In order to promote the sharing of information about the bottlenose dolphins of the Tiputa area, the association 'Dauphins de Rangiroa' has started distributing the photo directory of the bottlenose dolphins of Tiputa to various local tourism-related structures - dive centers, guesthouses, tourism committee, etc. This poster illustrates the silhouettes of the dorsal fins of the dolphins belonging to the Tiputa community, their sex, and the name given to them in our catalogs. Even if other morphological, pigmentation, and behavioral criteria can help us recognize individuals, it is the most universal way to identify dolphins.
To facilitate cross-referencing, the dolphin named 'Câline' on the poster is the same as 'Mata' or 'Sashimi', and the one named 'Zélie' is 'La Glue'. In our databases, we use an individual code to avoid confusion related to the different names given to the dolphins most frequently observed by divers and other tourism providers.
The distribution of the poster will continue in the coming weeks, subject to any measures that may be taken to limit the spread of covid-19 in the Polynesian islands.
See you soon!