Talking with Dolphins

Are dolphins as curious about us as we are about them? Dr Anjani Ganase talks with linguist/ bio-acoustician, Syam Nath of the TT Cetacean Sighting Network after a joyful encounter

Rough-tooth dolphins off Rocky Point Tobago. Photo courtesy Anjani Ganase

The morning started like any other. The boat was loaded by 8 AM at Gibson Jetty, we motored slowly through the Bon Accord Lagoon and exited the reef through its northern channel. As we exited the reef, we were met by a pod of curious dolphins. Turns out they were a group of 10 - 12 rough-tooth dolphins (Steno bredanensis) cruising the area. The boat driver did not deviate course, however, maintaining a steady speed. As we made our way to Mt Irvine, the dolphins approached the boat to bow ride. I can spend thousands of hours at sea and my response to dolphins is always the same: exhilarated joy.

As we arrived at our dive destination at Mt Irvine, the boat slowed and the pod moved on, or so we thought. After an hour diving, we surfaced to realise that the pod was lingering around Rocky Point, and there were snorkellers in the water with them. We observed from the distance as the dolphins moved about the snorkellers, not wanting to ruin a special experience. As the other boat moved on, the dolphins continued to hang around, so we decided to cruise over very slowly. If the dolphins were not interested in us, they would swim away, and we would leave them alone and that would be fine. One diver got in to test the waters. They seem to be as intrigued in us as we were, and so the second diver, and then another, entered the water.

Rough-tooth dolphins off Rocky Point Tobago. Photo courtesy Anjani Ganase

They swam among us, making eye contact. We listened to the sounds they were making. What were they saying to each other? After ten minutes, we decided to leave them and return to the bay. They followed the boat back into the bay and passed as we rolled back into the water to do our second dive. We could still hear distant sounds underwater. The rest of the day, everyone on the boat had a smile on their face.

Rough-tooth dolphins off Rocky Point Tobago. Photo courtesy Anjani Ganase

Working in the ocean for many years, these are the rewarding moments that we look forward to. Even better is to be able to share these moments for scientific research and educational purposes. For this reason, I always carry a camera, whether it is for a walk along the beach or on every work dive just in case there was something important to record.

I believe Syam Nath, Lead Scientist and Director of Trinidad and Tobago Cetacean (all species of whales, dolphins and porpoises) Sighting Network (TTCSN) would agree with me. Syam hopes that through the Network a visual archive of cetaceans found in our waters can be collected and used to understand the populations of cetaceans, their movements and behaviours, as well as discern any impacts we may have on them. The findings would be critical to their conservation.

The goal of the Network is to have eyes and ears on the presence of these animals. We collect information on their location, and use pictures and videos collected to identify the species, observe behaviours and even audio recordings to study their communication.

Syam’s personal interest in cetaceans is centred on communication. He would extract the sounds of the dolphins on the videos I collected for analysis. I returned to the videos, this time listening with my eyes closed, the whirring sounds, the high-pitched squeaks, and random clicks were recognisable. With a background in linguistics and psychology, Syam continued his studies with a Master of Arts in Cognitive Science and Language at the University of Barcelona in 2013, followed by a second master’s degree in Bioacoustics at the Jean Monnet University - Saint-Etienne, in France in 2022. During his time in Spain and France, he also picked up both languages. While working on bio-acoustic research on cetaceans in Spain, Madagascar and the Lesser Antilles, he realised that there was a major gap in knowledge of cetaceans around Trinidad and Tobago. A gap he is eager to close.

TTCSN volunteers logging observational data. Credit to Nicholas Walker of exploringtt34 (@exploringtt34 on instagram)

The Gulf of Paria, he tells me, was a haven for whales, in fact Columbus referred to it as the Gulf of Whales. As a result, Trinidad was home to whaling stations from the mid 1800s to early 1900s. Historical records show the presence of humpback whales, Bryde’s whales along our shores, yet today very little formal monitoring is done, aside from the Trinidad and Tobago Marine Mammal Stranding Network, which records data of strandings as opposed to populations in the water.

“Trinidad is especially unique due to our position on the continental shelf and has the potential to attract other deep-water species that may not be seen as frequently in other parts of the Caribbean, and this is justified by historical records in the National Archives of T&T and Spain,” says Syam.

The TTCSN consists of a small group of academics and enthusiasts involved in the gathering of visual and audio data. Information is largely collected from reports and media from recreational users, some fisherfolk and the diving community. They do their own information gathering and would take volunteers along. This doubles as a training excursion where volunteers are educated in cetacean identification, how to collect data, and most importantly how to responsibly interact with the whales and dolphins.

We’ve done a pilot outing down the islands in mid-July. There were about 13 of us - a mix of academics and enthusiasts,” said Syam “On the trip, the group observed a pod of bottlenose dolphins, and for many, it was the first time seeing these animals in real life. We hope to have more trips like this in the future.

Bottlenose dolphin taken off of Chacachacare. Photo credit Nicholas Walker of exploringtt34 (@exploringtt34 on instagram)

The Network has only been active for a few months, and already they have received information of two species of dolphins – the false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) and rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) – that are rarely studied around the world. The Network - through the regular outings, social media and other communication platforms - also aim to provide important lessons on how we should reasonably interact with cetaceans without causing harm.

“Whales and dolphins are intelligent, wild, carnivorous animals and should always be treated with respect. There are generally recognised guidelines from the World Cetacean Alliance (www.worldcetaceanalliance.org), such as not harassing cetaceans in their habitat or putting them under distress and allowing them to approach you instead of you approaching them. That way it works out as the best encounter for both parties involved,” Syam confirmed

Bottlenose dolphin taken off of Chacachacare. Photo credit Nicholas Walker of exploringtt34 (@exploringtt34 on instagram)

Humans also impact cetaceans harmfully in several ways. Numerous research has shown the harmful impacts of oil spills on cetaceans; from the ingestion and inhalation of the toxic substance to long-term impacts on reproduction. Many whales have washed up around the world with their bellies full of plastic waste. Shipping activities increase the risk of collision, fishing activities can result in by-catch. Chemical pollutants released from industries can impair biological functions. Here in Trinidad and Tobago, we need to be more mindful of how all our activities especially industrial will impact all our marine life, including the cetaceans and work toward managing impacts.

Through the TTCSN, Syam hopes that the engagements with these fascinating creatures will eventually drive conservation and protection. He quotes the words of Jacques Cousteau:

On aime ce qui nous a émerveillé, et on protège ce que l'on aime.

We love what amazes us, and we protect what we love.

TTCSN volunteers logging observational data. Credit to Nicholas Walker of exploringtt34 (@exploringtt34 on instagram)

The core TTCSN consists of Syam Nath (Lead Scientist and Director), Shauna Edghill (Vice President, Research Assistant, Bsc Ecology & Environmental Science from UWI), Sean Wong MBA (Business Advisor), Jeremy Moodoo MBA (Secretary). Follow TTCSN on Instagram (@ttcsn_org) and report any sightings to info@ttcsn.org

Syam Nath