THE UNDERWATER FRIEND

Date: June 2005
Place: Sevastopol, Ukraine




These are several photos of the common bottlenose dolphins taken in the Sevastopol Dolphinarium in Crimea, Ukraine. I was there during my summer holidays in 2005.
Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a well-known sea mammal from the Delphinidae family that takes part in the Cetacea order (comprises dolphins, porpoises, and whales). All dolphins are carnivorous beasts that can be met in oceans, seas and even rivers (river dolphins from the Platanistoidea superfamily). They live about 30 – 50 years. Dolphins travel in herds (“pods”) and communicate with each other by producing low frequency clicks and high frequency ultrasound whistles. The latter is used for echolocation (biosonar) to orient in the environment, find food, and other purposes. It works in the following way: a dolphin emits the directed ultrasound wave and listens for the return echo to analyze the location, remoteness, shape, structure and other characteristics of nearby objects.


Dolphins are considered to be one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. Among their most interesting abilities and skills investigated by scientists the following can be mentioned: good memory, comprehension of gestures, symbols and numerical values, object categorization, acoustic and behavioral mimicry, mirror self-recognition and many more. Some scientists studying Delphinidae even state that they have some sort of linguistic communication system – the Dolphin language.
The above-mentioned characteristics made humans show much interest in members of the Delphinidae family, especially in the bottlenose dolphins, and use them in various scopes. These playful creatures can be found performing in dolphin shows in specially designed Dolphinariums, like the one in the coastal city of Sevastopol, Ukraine. The existence of such facilities generates certain controversy: some people consider them to be closed as “actors” there have poor conditions and care, while others point out that Dolphinariums can serve as research, conservation and rehabilitation facilities for endangered species and injured individuals captured in nets or thrown on the shores. My personal opinion here is that Dolphinariums should be allowed to function only while respecting three obligatory conditions:
a) The primary mission and job of such facilities are to rescue and protect the threatened and endangered species of Cetacea;
b) There must be adequate conditions and suitable environment provided for the animals kept here on the basis of the latest research results;
c) After a certain period of rehabilitation and preparation of the animal for wild life it must be given freedom in order to support its population in the external environment.

Bottlenose dolphins are also widely used in military. They receive special training and are given tasks to locate and disable sea mines, deliver certain cargo, and detect enemy divers and stealth ships. In some cases dolphin’s natural abilities can be enhanced by special equipment for it to serve as real-time transmitter of reconnaissance information and a true soldier with damage-inflicting weaponry.
And finally, these sea mammals are quite famous for helping drowning people and saving their lives, participating in the animal-assisted therapy, assisting fishermen in driving fish right into their nets, and just being the stars of many books, movies, cartoons, television shows, video games, etc.

Truly, dolphin is a cute, intelligent, friendly, and helpful being that needs to be protected and cared about. So, why being the Master, when it is possible to become a Friend?...



If you enjoy reading about these adorable creatures, you can take a look at the poem “At the Dolphinarium” available on the blog “Alexander Iscenco – The Thoughts”.

PIMP MY LIZARD

A true story. At one of my birthdays, on the 9th of May, my parents and I were invited by our friends to spend the day at the bank of the Dniester River that flows along the north-eastern border of the Republic of Moldova.
We sat on a grassy hill above one of the bends of the river and had picnic. There were a lot of blooming trees and bushes around us, and while the rest of the company was busy with the meal, I used the chance to explore life hidden within them. I found a lot of interesting insects, like shining leaves-eating beetles from the Coleoptera order and graceful mantis-like Rhaphidia – members of the small Rhaphidioptera order.
I was in the process of exploring a large bush of jasmine fully covered by aromatic flowers, when suddenly I noticed a small muzzle with two black eyes staring at me right near the tip of my nose. I stood back and saw a quite large lizard sitting on a branch among the flowers and absorbing the energy of the sunrays.
It was simply charming! Blue-and-gray muzzle, light-green body and legs, yellow belly, and green-and-gray long tail. This was one of the most beautiful representatives of the Squamata order I have ever seen in reality.


I quietly called my family and friends to share this beauty with them. Then for several minutes we stood near the bush admiring the interesting colour of the lizard. At the same time it examined us with a calm look. It seemed that the lizard had been pretty assured in the effectiveness of its camouflage among the jasmine flowers; I imagined it thinking: “Go on, stare at these flowers! You are not able to see me, because my colourful dress perfectly merges with the surroundings I am in right now.”
Suddenly one of our friends, a not so slim elderly lady, grabbed the tail of the lizard and started pulling it like a rope of a doorbell, screaming loudly at the same time. The owner of the tail was disconcerted; not scared, but mostly annoyed by such rude bothering. It was almost possible to read on its raised and displeased muzzle: “Hey! What’s going on?! I am just enjoying the warmth of the sunrays here, not bothering anyone. Then what the heck is this human female pulling my tail like an udder?!”
The insulted lizard decided to withdraw from the insolent two-legged creatures. It pulled out its tail out of our friend’s hand, turned around and dissolved in the flower wall full of indignation.
A second later we asked our friend why she had done such an action.
- I just wanted to see how it leaves its tail and escapes, - she replied.
- But what’s with all that screaming about?
The lady’s face blushed.
- I imagined its tail moving in my hand and got scared, - was the reply.
The bank of the Dniester River resounded with our irrepressible laugh.

PLEASE SOME GEESE

Date: July 2001
Place: Hoorn, the Netherlands


The photo is taken in a small northern city called Hoorn in the Netherlands. In summer 2001 we were invited by our friends from this country to spend there several weeks of our holiday.
The ducks and geese there walk freely on the street and gladly accept some food from the pedestrians, especially such tourists as we were. Most probably they are domesticated birds, but maybe several of them belong to true geese having a stop there during migration and benefiting from the presence of humans.
Ducks, geese and swans form the biological family called Anatidae with about 146 species in 40 genera. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating on the water surface, and sometimes diving in shallow water. Most of them are herbivorous, although some species, like the mergansers, also feed on fish and various aquatic invertebrates. Ducks, geese and swans are generally seasonal and monogamous (have one sexual partner for a lifetime) breeders.


There are five species of Anatidae that had become extinct since 1600 due to human activity; many more members of this family are threatened with extinction.