Team 1 recap, Day 2:

Today began with an eventful morning on our research vessel, Spyhop. After sputtering for a minute, our 1976 outboard motor roared to life and we were off the dock. We found a group of 15 dolphins right at the entrance of the harbor and quickly started snapping away with our camera. After about an hour of photographing, we obtained identifying photographs of almost all the dolphins. We photograph the dorsal fin of each dolphin to identify each individual. This coastal population of dolphins has been cataloged since 1989. Since then 167 dolphins have been identified and added to the catalog. We will use today’s photographs to determine who is using Monterey Bay this summer and who has a new calf this year. As we continued south we noticed that the engine began sputtering. We quickly turned for home and returned to Moss Landing. After filling the gas tank the engine sounded better and we headed back out. We turned north this time, but didn’t find any dolphins before the seas began building and we headed home once again.