403rd Wing Public AffairsKEESLER AFB, Miss. (AFPN) No one knows how or why Noah, a rough-toothed dolphin, ended up near death on a Texas beach last August; however his journey home drew national attention July 15 when he was loaded onto a C-130J Hercules for a flight to Florida.

A crew from Air Force Reserve Command's 815th Airlift Squadron here was on an unrelated mission when told they were needed to deliver a special cargo. "We transport a lot of things for the Air Force and for other services, but this is definitely one of the more unusual missions I've ever supported," said Senior Master Sgt. Todd Patterson, a loadmaster. "I'm just glad we could help out with something like this," said Master Sgt. Steve Campanella, a 403rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief. ìThis means something, not only to Noah and the people who have worked so hard to get him healthy, but also to the community. Anytime we are able to help out with a humanitarian mission, whether it's carrying hurricane relief supplies in the (United States) or air dropping food in foreign countries, I'm always proud to be a part of those missions."

Lea Walker, regional director of the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, invited the crew out to meet Noah the day before the flight. When Noah was first brought in, he was so sick rescuers did not think he had a chance, Ms. Walker said. "He had so many problems," she said. "We just didn't want to get too attached."

Noah had several infections including ulcerations in his esophageal tract which prevented him from eating his normal diet. He also had an infection in his gums that caused them to swell and cover his teeth.

"That's how he got the name Noah," Ms. Walker said. "When we first saw him we thought he was very old and
didn't have any teeth." It turned out Noah was a middle-aged dolphin between 17 and 22 years old, and showed a determination to live from the beginning. He made a full recovery the past 10-and-a-half months and became healthy enough to travel back to his native waters in Florida.

Ms. Walker and her team of more than 30 volunteers nursed Noah back to health in a warehouse in Corpus Christi, Texas. There is a large tank in the warehouse, 40 feet across and filled with 40,000 gallons of salt water where the team treats injured dolphins like Noah. Ms. Walker has spent much of her time over the past 10 months searching for donations to keep the project going. "We have to change the water in the tank every five days," she said. "When we do that we have to add salt because we are using fresh water. The salt alone costs about $1,000 every time we change it out." Ms. Walker said she is fortunate to have found donors for its many needs such as fish food and medicine.

She was also able to get Coastal America to help arrange the airlift necessary to bring Noah home. Coastal America is a partnership of federal agencies, state and local governments, and private organizations working to protect, preserve and restore the nation's coasts. Ms. Walker said they never considered moving Noah over land because it would be too dangerous for his health and too traumatic.

To move the more than 300-pound dolphin, Ms. Walker's team had to construct a transport box about 10 feet long
and 3 feet wide. He was picked up in a harness and moved over into the box where he laid on air mattresses during the trip. "We can keep him comfortable in the tank for about a day," she said. "We really don't like to keep him out of the water that long."

When the team arrived at the aircraft, Ms. Walker brought along a small group of handlers who have worked with Noah, and Dr. Tim Tristan, a veterinarian with the Texas State Aquarium. Dr. Tristan kept Noah sedated during the move and monitored his condition. The others kept him wet using sprayers filled with water and kept him calm by talking to him and touching him. "We are very grateful to the Air Force Reserve for allowing this crew to come and help us move Noah," Ms. Walker said. "I don't know how we would have done it without them. Now I can relax, knowing that Noah is going to be OK."

"I'm glad we could work this out and that we were able to transport the whole team," said Maj. Erik Olson, pilot and aircraft commander. Major Olson and Capt. Todd Humphries, co-pilot, each took a few minutes to visit Noah during the flight. After landing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Noah was brought to Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City, Fla., where he joined three other dolphins. Rescuers are hoping the dolphins form a small pod and stick together when they are released back into the Gulf of Mexico.

To make a dontation to the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network go to: http://www.tmmsn.org

Dolphin World Florida Workshop Programs 1 through 4 day workshop programs, which can include, dolphin swim, wild dolphin encounter, waist deep dolphin encounter, sea lion swim, sting ray swim, ocean reef snorkel trip, and local environmental boat tour. Reserve Now!

