While fishing aboard the “Prowess” the crew managed to tag 8 dolphin and keep a few more for dinner. Everyone on board was in a catching frenzy, but still managed to snap a picture of a tagged fish and tag a few more. The dolphin to be tagged were scooped up with a net, so as not to put any extra stress on them. All fish are tagged, unhooked, measured, and released within 30 seconds to a minute. The picture is Ritt with a tagged dolphin.

John Hoover and crew tagged this peanut dolphin in 350 feet of water just due south of Looe Key Reef in the the Lower Keys. It just so happens this fish was caught again just 30 minutes later by a different boat! They caught more than 40 dolphin on this particular trip, but only kept a few for the dinner table and let the rest go to grow bigger. They tagged 5 dolphin total and plan to continue tagging.

Captain Rusty Hill was fishing with Mike Flowers aboard the Rusty Hook II when they were surrounded by dolphin 20 inches long and bigger. They tagged and released this 20-inch fish northeast of Key Largo. About 5 fish were released in total.

While fishing aboard the Prowess out of Charelston, Jeff Dennis, Austin Crosby and Ritt Ritter, tagged, measured and released this peanut dolphin. The remainder of the fishing day was a great success, adding four other dolphin up to 20 pounds to the fishbox. Once back at the docks they reported the tag to Don Hammond, head of the Dolphinfish Research Program.