On October 19, 2012, a fresh dead bottlenose dolphin was reported floating near Bogue Sound at Emerald Isle.  NC Maritime Museum volunteers David and Bobbi Brown assisted Dr. Victoria Thayer from the NC Division of Marine Fisheries and NC Maritime Museum Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster in retrieving the carcass which was frozen for later analysis.  The carcass (#KAR030) was used as a valuable dolphin research and training tool for volunteers and students.  A careful exam and subsequent necropsy revealed fresh monofilament line scars from a gill net on all appendages of the otherwise healthy juvenile male bottlenose dolphin. The marine mammal stranding network reminds you to please make use of the fishing line recycle bins located along the coast.

            On October 7^th, 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 have been around 2 years old, still nursing, growing fast.  Monofilament line from 2 different types of gill nets surrounded the rostrum and left pectoral fin. 

The Cape Lookout Studies Program and the North Carolina Maritime Museum have a license plate program with a great conservation message.

By purchasing the special “Protect Wild Dolphin” NC Maritime Museum special license plate you will be supporting the museum’s research, conservation and education programs. Demonstrating your interest in protecting bottlenose dolphins and their habitat and making your car look better!

The coolest drivers Protect Wild Dolphins

The NCMM license plate proceeds help protect and increase our understanding of bottlenose dolphins that frequent the North Carolina coast.

Revenues from the plate sales will benefit the Cape Lookout Studies Program through the Friends of the Museum to support the education, conservation and research programs of the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

Keith Rittmaster with the right plate

Protect Wild Dolphins License Plate, better than an OBX sticker

Sale of the dolphin plates will benefit both this project, and environmental studies and educational field trips that are part of the Maritime Museum’s Cape Lookout Studies Program. For each $30 plate purchased, the Friends of the Maritime Museum support group will receive $20. To personalize a dolphin plate requires an additional $20.

Breakdown of Protect Wild Dolphins” license plate sales by quarter. It’s time to make your mark on the graph!

Ready for your “Protect Wild Dolphins” license plate?

Go to your local license plate agency

Contact the DMV at (919) 861-3575
Visit the NC DMV website special plates page and follow these steps:

• Click “Order a Special Plate”
• Click the letter “M” for Maritime Museum
• Click on the Protect Wild Dolphins License Plate image
• Click “Purchase this Plate” and follow on-screen instructions!
• Go to the beach and when you see dolphin fins, they’re saying “Thanks, bud!”