Reminder to Keep Appropriate Distance from Marine Mammals A juvenile bottlenose dolphin recently spotted off of St. Helena Islands in South Carolina received the attention of people throughout the Low Country. This dolphin resembles “Carolina Snowball,” a famous albino dolphin that was well known around South Carolina and Georgia in the 1950s and early 1960s. While many would like to take a closer look at this new dolphin, NOAA Fisheries Service cautions that everyone needs to keep a safe and appropriate distance from all marine mammals and not interfere with their activities in any way. NOAA Fisheries Service is responsible for enforcing the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which safeguards whales, dolphins, porpoises, and other marine mammals in U.S. waters and territories. Under the MMPA and its implementing regulations, it is illegal for people to “harass” or feed any marine mammal in the wild. Harassment is specifically defined in the MMPA as any act of pursuit, torment or annoyance that has the potential to injure the animals or disturb their behavior. Feeding or attempting to feed wild marine mammals is also explicitly prohibited. People should admire dolphins from a safe distance of no less than 50 yards to help ensure the animals are not harassed.
Click here for more information on responsible marine wildlife viewing. Please call the NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement Hotline at 800-853-1964 if a violation of the MMPA is observed.
Reminder to Keep Appropriate Distance from Marine Mammals
A juvenile bottlenose dolphin recently spotted off of St. Helena Islands in South Carolina received the attention of people throughout the Low Country. This dolphin resembles “Carolina Snowball,” a famous albino dolphin that was well known around South Carolina and Georgia in the 1950s and early 1960s. While many would like to take a closer look at this new dolphin, NOAA Fisheries Service cautions that everyone needs to keep a safe and appropriate distance from all marine mammals and not interfere with their activities in any way.
NOAA Fisheries Service is responsible for enforcing the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which safeguards whales, dolphins, porpoises, and other marine mammals in U.S. waters and territories. Under the MMPA and its implementing regulations, it is illegal for people to “harass” or feed any marine mammal in the wild. Harassment is specifically defined in the MMPA as any act of pursuit, torment or annoyance that has the potential to injure the animals or disturb their behavior. Feeding or attempting to feed wild marine mammals is also explicitly prohibited.
People should admire dolphins from a safe distance of no less than 50 yards to help ensure the animals are not harassed.
Click here for more information on responsible marine wildlife viewing. Please call the NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement Hotline at 800-853-1964 if a violation of the MMPA is observed.