Think you’re frazzled? Imagine how your friendly ocean dolphin feels. All that swimming, jumping, blowing . . . and dragging tourists around by the dorsal fin: It’s stressful. The National Marine Fisheries Service says some dolphins aren’t getting their beauty sleep. Now federal regulators in Hawaii want to ban swimming with dolphins.
Hawaii’s spinner dolphins are a playful nocturnal species. Spinners get their name from their habit of leaping into the air and spinning around.
God made nocturnal animals to be active at night. The dolphins sleep during the day, gathering in shallow bays to hide from tiger sharks and other predators.
But humans in the Aloha State like to frolic with dolphins in the bright Hawaiian sunshine. The splashing, squealing tourists wake the animals.
When they sleep, dolphins rest half their brains. They keep the other half alert. That way, they can surface and breathe. As a result, the animals may look awake and active—even when asleep.
Unlike other dolphin species in Hawaiian waters, spinner dolphins are highly regular in their behavior. They return to the same general area every day. That makes them easy for tour groups to find.
A proposed federal ban would cover waters out to two nautical miles. That’s where 98% of Hawaii’s spinner dolphins rest after feeding all night. Tour companies take customers to these close-to-shore waters to find dolphins. The law could threaten this popular tourist activity.
Ann Garrett, an administrator with the National Marine Fisheries Service, says dolphin contact creates problems. For example, when dolphins interact with humans, they burn calories too quickly. The activity may also harm dolphins’ ability to reproduce.
Garrett says her agency wants to require swimmers, snorkelers, and others in the water to stay at least 50 yards from the dolphins. Under the proposed law, Garrett says tour operators “could still do snorkeling for other reasons.”
She believes tour operators can follow the new rule and still make a living.
The ban would cover waters near the main Hawaiian Islands. It would also apply farther from shore in certain waters between the Maui, Lanai, and Kahoolawe islands.
Many scientists agree that the proposed ban is a good idea. They emphasize that dolphins are still wild animals. So the next time you think about swimming with a dolphin, consider giving it a rest instead.
UNUSUAL ANIMAL SLEEP POSTURES
Upside down: bats, sloths
In a line, with one eye open: ducks
Underwater: seals
In a self-made bubble: parrot fish
Standing up: horse
On one leg: flamingo
While flying: seagulls
Floating in water, wrapped in kelp: sea otters
On a tree limb: leopards
With its head (sometimes) resting on itself: giraffe
With its teeth stuck into ice: walrus
