| If you love dolphins we
think you will really appreciate our efforts to keep
them happy and safe. As more and more people want to
have up close encounters with wild life different
problems have developed. Many times people are
physically hurt but more often it results in the
disturbance of the very animal they want to love. In the case of dolphins they end up begging for food,
getting cut or killed by propellers, picking up diseases
and losing their natural survival instincts. Once tour
operators begin to frequently visit a local pod of
dolphin they must be very careful not to change the
natural habits and order of the life to which the dolphins
are accustomed.
Enter the Dolphin Smart Program. In 2006 many tour
operators in Key West, Florida fearing government
regulation met with several private and government
agencies to self regulate and establish guidelines for
the healthy viewing of wild dolphins. |
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Dolphin
SMART Guidelines
- Stay at least 50 yards from dolphins.
- Move away cautiously if dolphins show signs of
disturbance.
- Always put your engine in neutral when dolphins
are near.
- Refrain from feeding, touching, or swimming with
wild dolphins.
- Teach others to be Dolphin Smart.
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This pilot program produced standards which appeared to
take the pressure off their wild dolphin population. Although many tour
operators in Key West rejected the voluntary program
there was enough publicity and peer pressure to effect
real and lasting changes. That winter Captain Bill was
volunteering his time in the Florida Keys at The Dolphin
Research Center and became familiar with the program.
The Dolphin SMART Program, with support from the NOAA’s
National Marine Sanctuary Program, the National Marine
Fisheries Service and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Society was looking to expand to other areas and Orange
Beach, AL was a great place to start. In fall of 2008
Cetacean Cruises became the first commercial tour
company outside of Key West, FL to receive the Dolphin
SMART approval.
For more information, please visit
www.dolphinsmart.org
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