How is the GDRP funded?
The Environmental Institute of Houston, the University of Houston Clear Lake and the Galveston Bay Foundation provide the primary support for the GDRP. Additional support and funding has been provided through grants from the Trull Foundation, the SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation and Emergency Funds, Restore Americas Estuaries, and the Houston Zoo. Funds are also raised through local business supporters and private individuals through our Adopt-a-Dolphin campaign.
What is the Adopt-a-Dolphin program and how does it work?
The adopt-a-dolphin program allows citizens to symbolically adopt and/or name a dolphin in the GDRP catalog. Adoptions last a year and require a $150 donation. Namings are “permanent” and require a $2500 donation. While dolphins may be adopted by more than one donor, each dolphin will only be named once (the name will be utilized by the research team moving forward). You may participate in our adoption program by visiting the GBF adopt-a-dolphin webpage.
What kind of permits do you need to study dolphins?
The Marine Mammal Protection Act (federal law) requires that all marine mammal research in the USA is conducted under federal permit, issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
How many dolphins are found in Galveston Bay?
This can be a complicated question, as some dolphins may use Galveston Bay only temporarily and others may reside here year round. One recent estimate suggests a seasonal fluctuation in numbers with an abundance of between 842 (winter) and 1131 (summer) dolphins utilizing the Galveston Bay estuary (Ronje, E., 2019. Abundance and distribution of estuarine bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. University of Florida. M.S. Thesis.) Currently, the GDRP has over 700 distinctive dolphins in our catalog that were seen in Galveston Bay at least once.
Are there dolphin tours in Galveston Bay?
Yes. We do not have specific information about tour operators, but there are a few operating in Galveston. A good tour operator should follow the Marine Mammal Protection Act regulations and stay at least 50 yards from dolphins. They should also educate their customers about dolphins. We recommend riding the Bolivar ferry, as you can almost always see dolphins during the crossing, and it’s free!
How long do dolphins live?
Bottlenose dolphin have been known to live for up to 65 years in the wild. Average life span is considered to be 45-50 years.
How can I become a volunteer?
GDRP trains community volunteers through our field assistant volunteer program. We have an outstanding group of volunteers so we are not currently recruiting more, but future opportunities will be posted on the website and in our newsletter.
How can I become a student intern?
Student interns are periodically recruited through the Environmental Institute of Houston and the Galveston Bay Foundation. Applicants are expected to have serious career goals in a relevant field (marine and environmental sciences and/or environmental and conservation education) and be available to dedicate a significant amount of time to working with the program. Keep an eye out for announcements or contact us for more information.
Can I report a dolphin sighting?
If you spend a lot of time in Galveston Bay boating or fishing, you have probably seen your fair share of dolphins and you may wonder if we want to know when you see dolphins and where. We do! In fact, we encourage you to complete our online sighting form. Although we are unable to use public sighting data for most of our analyses, these observations may help to identify unusual sighting locations and trends and will be part of our public opportunistic sighting database.
Dolphin sightings can also take place from land! There are many places on the Bay where you can see dolphins from land, such as docks, piers and jetties. Sightings from these locations are especially helpful to the research crew because they tend to be in locations we may not often access from the boat. So please keep an eye out and take note of the date, time, location and approximate number of dolphins when you see them!
If you encounter dolphins while boating, it is imperative that you follow dolphin-friendly viewing guidelines. You must stay at least 50 yards away from them, limit observation time to 30 minutes, and put your engine in neutral. Never try to swim with, chase, corral, tease, touch or grab wild dolphins! Please carefully read our Dolphin Safe Viewing Guide and share this information with your fellow boaters and fishers.