Dear All, A few weeks ago on one of our whale watch trips we noticed an adult Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin with a trauma to the beak. The beak appeared to have been broken/sliced off with the end hanging off. We encountered the animal (otherwise healthy adult, possibly female as with smaller individual) again yesterday. The lower jaw is now very pale in colouration, appears to be septic and is at a 20-30 degree angle to the right (looking at the animal from behind). Half of the upper jaw is missing but what is left is in a completely different tissue state to the lower jaw. The tissue still has the usual grey colouration but is incredibly swollen. Almost as if the animal has a second melon. The animal appears to be quite healthy otherwise, but the trauma is so massive there is no way the animal will be able to continue feeding in the correct manner. I was hoping someone may be able to shed some light on any encounters of beak traumas and how something like this may have occurred. I have a few quite clear photographs should anyone like to see them. The dorsal is pretty serrated too so the animal may have a tandency to get a little too close to boat props. Another point of interest is that last week we encountered a Cape Fur Seal with a trauma to its nose (Which I also have photos of). This is probably coincidence (and with 60,000 seals here just now, this is most likely) but thought it worth a mention. Many thanks, Sarah Barry. www.marineteam.com Dyer Island Cruises PO BOX 78 Gansbaai 7220 South Africa Tel: ++27 28 3840406