Swimming With Wild Dolphins: More Harm than Good

If you plan to observe wild dolphins in their natural habitat, whether by personal water craft or aboard a tour boat, NOAA Fisheries Service recommends that you follow the guidelines below for responsible viewing.  These guidelines have been established to reduce the potential or inadvertent harm to marine mammals that may result from viewing activities.

• Observe wild dolphins from safe distances of at least 50 yards; use binoculars or telephoto lenses for a better view of the animals.
• Limit overall viewing time to no more than 30 minutes.
• Make no action to circle or entrap dolphins or dolphin groups.
• Avoid abrupt movements or loud noises around dolphins.
• Do not separate mother/calf pairs.
• Move away slowly if a dolphin’s behavior indicates the animal is stressed.
• Do not touch or swim with wild dolphins, even if they approach you.
• Do not feed wild dolphins; it is harmful and illegal.

Human beings have a larger impact on the health and behavior of wild dolphins than they may realize.  Swimming with dolphins can actually be illegal because it has the potential to cause harassment, which is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).   There are two levels of harassment as defined by the MMPA (insert CFR); the first level of harassment or Level A harassment, is defined as “any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance that has the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild.”  The second, referred to as Level B harassment, is “any act that has the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, feeding, or sheltering.”

 

Human presence can alter normal dolphin behavior, so that they spend less time hunting, or even separate mothers from their newborn calves.  Dolphins may become habituated, lose their natural fear of human, as a result of being feeding and repeated interactions with humans.  Despite their “friendly” reputation, dolphins are wild animals and may become violent and aggressive toward humans when begging or looking for handouts.

 

 

 

Many people are unaware of what dolphin behaviors are natural and which are learned. For example, a dolphin with its head out of the water with its mouth open or begging is a learned behavior reinforced by people providing the dolphin with food.  Natural wild dolphin’s behaviors that are also signs of disturbance include the dolphin slapping the water’s surface with their tails, forcefully exhaling, repeated breaching or jumping out of the water, and side slapping.  Dolphins use these as signals of agitation, but they may be misconstrued as playful behavior by uninformed observers. Even if a dolphin approaches a boat or person in the water, that doesn't mean it’s being friendly; simply that the dolphin expressing its natural curiosity.

 

It’s important to realize that the dolphins may be approached by others looking to view them both before and after you see them.  If everyone that sees the dolphins tries to approach, imagine the impact the constant, and often daily, disturbances might have.  Many people assume that if the dolphins are being disturbed by the presence of humans they can relocate; however, if dolphins are forced to flee they may enter waters where they are in danger of predation from natural predators, such as sharks. 

Perhaps the greatest danger comes from feeding dolphins, as wild dolphins will quickly learn dangerous behaviors.  A dolphin that learns to approach humans to “beg” for food will inevitably be put in harm’s way.  They may be injured by boat propellers, entangled in fishing hooks and lines, or caught in fisherman’s nets.  They may become ill from eating bait, or other types of food or non-food items.  Dolphin mothers may even teach these behaviors to their offspring, and young dolphins may not survive if their mother competes with them for handouts rather than teaching them to hunt and forage.  Dolphins that have learned to rely on humans for food may also have learned to depredate or take bait and catch from fishing; depredation may also put dolphins in danger of other predators that may also be looking an easy meal from fisherman, such as sharks.

 

Chasing or feeding dolphins to attract them closer to tours boats is a common practice that may lead to negative consequences for both the dolphins and the tour boat operators.  If you are interested in viewing dolphins in the wild, be sure to choose an operator that follows the National Marine Fisheries Service Guidelines for Viewing Marine Mammals and Sea Turtle or a Dolphin SMART Operator.   Dolphin SMART is an education program that recognizes tour boat companies that responsibly advertise and view wild dolphins, as well as exceeds the standard code of ethics of observing dolphin in the wild.