If the most recent dolphin count is any indication, the waters are teaming with dolphins. Volunteers with the Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute (MERR) held a statewide dolphin count July 16, and they counted 691 dolphins in a four-hour period, according to Executive Director Suzanne Thurman. Last year, the volunteers counted about 400 dolphins.

"This is an unheard of number," she said. "We've never had more than 400." This is the 10th year that MERR has conducted the dolphin count. The most dolphins counted at any one place, in this year's count, was 134 dolphins at the point of Cape Henlopen.

The number has hovered in the 300 to 400 range in previous years, making this year's number a significant upward spike.

"We do the dolphin count to get a general census of the bottlenose dolphin population off the coast of Delaware," Thurman said. "Because we have done this for 10 years, we have a database so we can compare each year's count."

Thurman said MERR would like to keep track so that if there is a significant drop, it might be cause for a more formal and scientific study.

She said it's hard to know why the count is high this year. "I really don't know if the
actual numbers are up, or if there is a good food source here. It's really hard to tell."

The dolphin count involves volunteers lining the beaches of the entire Delaware coast. Liz Dumont, of Gravel Hill has come every year. "Instead of taking from nature, this is something we can do for the world," she said. Dumont held binoculars to her face throughout the count, taking them down only to record another dolphin sighting.

Dee Holm, a volunteer veterinarian for MERR who works at Haven Lake Animal Hospital in Milford, said she looks forward to the dolphin count.

"Seeing all these healthy dolphins is the fun part of my job," Holm said. Usually Holm is called when a dolphin has become stranded on the beach and is either sick or dying.

For more information on MERR, visit their website at www.merrinstitute.org.

Looking for Gift Ideas? Give A Dolphin World Gift Certificate!

To get your Dolphin World Gift Certificate:

1. Go to our online reservation page.
2. Once on the online reservation page, pick the program you would like give as a gift.
3. Fill out the reservation form, like a normal reservation.
4. Once you come to the comment section, please put Gift Certificate and any special instructions you might have.

Your Dolphin World vacation package will be sent to you immediately for you to give as a gift. No better gift for the true Dolphin lover than a Dolphin World vacation workshop.

Get a FREE Dolphin Photo and/or Dolphin Tee Shirt

Get A FREE 8"X10" Dolphin Photo
Place this Dolphin World link on your personal or business web site and we will you send you ONE (1) 8"X10" Glossy Print Photo of Dolphins, a $10.95 value FREE to you.  You must submit via email, info@dolphinworld.org your name, address and where you placed the link.

Plus, Get A $25 Coupon for a Dolphin Swim
Place a Dolphin World Banner on your personal or business web site and we will you send you a Dolphin World coupon worth $25.  You must submit via email, info@dolphinworld.org your name, address and where you placed the Banner.

Link Placement Instructions
To add a link to your site, click here for more information. Thank you for placing one of Dolphin World's link on your website!! We will reciprocate a link back to you if you have Florida, Dolphin, Marine Animal related website, please let us know.

// TOP \\

TropicalAdventure.com

Stuart Cove's Aqua Adventures – Nassau, Bahamas

When it comes to scuba diving, Stuart Cove's Aqua Adventures does not miss a beat. Owner Stuart Cove has years of unique experience in the field of scuba diving. His aptitude was first qualified when he was hired as a stunt diver for the film "For Your Eyes Only", James Bond's 1977 blockbuster film.

To find out more about this story, please read this article on TropicalAdventure.com. If you are outdoor lover, this would be a great trip for you. Read More!!

Win FREE Dolphin Swims Plus Snorkel Trip, Sunset Cruise Plus More From TropicalAdventure.com!

Click here to enter

See if you are the WINNER of last month!
Click Here

Visit DolphinWorld.org to see some incredible Dolphin images (Go!)