Bahamas - Dolphin Behavior and Communication

Location: Bimini, Bahamas

Dates: June, 2024

Credits Offered: 3 credits

• Undergraduates: PSYCH 195.59 (3 credits)
• Graduates: PSYCH 717.51 (3 credits

Application Deadlines: Please check back in September 2023 for 2024 deadlines.

Program Fee: $2,460 (estimate) includes housing, 3 meals/day, snacks, drinks, boat trips, snorkel gear rental, and international health and travel insurance.

Tuition and airfare are not included in the program fee.

Travel: Students are responsible for arriving at their study abroad location by the first day of the program; this may mean flying the day before.

Payment Schedule: $350 application fee and deposit is due on or before April 7 of the program year. The program deposit is due after acceptance to the program has been confirmed via email by our office.

Program fee balance $2,110 (estimate) is due on or before April 15 of the program year. Payments must be made with certified check or money order. No cash, personal checks, or credit cards. Payments should be made at the Office of Education Abroad during office hours.

Students are responsible for meeting the payment deadline regardless of funding source: eg. Macaulay Opportunities Fund, scholarships, loans, or any other type of financial aid. Late fees will be applied to all delayed payments.

Financial Aid: Please be sure to meet with the Financial Aid Office to discuss your particular financial aid package.

Scholarships: In addition to the Gilman Scholarship,* students should visit our Scholarships Page for more opportunities. Students interested in applying for the Gilman scholarship should email Stephen Lassonde at ops@hunter.cuny.edu.

This field course provides students with a unique opportunity to gain research experience in the field by participating in a study of the vocalizations and behavior of wild dolphins.

The course has two components:

1. One-day lecture-workshop held at Hunter College in May prior to the field course
2. Participation in a twelve-day field program in June at the Bahamas field site.

The Bahamian dolphin populations are very acclimated to human beings, allowing for the unique opportunity to observe these animals in their natural environment. Students and volunteers who join our team during our research trip will assist the researchers in studying the underwater and surface interactions of wild dolphins - this includes assisting with photographing and identifying individual dolphins and recording their behavior. Observations are made underwater while snorkeling, and on the water's surface from a research boat.

Students will take part in onboard ship observations and may (if desired) take part in underwater observations. Students who feel comfortable with photo ID may also assist in taking underwater photo ID pictures. Above water data collection includes recording environmental data, recording details of sightings, and recording behavioral observations. Underwater data collection includes recording details of sightings, and recording behavioral observations. Additional activities include matching photos of dolphins seen to the photo ID catalog in order to identify the dolphins, and being 'on watch' to look for approaching dolphin groups.

Daily schedule: a typical day out at the research site will include a morning or evening lecture, morning photo ID work and data entry, and an afternoon boat trip. Weather permitting, we will have 8 boat trips during the field course. We will have additional time on one or two boat trips to snorkel at a beautiful local snorkeling site.

The trip will be led Dr. Daisy Kaplan, former instructor at Hunter College.

Prerequisites:

• 2.7 GPA
• Must know how to swim
• Undergraduate students: PSYCH 100
• Applicants must also fulfill Hunter's general eligibility requirements along with any program-specific prerequisites or requirements.

Additional Requirements:

• One letter of recommendation from a CUNY faculty member who has worked with or taught the student within the last 3 years. This letter must attest to the ability of the applicant to work well as a team member and to follow instructions. Due to the nature of this course, and that fact that students are in the water, you must be able to obey authority immediately (faculty or the boat staff) in order to ensure the safety and research experience for all participants.
• Interview and approval from the faculty member teaching the course.

Syllabus

View the Bahamas Dolphin Field Course Syllabus.

Credits & Grades:* Students in this program will receive both course credit and letter grades. Grades will count toward their Hunter GPA.