It’s #AwarenessWednesday in #OurWorldOcean campain. Heavy boat traffic can affect the distribution, behavior, communication and energetics of the animals. Dolphins, manatiees and even whale sharks have been known to be struck by boats in high traffic areas, causing injury and death.
Feeding or swimming with dolphins, manatiees and even whale sharks in the wild teaches them to approach boats, making the animals vulnerable to potential propeller strikes, fishing gear entanglement, ingestion of foreign objects or intentional harm from humans. Additionally, increasing human interaction and/or boat traffic may cause coastal bottlenose dolphins to abandon important hábitat. Help Dolphin Discovery and the #AnimalAdvocates at #AMMPA spread the word – view the wildfile from a safe and respectful distance and explain the harm caused by getting too close to the wild animals.