Standing up for dolphins

If swimming with dolphins is a long-held travel dream, that aspiration won’t come true for you in Hawaii. Interacting with spinner dolphins has just been banned throughout the island state, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act now mandates that people and vessels stay at least 45 metres away. Fair enough, too. Biologists have noted that dolphins show signs of stress when humans interact with them. Spinner dolphins are often spotted close to shore during the day, but this isn’t because they’re looking to play – the nocturnal mammals come to the warm near-shore waters to rest, hide from predators and care for their young. Additional regulations are being proposed to provide further respite for dolphins in daytime habitats around Big Island and Maui. fisheries.noaa.gov