NOAA Campaigns Help Public Get 'SMART' About Wild Dolphins

Stacey Horstman, Cheryl Bonnes and Laura Engleby
NMFS Southeast Regional Office-Protected Resources Division

April 23, 2009 — Wild dolphins in rehab?

If efforts to curb illegal feeding of dolphins in the southeastern U.S. don’t work, it could just come to that.

NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Regional Office launched an innovative campaign in March to educate the public about the danger of feeding wild bottlenose dolphins. Four years in the making, the PSA involved a coalition of NOAA partners to develop and distribute it. 

For One Dolphin, Overeating Has Its Downside

In a new 30-second public service announcement, an animated dolphin participating in a group therapy session pleads with viewers to help him “kick the habit” of eating food from people. After confessing his weakness for human food handouts, the bottlenose dolphin says he could beat his addiction “if people would just stop feeding me.”

The novel campaign uses humor to engage the public on the serious and harmful practices of people feeding and interacting too closely with wild dolphins.

“Feeding wild dolphins triggers a domino effect of harmful behaviors as dolphins learn to associate people with food and free handouts,” said Stacey Horstman, bottlenose dolphin conservation coordinator for NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Regional Office. “We are at a point where we need to change our behavior so we don’t change theirs, and we hope this video provides a compelling plea for the public’s help.” 

Human feeding also puts wild dolphins at risk for ingesting harmful or contaminated items and could result in potentially lethal interactions with people’s recreational gear, such as boats and fishing equipment. The practice is deemed illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

To get the word out, NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Regional Office is piloting new distribution strategies for the video, including social networking Web sites such as Facebook and YouTube, as well as traditional media outlets.

Public interest in the campaign has been strong: in just one month, there were 5,100 views on YouTube; more than 30 links from Web sites to the video site; and 15,290 hits to the video’s own Web site. The PSA received media coverage in more than 25 newspaper and Web articles, and five news broadcasts.

You can watch the animated video at www.dontfeedwilddolphins.org, where you’ll also find helpful information on dolphin conservation and guidelines for responsibly viewing wild dolphins. 

Helping Coastal Businesses Become Dolphin-Savvy

Stay back 50 yards from dolphins. Refrain from feeding, touching or swimming with dolphins. Always put your engine in neutral when dolphins are near.

These are three of five helpful guidelines established by Dolphin SMART — another unique educational campaign from NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Regional Office, with collaboration from NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, and the Dolphin Ecology Project.  

Dolphin SMART is a multi-faceted conservation program that works on a voluntary basis with commercial businesses that conduct and/or book wild dolphin tours (or any commercial vessel that may opportunistically view dolphins).

Through training workshops and interactive web-based training, Dolphin SMART educates business owners on how to:

• Responsibly view wild dolphins.
• Educate patrons on responsible dolphin viewing.
• Modify advertisements that encourage close interactions with wild dolphins.
  

By becoming Dolphin SMART and maintaining active participation in the program, tour companies and other businesses can remain competitive by offering customers an enhanced tour experience that honors their commitment to dolphin conservation.

To date, there are five Dolphin SMART-designated businesses operating in Key West, Fla., and Orange Beach, Ala. The program has been so well-received that other states — including Hawaii, Georgia, and North Carolina — are considering implementing it in their own areas. 

To learn more about Dolphin SMART and see a list of participating tour operators, visit http://www.dolphinsmart.org.