A new app helps people track dolphin sightings in the Chesapeake Bay. You can find out where dolphins are and even upload videos of your own sightings. "This time of year is a great time to see dolphins," said Jamie Testa, project coordinator for Chesapeake Dolphin Watch.
Ocean City isn't the only place where you can see Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. From Havre de Grace to Virginia Beach, you can keep track with an app called Chesapeake Dolphin Watch. "They are all from opportunistic sightings. They are just out, enjoying their day on or near the water, they happen to see dolphins and they report them to us," Testa said.
The easy-to-use app was launched in 2017 from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. "If you're not fortunate enough to see bottlenose dolphins, you could use the app to explore other people's sightings," Testa said. "You can browse around, look at where the sightings are on the map, as well as images."
Testa said the information is more than just fun to have, it's used to study dolphin movement and behavior. "We're looking at where they go, how far upriver, how far downstream, which creeks they're checking out," Testa said. "Some of the behaviors that we get from the sightings, like it appears that they were feeding, or sometimes we see video footage showing mating behavior."
The app is free — all you need is a name, email and password to register.
I'll report dolphins if I see them, but I'll be damned if I put a new app on my phone to do it.
The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: The Almost Perfect Picture ready and willing to collect clicks.
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