Popcorn has a Travelling Buddy!
By Lloyd Edwards

1. News

It was really great news to have come across “Popcorn” on our last cruise among his/her pod of around 300 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins. That makes this remarkable albino dolphin now 10 months and 10 days old since the first sighting!

I managed to sneak in a quick shot to capture the calf on the initial sighting. After that, all the dolphins seemed to get between the boat and the albino, almost as if protecting it. Albinos are usually very vulnerable to predators like large sharks or killer whales, so this kind of behaviour is the norm. It was not like this when we initially saw Popcorn. Now presumably after some attacks on the calf, maybe this is the go-to behaviour. We will wait and see!

If you look at the first image, you will see that Popcorn has an object on the trailing edge of the dorsal fin. This fellow traveler is known as a Stalked Barnacle, Xenobalanus probably globicipitis. The larvae of these barnacles may chemically recognise dolphins as the right place to attach themselves. These filter feeders are found along the trailing edges of the flippers and dorsal fins. This will maximise the water flow and thus bring more food to the barnacle. It has no adverse effects on the dolphin, except maybe being a bit of an irritation.

Popcorn showing the Stalked Barnacle on the tip of the dorsal fin. The light was very bad but the calf does seem to have become darker. Taken with a Nikon Z9 mirrorless, ISO 320, 200mm zoom, f/8 and 1/1600th second.

The initial sighting of Popcorn at St Croix Island, 10 months and 10 days ago.

Some of Popcorns cousins play next to our catamaran. They were really in a playful mood on this cruise.

This youngster breached clear of the water, still showing some of the foetal folds (temporary creases) on the body, from being folded up inside the mother's womb.

Note the scarring on the flank, which is caused by teeth of other dolphins during aggressive behaviour.

Cruise liner guests on "My China" get a good view of Popcorn's school.

Popcorn's school of around 300 Indo-Pacific dolphins captured off Jahleel Island off the Port of Coega.