Background
During the summer of 1987 over 740 bottlenose dolphins died due to unknown causes on the East Coast of the United States. In response to the need for basic background information concerning the bottlenose dolphin, several research groups were founded in order to begin the study of these animals. In the Spring of 1993 a number of these independent research organizations joined together and founded "The Atlantic Dolphin Research Cooperative" (ADRC) in order to gain a better understanding of the dolphins migratory patterns, which is critical to a better understanding of these animals. Meeting at annual Spring conferences ADRC researchers have been able to match dolphins between research areas. Currently ADRC research groups are situated from New Jersey to Florida. For years there has been one huge gap in this research network, the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Considering the difficulties of getting a new research group started in the Outer Banks, Captain Richard Mallon-Day and his wife, Kate, founded the "Nags Head Dolphin Watch", a commercial Dolphin Watching business in order to provide a platform for carrying out the much needed research. The Outer Banks, north of Cape Hatteras is the critical nexus for most of the migratory dolphins. Few dolphins can be found north of Cape Hatteras during most winters, so the bulk of the migrating dolphins, perhaps 10,000+ in number, MUST pass through this section of the coast.

Objectives
The objectives of "The Nags Head Dolphin Watch" is to help gain a better understanding of the bottlenose dolphins by carrying out a long-term Photo-ID study of the dolphins in the Outer Banks. Our second objective is to provide a platform and base of operations for other dolphin researchers.

First Year Accomplishments
During the first week of operation "The Nags Head Dolphin Watch" was able to identify a dolphin known as "Onion". Onion is a known winter resident off of Beaufort, North Carolina, finding Onion in the Nags Head area means that he is the first dolphin for whom we know BOTH his summer and winter residence. This is a critical "First" for dolphin research.

The "Nags Head Dolphin Watch" also helped in the rapid recovery of a young dolphin who was killed by a large ship. "We were called over to the location of the dead dolphin by Captain Dave Eubank, who operates the Dolphin Watching boat for "The Waterworks". Captain Dave had found the dolphin within a few minutes of it's death. I advised Captain Dave that it was very important to recover the dolphin and he was able to get it into his skiff and back to the dock. It is vital to recover such a fresh animal because a necropsy will give us vital information about the lives of healthy dolphins in the Outer Banks. Tragically this dolphin was one of Onion's companions, he was a young "teenage" dolphin who attempted to swim under a large research vessel which was traveling down the channel. Unfortunately there was very little room beneath the vessel and the dolphin was hit by the props, during the necropsy it was estimated that death occurred in less than one second." said Captain Mallon-Day

The "Nags Head Dolphin Watch" was also able to show that a commercial dolphin watching business could be centered around research goals and be profitable. "During the last few years funding for basic biological research has been dropping at both Federal and State levels. I feel that researchers studying charismatic animals, such as dolphins, have other funding opportunities available to them that other researchers working with animals with less public appeal don't have. Therefore we are attempting to keep our research efforts funded through ticket sales alone, which will allow us to avoid competing with other researchers for dwindling funds.", said Captain Mallon-Day.

Future Goals
During the next few years we will be expanding the scope of our research, we will be looking at a wider area of the Northern North Carolina Sounds as well as looking at the dolphins who are seen from the beachfront. "We know that Onion and his companions go out of the sound and into the ocean." said Captain Mallon-Day, "On one day we followed them down to the Oregon Inlet bridge, later that day several fishermen reported seeing Onion off the beach by the Bodie Island Lighthouse. But we know that this group does not make up all of the dolphins which people see from the beaches."

The Nags Head Dolphin Watch will also be looking at expanding it's operational season from the May - September schedule to allow for several mid-winter research projects.

Marine Mammal Strandings
The Nags Head Dolphin Watch would also like to remind residents and visitors to the Outer Banks that dead or stranded whale, dolphin, porpoise, or seal must be reported to Katie Tohey at the National Marine Fisheries Service(NMFS) North Carolina Marine Mammal Stranding Network (919)728-8762. Reports should be made as rapidly as possible, the sooner that the animal can be recovered the more we can learn about it's cause of death.