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In the southeastern U.S., the most common species
of marine mammal is the bottlenose dolphin.
They inhabit coastal waters and
inshore bays, sounds, and estuaries
where most of them are year-round residents.
And because they live in such close proximity to the shoreline,
they also tend to overlap with a lot of human populations.
Narrator: Along our coasts, our population is growing.
More and more people and boats are in,
and on the water.
Dolphin tours are increasing in number and popularity.
But we have to remember that these are still wild animals.
So the question is,
how can we watch these beautiful animals
while keeping us, and the dolphins safe.
Dr. Randall Wells: We're on a photographic identification survey
of bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay,
trying to keep tabs on individual dolphins that
we've known for years, in some cases, decades.
What we're finding is that the
human interactions with these animals are increasing,
both in terms of the frequency of interactions over years,
and the numbers of individuals that are interacting with humans.
And it's a big concern.
The kinds of interactions that we frequently see in Sarasota
are those that involve boaters,
boaters that are running over the top of them,
either inadvertently or actually trying to run them down
to get them to ride in their wakes.
We see them putting bait or fish into the water
in front of the dolphins, feeding them,
or they're disturbing them to be able to get closer and look at them.
What we found in Sarasota Bay is that there's a powerboat
passing within a hundred yards of every bottlenose dolphin
once every six minutes.
Narrator: Dr. Wells and other scientists
have recorded these observations,
both positive and negative,
and provided them to NOAA,
which, in turn, developed a series of guidelines for viewing dolphins
anywhere you might find them.
Laura Engleby: There are many safe ways and responsible ways
to view and enjoy dolphins in the wild.
First of all, please don't feed wild dolphins.
Not only is it harmful to feed dolphins in the wild,
it's also illegal.
And one of the reasons for that is because
it teaches them to associate people with food.
And they'll start going up to other boats
and looking for handouts.
Then they might start taking bait or catch from fishermen,
"There he is, right there."
Laura Engleby: or we might have potential retaliation from fishermen
who aren't too happy about the dolphin taking their fish,
and understandably so.
Another thing that we suggest is that you view them
from at least 50 yards away
or use binoculars if you want to get a closer view.
It enhances your viewing experience.
You're so much more likely to see
a lot more of their natural behavior if you don't disturb them.
So you might see things like socializing,
where they start playing.
And you might see some young juveniles chasing each other
and jumping in the air.
And it's really exciting to watch.
The other thing we suggest is that
if dolphins do approach your boat,
that you put your engine into neutral.
And what that does is,
it stops the propeller from turning,
and it enables them to pass by without disturbing them.
Another thing is, when you're out there fishing,
if you're using monofilament,
just make sure that you stow the line in a place that's safe.
In the Southeast, we have a lot of monofilament receptacles in marinas.
Stow your line in there, stow your trash.
Make sure that marine debris isn't getting into the ocean.
Also, if you do see a dolphin or whale in distress,
or that's injured,
report it immediately to 1-877-WHALE-HELP.
Or download our app, Dolphin & Whale 911,
and report the stranding that way from your smartphone.
The people that are out,
please don't feed the fish.
Dolphin need to learn how to fish for themselves
and fend for themselves.
And what they do is they learn that,
"oh there's a boat that's going to feed me some fish."
So it hampers the fishermen and their fishing.
So please don't feed the dolphin.
"Aye, it got 'em again!"
Brian Camaret: It's absolutely imperative to just enjoy our viewing
by gently approaching them,
by not disturbing them with loud engines,
thrusting, getting on top of them,
disturbing their breathing cycles, distressing them in any way.
This is a beautiful resource we have here.
We want them to stay in this area happily,
so that more and more people can come here
and enjoy and educate themselves
to this amazing creature, that's highly intelligent.
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