Dolphin Tales: Hurricane season and dolphins 2025
I moved to Matla-cha Island in 1978. I was in my 20s and had a windsurfer. I often set out sailing from my parent’s house on Clyde Street into the Pass. I never worried about hurricanes.
Hurricanes were pretty non-existent in Matlacha at that time. Over the last 26 years of chartering, I’ve always commented that Matlacha was a little nugget of protection. I noted the barrier islands, Greater Pine Island, Little Pine Island and the Matlacha Aquatic Preserve, as protecting us from the fury of storms.
Weather has changed, and the first documented major hurricane in Matlacha was Hurricane Ian in 2022. Then there was Hurricane Helene. Next was Hurricane Milton.
Hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2025, and will end on Nov. 30, 2025. The hurricane season in Florida is predicted to be above average. Forecasters are predicting a higher-than-normal number of named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes. Ocean temperatures are higher than average and that fuels stronger, more intense storms. Hurricane season peaks in mid-September, but activity can continue through November.
Hurricanes are large, spiraling tropical storms that can pack wind speeds of over 160 mph and unleash more than 2.4 trillion gallons of rain a day. Dolphins sense this change in weather because the rain reduces the salinity of the water at the surface. Dolphins respond by fleeing to deeper water where the intensity of the storm’s impact is significantly reduced. By swimming to greater depths, dolphins can avoid the destructive surface waves and turbulent currents, finding refuge in calmer waters below.
Dolphin still must surface to breathe every 10-15 minutes. This can be very challenging, especially when a female has a nursing calf in tow. A newborn could drown within the first two weeks of life if separated from its mother. The calf does not have enough fat to float and must ride in the slipstream of the mother.
Following the passage of a hurricane, dolphins exhibit remarkable resilience in their recovery efforts. They possess a strong homing instinct that guides them back to familiar territory once the storm has passed. They reunite with their pods and rebuild their social structures in order to resume their normal behaviors.
Captain Cathy Eagle has spent over 45 years boating on our local waters. As a professional charter captain, she specializes in dolphin and nature tours. Visit CaptainCathy.com or call /text 239 994-2572. Welcome aboard!