Do Porpoise Point to a Better Bay?

Maryland Association of Counties, Experts: More Dolphins Means a Better Bay

Sightings of bottlenose dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay are on the rise…experts say that means good things for the Chesapeake Bay.

As reported by Maryland Matters, a dolphin expert at the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science said that while dolphins in the Bay are an annual occurrence, dolphins being sighted deeper into the Bay – as far north as Baltimore – is a trend that seems to be increasing.

“It’s a wonderful sign that our beloved bottlenose dolphins are coming into the Bay. They are feeding. They are bringing their young. It signals really good things about our fisheries and that they can find a diversity of food here,” Testa said. “It points to a sign of things improving and things being hospitable for them.”

Researchers divide the Bay into thirds when monitoring dolphins: from the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean to the VA/MD state line; north from that point to the Bay Bridge; and then from the bridge into Baltimore.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that bottlenose dolphins are highly intelligent and can live up to 60 years. Though they are usually found in tropical seawater, it’s not uncommon to see them in brackish water during the summer months. Experts warn that keeping a 50-yard distance when viewing dolphins is the safest method.

You can follow where bottlenose dolphins have been spotted at Chesapeake Dolphin Watch’s website. Or, read the full article from Maryland Matters for more details.

It's only been in the last ten years or so that dolphin sightings in the  bay have become fairly common. Meanwhile, the improvement in the conditions of the Bay have been, to say the least, underwhelming.  Maybe they were enough to encourage dolphins, but I rather suspect a more mundane reason, expanding dolphin populations on the Atlantic seaboard.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: In & Out up at The Other McCain.