Monday evening, September 26, was sponsored by Go-Science’s Science Cafe at McCurdy’s Restaurant on the Atlantic Beach Causeway.What a great crowd !!! His presentation was about Bonehenge (our sperm whale skeleton re-articulation project) and even though some of us had heard a presentation about Bonehenge several times, it was still fascinating. […]

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Post Hurricane Turtle Rescue on Indian Beach, NC

Keith_Rittmaster — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:34:00 +0000

Story and photographs by guest blogger Kim Merrels. Here’s the story of a wayward turtle, named “Squirtle” by his/her rescuers, as told told by Kim Merrels, long time Indian Beach resident and long time Cape Lookout Studies Program Volunteer: “On Sunday, Sept.4, 2011, several of us were enjoying a beautiful afternoon on Indian Beach. Jimmy Watkins noticed something […]

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