The Wild Dolphin Project
The Wild Dolphin Project (WDP), founded by Dr. Denise Herzing in 1985, is engaged in an ambitious, long-term scientific study of a specific pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins that live 40 miles off the coast of the Bahamas, in the Atlantic Ocean. For about 100 days each year, Phase I research has involved the photographing, videotaping, and audiotaping of a group of resident dolphins, aiming to learn about their lives.
The rest of the year is spent in the laboratory in Jupiter, Florida, archiving the information that has been gathered during the field season. WDP has now accumulated unprecedented amounts of baseline data about these dolphins, their relationships with other dolphins, and their daily lives in the ocean. In addition, we have grown up with, and intimately know, many of the individuals.