Rules of the Road for Swimming with Wild Dolphins

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

You must have just made this up. Dolphins are way faster than 5-8knt sail boat. So much faster that they often swim off well ahead of the boat, or way behind or to the side of it then catch back up again. They do it with my catamaran that barley makes a bow wave.

A few weeks back we had a pod of five dolphins taking turns rubbing against our bows.

Usually they seem to like getting as close as possible without actually making contact, making a game of it, but these guys were actually rubbing the area around their dorsal fin against us.

Of course we asked them to respect the 100m clearance laws, but they just ignored us.

So did these guys:

https://youtu.be/xQ41HOk7NNU

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by landsend

They are wild animals, and really should be left alone. I'll never do that again.

Absolutely. Swim with them at your own risk. People HAVE been seriously injured by wild dolphins. That's not Flipper swimming in your bow wave.

Originally Posted by disputin

There is a difference between you approaching a marine mammal, and a marine mammal approaching you.

You'd think this would be obvious, wouldn't you? Whether it is guidelines or regulations, this talk about having to tell the dolphin to keep away is just dumb. There is obviously nothing you can do to stop them from approaching you. Deliberately approaching them, however, is a completely different matter.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Absolutely. Swim with them at your own risk. People HAVE been seriously injured by wild dolphins. That's not Flipper swimming in your bow wave

Not really doubting you, any wild animal or any animal for that matter even a pet dog under the right circumstances can be dangerous, but I’ve never heard of a dolphin hurting anyone.
Over the years I have heard of dolphins assisting a person in distress, that may be an Urban myth though.
I have heard of one or two attempting a sexual thing, I guess that can be considered harmful.
Do you have any news reports etc?

[a64pilot]

Well, apparently there is one Irish dolphin
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-23554395

But there seem to be far more stories of dolphins rescuing and assisting humans?

[Group9]

Never wanted to swim with a dolphin (although I guess I have, how close do they have to be to count as swimming with them?), but if I am swimming and one comes up, which they do where I live now, and in the Bahamas, where we go a lot, I don't panic or run away from them, but I don't try and pet them like a dog.

I've never encountered an unfriendly one, and they do seem to actively seek out humans.

[Jim Cate]

And there was a video a few years back of a dolphin approaching some divers and very obviously requesting help in getting some fishing line or rope off him. Would lie still whilst they cut at the line, then surface for air and then return until the job was done.

Quite remarkable, and absolutely convincing for me... that wild animal knew that the divers could and would help him.

Jim

[Compass790]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

And there was a video a few years back of a dolphin approaching some divers and very obviously requesting help in getting some fishing line or rope off him. Would lie still whilst they cut at the line, then surface for air and then return until the job was done.

Quite remarkable, and absolutely convincing for me... that wild animal knew that the divers could and would help him.

Jim

I seem to have a vague memory of a killer whale with a craypot hooked around its tail getting helped & letting it happen.
Incidentally the harbourmaster who helped in this endeavour got sacked for his troubles!
We get governed by people who make decisions like that.....