DOC warns boaties to be mindful of dolphins this summer

Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Bottlenose dolphins in the Bay of Islands have a mortality rate of 70 per cent in the first two years of their lives.

Boats circling around nationally endangered dolphins and driving through pods at high speeds are just some of the 'dreadful behaviour' marine experts have witnessed.

Heading into the busy summer season the Department of Conservation is urging people to give dolphins space and slow down when approaching them.

DOC senior ranger biodiversity marine Cat Peters said her research into interactions between dolphins and boats showed the marine mammals were in the presence of vessels 86 per cent of the time.

Constant interaction can split the pod apart, Peters said.

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Mothers with calves rely on younger dolphins to provide support with feeding. With frequent interactions dolphins can be distracted from rest, feeding and other essential behaviours.

'If we give them space and approach them slowly you might be surprised what you see,' Peters said.

'Our interactions are not giving them the best chance to deal with pollutants, predators and sea surface temperatures - we need to change how we interact with them.

'It's less time resting and feeding and increasing energy-sapping behaviour.'

Bottlenose dolphins in the Bay of Islands.

Dolphins in the north have a mortality rate of 70 per cent in their first two years.

While links have been drawn between boat interactions and dolphin death in Fiordland no link has been made in the Bay of Islands yet.

Peters asks boat users to be travelling five knots within 300m of dolphins, and swimmers to remain on board if there are calves in the pod.

'Take a second to remember these are wild animals and allow them the respect of being dolphins.'

In the last five years eight warnings have been given to commercial dolphin watching boats for both permitted and non-permitted operators.

Commercial boats with dolphin watching permits must follow strict rules and abide by the condition of their permit.

University of Otago Department of Marine Science Professor Steve Dawson said he's seen some dreadful behaviour of commercial boats but seen 'much worse behaviour on behalf of private boat drivers'.

'On the worst end I've seen things like individuals doing donuts around small groups of dolphins and seen hundreds of times where people drive through dolphins at speed - either they don't care or they aren't looking where they are going.'

Dawson said people say a dolphin is choosing to ride the bow.

'I liken it to humans eating junk food - we know it's really bad for us but it doesn't stop us doing it.'

There are around 248 unique individual dolphins inhabiting the north east coast from Doubtless Bay down to Tauranga - 96 of these are frequently swimming in Bay of Islands waters.

The animals are identified by their unique dorsal fins.