What's Next For Cell Phones? Tracking Dolphins That's what South African researchers will do as they plan to fit dusky dolphins with cell phone SIM cards and GPS technology. "It's a lot cheaper than using satellites," Martin Haupt of Africa Wildlife Tracking told the Reuters news service. Dolphins are typically tracked with satellite systems, a method, for instance, used by U.S. researchers who use satellites to track rough-toothed dolphins in the Florida Keys. The spread of cell phone service has made the tracking of dolphins possible off the coast of South Africa. Haupt noted that a cell phone signal typically travels 1.5 miles out to sea, making it possible to follow the movements of dusky dolphins who usually stay close to land. A researcher typing in a SIM number should be able to instantly locate a dolphin fitted with the tiny device, which will be inserted in a collar that will release after 10 days. Dusky dolphins are known for their exciting and graceful aerial displays. They are above water long enough for researchers to fix them with a cell phone signal.