Why Feeding Dolphins Is a Terrible Mistake

When dolphins are fed in the wild, there is a greater risk of injury and death for them. Whether it is intentional or accidental, feeding  dolphins is illegal under the  U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.  Even  accidently dropping bait into the ocean poses a threat for dolphins. As dolphins learn that they can find food near/from humans, they come closer and closer to boats. Often times dolphins are injured by hitting a boat or getting entangled in fishing nets. Recently, many dolphins have been found dead with fishing hooks engorged in them or found in their stomachs along with many other injuries cause by human interaction. Around 20% of dolphins studied had interactions with humans and nearly a third of them died from injuries cause by the interactions. Over the years these encounters have increased as their has been a rapid increase of boats on the water that are in close proximity to dolphins habitats. This increases the possibility of injuries and deaths in dolphins. Studies have also shown that these habits in dolphins tend to stay once they realize they can get food from humans. Dolphins are highly intelligent animals and once they see a place to get food easily, they tend to stick around. I think this research is important to see how much of a devastating impact humans have on the wildlife, especially in the ocean. Just by carelessly dropping bait into the ocean or even feeding a "starving" dolphin can contribute to their painful death. I think it is crucial that humans learn to not feed animals in the water as it can cause many deaths of marine animals such as the dolphins.

Mote Marine Laboratory. "Feeding wild dolphins can hurt them, new study says." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 February 2017