Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL—With
their playful and almost mystical presence, pods of wild dolphins seem to
attract eager bystanders like bees are drawn to honey. However in an effort to
preserve the integrity of the dolphin watching industry on the Alabama Gulf
Coast and to promote good stewardship of dolphins in the wild, 15 tour
operators gathered at a recent Dolphin SMART workshop to discuss their issues
and concerns. The workshop was organized by Joanne McDonough, who is a part of
the nature tourism initiative funded by Auburn University Marine
Extension and Research Center, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Extension and the Alabama
Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“Creating opportunities
for the public to enjoy the wildlife in our area that provide a quality
experience for visitors and a safe environment for the bottlenose dolphin is a
challenge for our local tour operators,” McDonough said. “As a group, they
expressed a need to become better educated about the daily lives of our local,
wild dolphin and adhere to sustainable practices that reduce the risks of
disrupting their natural behaviors such as migration, breathing, nursing,
feeding and sheltering. So I thought it would be a great idea to bring Celeste
Weimer, program coordinator for Dolphin SMART.”
Dolphin SMART began in the
Florida Keys as a voluntary participation program for businesses that seek to
educate people about responsible viewing of wild dolphin. It was developed by
NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary and National Marine Fisheries Service, the
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and the Dolphin Ecology Project.
During her hour-long
presentation, Weimer discussed several benefits of the program.
“What’s so unique about
this program is that it is a prime example of self-regulation,” she said.
“Customers have the benefit of seeing their captains demonstrate responsible
viewing while we gain valuable research information from their participation.”
In exchange for a
company’s participation, they will receive a logo and flag to display on their
vessel, a link on the Dolphin SMART website, and a vast amount of educational
and research materials in addition to media publicity.
While the local captains
confer on their options and consider joining this program, Weimer gave the
audience a few take-aways, such as the following Dolphin SMART tips:
- 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 swimming with, touching or feeding wild dolphins.
- Teach
others to be Dolphin SMART.
“Wildlife recreation, such as dolphin watching, has a
major impact on the economy, and I think people are surprised when they hear
the numbers,” McDonough said.
According to the 2006 National Survey of Wildlife
Related-Recreation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, almost a third of
the adult population reported participating in wildlife watching and spent over
$45 billion on their activities. Not surprising, marine mammals attracted
nearly 4 million watchers in 2006.
McDonough added, “The goal of the nature tourism
initiative is to support, enhance and grow this industry, not regulate it. The
fact that, as a group, these tour operators want to voluntarily team up and
develop sustainable wildlife viewing practices, such as the Dolphin SMART
program, is a positive step in promoting responsible stewardship of our natural
resources in ways that benefit the environment as well as the economy. This is
a unique opportunity to work together, and we are in the initial phase of
determining the framework for the development and implementation of the Dolphin
SMART program locally.”
Nature tourism business owners who would like more
information or assistance may contact Joanne McDonough at 251-974-1510 orjmcdonough@gulfshores.com. For more information on the Dolphin SMART
program, visit www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/dolphinsmart.
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