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It may occur to the regular visitors of 'Dolphin Address' that I have taken a sabbatical and I have even been accused of AWOL. That's not quite true. I am full time exchanging emails with a dear friend and journalist, a correspondence that we eventually hope to publish somehow.
Photo: Joy Orpen Kanter
A very unexpected feature has also granted me the leeway from my intense occupation with Dolphin Address since 2002. I'm very happy that, according to my statistics, no decrease in my visitors’ numbers has occurred. My referrers notifications indicate that the general attention has shifted from recent editions to an overall interest in Dolphin Address.
And indeed, after nine years of close commitment there is a mass of information available. I take your prolonged interest as an overwhelming compliment for my labour of love.
This has been emphasised by my spiritual father and inspirer, Horace Dobbs, who in the April edition of his 'International Dolphin Watch' appointed me 'Personality of the Month' and dedicated a foursome of pages to me and my dolphin lifestyle. (www.idw.org).
Photo: Joy Orpen Kanter
Another high-water mark in my dolphin career is to happen soon. In October 2009, I participated in a French documentary named 'Manimal'. I worked with the same company, 'Mona Lisa' before, in 2006. The name of that documentary is 'Humanimal' and it portrays animal intelligence.
'Manimal' is about the bond between humans and animals and portrays the relationship between Frederique Pichard and Dony, famous for his international voyages and currently residing at the coast of Normandy, and between Dusty and me.
'Manimal' will be broadcast by ARTE on Thursday June 30th at 7.30 pm in Germany and at 7.55 pm in France (local time). Two previews are in my video dept. under YouTube, Animan 1 en Animan 2.
'Manimal' offers you an interesting and entertaining account of human-dolphin interaction. The crew had planned to film for four days, but at the end of the day this turned into eight. Usually, interaction with dolphins can only be viewed at the surface, but I know the cameraman, Jean-Pierre Rivalain, to always be in the right place for portraying the action, so this documentary will be a milestone in rendering the understanding between dolphin and jankind.
In spite of the terminal condition of my kidneys I'm still coping pretty well physically. Just a few days ago Joy and I walked from the meadow along the shore to Pollenawatch and back, about 12 km's of rock-hopping and pot-hole dodging. Pity Dusty wasn't there.
A few weeks ago I swam with Dusty for the first time this year. As I'm a lot more susceptible to cold now, I'm depending on the warmer weather that has been poorly granted to Ireland thus far. We had not met since November last year and it was a warm reunion from the very start. She was extraordinarily affectionate and allowed herself to be elaborately stroked and flattered.
I have not offered her any new sounds, but soon will. As I need to be contactable by mobile all the time for the transplant call, I bought a small waterproof bag last year in which I could take my phone along. I set the alarm clock before I went into the water to check if I could hear the sound. I could not, but Dusty could. She came in close to the mobile and sniffed it out extensively.
Now I want to take my Dictaphone along. I can operate it from outside the bag and so record instant observations and ideas. Also I made an extended recording of birds singing in a secluded forest which I intend to play for Dusty and see how she reacts to sounds of nature that are not or little known to her. If this brings any noteworthy result, a dolphin universe of sounds will open to captivating experiments.