International Dolphin Watch (IDW) Has an unblemished reputation as a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping dolphins since it was founded by Dr Horace Dobbs in 1978. www.idw.org TRIBUTE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011 People helping dolphins EDUCATION (The IDEAL Way) *(c) ‘Friends Waimea’ Photo by Leilani Tresise 1 CONTENTS TRIBUTE ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 A Personal Tribute to Jackie and Terry Connell ........................................................................................................... 3 EDITORIAL .................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 The Day Dolphins came to Cable Bay Far North of New Zealand ............................................................................... 7 Jackie and Terry Connell visit the Whaling Museum at Butler Point ....................................................................... 10 EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 The IDEAL Road ............................................................................................................................................................ 12 NEWS ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Sea Shepherd Interrupts Illegal Whale Slaughter ....................................................................................................... 15 An Early End to Japan’s Whaling Season, and What It Means for Dolphins ........................................................... 16 107 Pilot Whales Stranded in New Zealand ................................................................................................................. 17 Dolphin-killing film in Japanese sent to Taiji ............................................................................................................... 17 FRIENDS’ NEWS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Entering the Humpback Whale Sanctuary ................................................................................................................... 18 Wildquest Adventure Retreats ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Green Cities Foundation ................................................................................................................................................ 20 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ...................................................................................................................................................... 21 Helped By Dolphins ........................................................................................................................................................ 21 A dolphin experience that I will NEVER forget! ......................................................................................................... 22 Nothing has been the same since that day a dolphin popped up in front of me ........................................................ 23 Beautiful film of Dog, wild dolphins and humans interacting with LOVE (What a beautiful world). .................... 23 Spinner Dolphins playing in Hawaii 25 of january 2011 ............................................................................................. 24 Dolphins and Orca at Taupo Bay .................................................................................................................................. 25 He used to hunt dolphins, now he leads dolphin tours - join us in supporting him! ................................................. 26 ACTION ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 TOM AND MISHA JUMP FOR JOY .......................................................................................................................... 27 Dolphin Swim Australia Sponsors Sydney Harbour Swim Classic for Charity ........................................................ 28 ACHIEVEMENT ........................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Dilo the Dolphin Continues to Bring Joy to Children .................................................................................................. 29 in Czech Republic ........................................................................................................................................................... 29 RESEARCH ................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Birgit Baader researching ways to directly communicate and exchange information with cetaceans. ................... 34 HEPCA – Protecting and preserving the natural resources of the Red Sea and Egypt ........................................... 36 DILO AND THE ISLE OF THE GODS SERIALISATION ....................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 18 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 37 NOTE FROM THE EDITOR ....................................................................................................................................................... 38 SINCE COMPLETING THIS MAGAZINE, WE HAVE RECEIVED THE TERRIBLE NEWS ABOUT THE DISASTER IN JAPAN. WE HAVE HEARD FROM FRIENDS OF IDW THAT THEY ARE SAFE ALTHOUGH DEALING WITH THE TRAGEDY AS IT UNFOLDS. OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH ALL THOSE STILL IN THE AFFECTED AREA. 2 TRIBUTE A Personal Tribute to Jackie and Terry Connell by Horace Dobbs, Honorary Director of International Dolphin Watch Without the unstinting support of Jackie and Terry you would not be reading this magazine. Jackie and Terry Connell are one of the most generous married couples I know. The seed of our friendship was sown in 2000. Jackie was driving home from her work as a secretary at the Open University in Milton Keynes. I was at BBC Broadcasting House in London doing a live interview on my latest book Dolphin Healing with Johnny Walker on his Drive Time Show. Jackie was listening in her car. Jackie later told me: “When I arrived home I rushed indoors and told Terry to switch on the radio.” When the interview was finished Jackie told Terry: “I’ve got to make contact with Horace Dobbs.” We meet a short time later on the island of Bimini in the Bahamas where Rebecca Fitzgerald was running a Dolphinswim programme. Seeing the release of emotional tensions and the sheer joy that every member of Rebecca's group experienced when they swam with pods of excited, friendly, wild dolphins opened a door into another world for Jackie. Swimming with friendly wild dolphins changed Jackie's life As soon as she got back to England Jackie set about organising a DOLPHIN HEALING CONFERENCE at the Open University. Rebecca Fitzgerald, Bill Bowell, a chronic depressive whose story I told in Dolphin Healing, Richard Connibear (father of Alexander who was born with cerebral palsy and Founder of The Alexander Trust) were key speakers at the conference. Surrounding the theatre auditorium were dolphin balloons creating a lovely warm ambience. Bill Bowell brought the audience to tears of emotion when he spoke about his dolphin “healing” experience. Following the conference Jackie said “I was so delighted to have brought everyone together for this happy occasion and to explore further the healing power of dolphins”. After the conference Richard Connibear invited Jackie and Terry to become Trustees of The Alexander Trust registered charity. It was during this time that they saw first-hand the struggles that some parents went through to get essential support for their special needs children. And that the parents themselves often needed caring for as much as their children. 3 At the time, with the energetic, networking support of Shinina Fernandez, I was working on my Dolphin Dome Project. Jackie immediately offered to help the voluntary group searching to create an interactive sensory environment inside which families could have a virtual dolphin healing experience. And thereby make dolphin healing universally available without the need for captive dolphins. One of the most fruitful avenues we were exploring was to use an inflatable dome as a mobile planetarium being developed by an ex physics school teacher Ray Worthy. I vividly recall the demonstration Ray Worthy gave in a village hall. We all sat in a circle inside gazing at the stars marvelling at what a short time before had been a sheet plastic dome packed into a holdall. Jackie was very excited and burst into song. Jackie was so inspired by the benefits that dolphins could bring