Akeakamai
Encyclopedia
Akeakamai was a female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin
, who along with a companion female dolphin named Phoenix, as well as tank
mates Elele and Hiapo
, were the subjects of Louis Herman
's animal language
studies at the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory in Honolulu, Hawaii
. The most well known paper is the original work described in Herman, Richards, & Wolz (1984). Akeakamai was also the subject of many other scientific studies of dolphin cognition and sensory abilities.
Physically identifying features of Akeakamai included a straight eyeline, a half-circle shaped notch in the right side of her tail fluke, a small "Eiffel Tower"-shaped mark above her right eye, a thin notch in the side of her upper mouth, and a particularly wide melon
. She also had characteristic in-air whistle calls including an unusual high-low-high whistle that was well below typical signature whistle frequencies. In the Hawaiian language
, Akeakamai means philosophy, or "lover (ake) of wisdom (akamai)". Akeakamai was also inserted as a character in David Brin
's science fiction novel Startide Rising
.
Akeakamai died of cancer on November 2, 2003.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
, who along with a companion female dolphin named Phoenix, as well as tank
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
mates Elele and Hiapo
Hiapo
Hiapo was a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, who along with a companion female dolphin named Elele, as well as tankmates Phoenix and Akeakamai, were the subjects of Louis Herman's animal language studies at the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory in Honolulu, Hawaii...
, were the subjects of Louis Herman
Louis Herman
Louis Herman is a researcher of dolphin sensory abilities, dolphin cognition, and humpback whales. He is currently professor in the Department of Psychology and a cooperating faculty member of the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawaii at Manoa...
's animal language
Animal language
Animal language is the modeling of human language in non human animal systems. While the term is widely used, researchers agree that animal languages are not as complex or expressive as human language....
studies at the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. The most well known paper is the original work described in Herman, Richards, & Wolz (1984). Akeakamai was also the subject of many other scientific studies of dolphin cognition and sensory abilities.
Physically identifying features of Akeakamai included a straight eyeline, a half-circle shaped notch in the right side of her tail fluke, a small "Eiffel Tower"-shaped mark above her right eye, a thin notch in the side of her upper mouth, and a particularly wide melon
Melon (whale)
The melon is an ovoid-shaped, fatty organ found in the forehead of all toothed whales , including dolphins and porpoises and believed to be used in echolocation....
. She also had characteristic in-air whistle calls including an unusual high-low-high whistle that was well below typical signature whistle frequencies. In the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
, Akeakamai means philosophy, or "lover (ake) of wisdom (akamai)". Akeakamai was also inserted as a character in David Brin
David Brin
Glen David Brin, Ph.D. is an American scientist and award-winning author of science fiction. He has received the Hugo, Locus, Campbell and Nebula Awards.-Biography:...
's science fiction novel Startide Rising
Startide Rising
Startide Rising is a 1983 science fiction novel by David Brin and the second book of six set in his Uplift Universe . It earned both Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novel...
.
Akeakamai died of cancer on November 2, 2003.
Media and Press Appearances
- Akeakamai can be seen in: National Geographic's Dolphins with Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Wildlife on One's Dolphins: Deep Thinkers with David AttenboroughDavid AttenboroughSir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA is a British broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years...
, ABC's Touched by a Dolphin with Sharon LawrenceSharon LawrenceSharon Elizabeth Lawrence is an American television actress. She is best known for the role of Sylvia Costas Sipowicz in the Television series NYPD Blue...
, The Discoverers IMAXIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
, Dolphins IMAXIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
, and NOVA.
External links
- The Dolphin Institute
- Dolphin research publications. Not all include Akeakamai.
- http://starbulletin.com/2004/02/26/news/story3.html