HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii authorities say Tuesday they have referred 33 people to U.S. police after the group allegedly harassed a pod of wild dolphins in the waters off the Big Island.
It is against federal law to swim within 50 yards (45 meters) of spinner dolphins in Hawaii’s coastal waters. The ban came into effect in 2021 over concerns that so many tourists swam with dolphins that the nocturnal animals didn’t get the rest they need during the day to forage for food at night.
The rule applies to areas within 2 nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) of the Hawaiian Islands and in designated waters surrounded by the islands of Lanai, Maui and Kahoolawe.
The state Department of Lands and Natural Resources said in a press release that its enforcers encountered the 33 swimmers in Honaunau Bay on a routine patrol Sunday.
Aerial photos taken by drones show snorkelers following dolphins as they swim away. The department said the video and photos showed swimmers “appearing to be aggressively chasing, herding and harassing the pod”.
Enforcers contacted the group while they were in the water and told them about the violation. Uniformed officers met the swimmers on land where state and federal officials launched a joint investigation.
Hawaii’s spinner dolphins feast on fish and small crustaceans that emerge from the depths of the ocean at night. When the sun rises, they move to shallow bays to hide from tiger sharks and other predators.
To the untrained eye, the dolphins appear to be awake during the day because they are swimming.
But because they sleep by resting half of their brains and keeping the other half awake to surface and breathe, they may even be asleep when maneuvering through the water.
