Sunday, May 20, 2007

Deaf Mother Dolphin Gets Speech Training for Her CODA Baby!

Monday, April 30, 2007
"Chat line" to aid calf of deaf dolphin
From The Miami Herald
KEY LARGO - Any day now, Castaway the dolphin will deliver a calf in an idyllic lagoon birthing pen at the Marine Mammal Conservancy.

For dolphin caretakers, this is uncharted waters: Castaway is deaf. he brainstormed solution? The world's first dolphins' ``chat line.''

The calf will be able to hear and communicate with a pod of 10 other Atlantic bottlenose dolphins located three and a half miles away at Dolphins Plus, a research and interactive education facility.

Highly sophisticated underwater speakers and microphones have been installed at each site. The sounds are captured and processed using special software that allows high-speed data transmission through a telephone line.

Like humans, experts believe, dolphins need to be taught language. Castaway does not make many sounds, and when she does it is monotone -- much like a deaf person's voice, Lingenfelser said.

http://tallahassee.com/legacy/special/blogs/2007/04/chat-line-to-aid-calf-of-deaf-dolphin.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,264884,00.html

1 comment:

... said...

They ought make a plan B when the baby dolphin is found to be deaf as well ;-)