Dolphins are amazing! We know how smart they are. But do you know how to be Dolphin SMART?
- Stay at least 50 yards from dolphins.
- Move away cautiously if dolphins show signs of disturbance.
- Always put your engine in neutral when dolphins are near.
- Refrain from swimming with, touching or feeding wild dolphins.
- Teach others to be Dolphin SMART.
Being Dolphin SMART is very important on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Bottlenose dolphins love our warm gulf waters and back bays, and we humans love to observe them. Dolphins are wild creatures and we have to remember to treat them as such. We can disturb their natural migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding and sheltering simply by being too close, making too much noise or moving too quickly.
Remember, dolphins are smart. It’s easy for them to learn to be beggars instead of hunters when people offer them food. Injuries from loss of survival skills and contact with vessels can happen when they lose their fear of humans.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits harassment, hunting, capturing, killing or feeding dolphins. Enjoy the dolphins from a distance in their natural habitat and always Leave Only Footprints when you leave.