You love dolphins, right? We all do. They are beautiful, playful and graceful creatures that you can see from the beach or up close while boating. Visitors love watching dolphins rollicking in the waves.

We need to be smart, however, in how we interact with dolphins in order to protect them. A program called Dolphin SMART provides guidelines for all of us to safely view dolphins and protect their habitat. The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits harassment, hunting, capturing, killing or feeding dolphins.

The Dolphin SMART program criteria are easy to follow. First, stay at least 50 yards from dolphins. Don’t follow them: let the dolphins follow you.

Second, move slowly away from dolphins if there’s an indication they’ve been disturbed. Some indicators of disturbance are an abrupt change in their speed or direction of travel, rapid swimming at the surface, a female shielding her calf with her body, repeated tail slapping or an attempt to move away from the vessel. Please don’t follow them.

Third, put your engine in neutral when dolphins are near to avoid disturbing them.

Fourth, refrain from swimming with, touching or feeding wild dolphins.

And lastly, teach others to be Dolphin SMART.

Let’s all do our part to keep wild dolphins safe in their natural habitat by experiencing the thrill of seeing them, without harassing or endangering them.