Dolphin Tales: Help prevent dolphin entanglement
Unlike populations of dolphins elsewhere, our bottlenose dolphins live in our waters for their entire lives. They are found in our shallow bays, among mangrove islands, and love to fish near piers and passes. While they are present all year, they are highly active in warmer months. Calving season peaks in spring and summer.
The allure of the bottlenose dolphin stems from their friendly, intelligent, social nature. While their playful, acrobatic behavior often draws human attention, this familiarity can be dangerous. Interactions frequently lead to habituation, where dolphins lose their fear of humans and, instead of hunting, learn to beg for food. This increases their risk of boat strikes and entanglement in fishing gear.
Entanglement in monofilament line is common to our local bottlenose dolphin as well as other wildlife. The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program received reports about a calf in the Naples/Marco Island area whose tail flukes were entangled in fishing line. When the entanglement was determined to be life threatening, the Sarasota Research Program led a rescue operation to remove the fishing gear and save the dolphin calf’s life.
Upon entering the water, the team was able to examine the calf’s mom – a dolphin named Skipper who had been rescued from her own entanglement in 2014. Her wounds were well-healed. Skipper’s brother Seymour was also rescued from entanglement in 2012, and Skipper’s niece, Arial, was rescued in 2019. Fergie, the young calf, was freed of entanglement on this day. There are many organizations and agencies involved in these rescues including FWC, Mote Marine, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, SeaWorld, Tampa Zoo, Clearwater Aquarium, as well as local law enforcement. It is a team effort.
To help prevent entanglement, avoid using braided line which stays in the environment longer than regular monofilament line. It’s also razor sharp when loaded with barnacles over time and causes life threatening danger when entangled around a dolphin. It’s important to make sure your tackle and gear are in good shape and won’t easily break off. If you do break your line or catch the mangroves, be sure to motor or pole to the mangroves to remove it. Even if it’s too high for a dolphin to become entangled, birds can also become entangled. Stow used line where it cannot blow out of your boat when underway. An old tennis ball or even a Pringles container works great. When discarding fish back into the water, make sure line and hooks are removed.
Capt. Cathy Eagle has spent over 45 years boating in 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!