Save Bottlenose Dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins and 37 other species of these highly intelligent mammals face potential extinction. Many dolphins — including pink dolphins, black dolphins, Amazon River dolphins, and Yangtze River dolphins — are critically or seriously endangered, or possibly already extinct. For instance, after an intensive search in 2006 for the Yangtze River dolphin, experts announced that the species was likely extinct.

Every year, humans kill tens of thousands of bottlenose dolphins or damage their habitats. Any detrimental impact to their environment can greatly jeopardize their survival.

Perhaps the greatest threat to bottlenose dolphins is contamination of their habitat: oceans, seas, and rivers. Pesticides, heavy metals, plastics, and other industrial and agricultural pollutants that do not break down in the environment or that remain in the waterways for decades are dramatically reducing dolphin populations, as all dolphins build up unusually high levels of contaminants. In addition,  river and marine dolphins frequently die when they collide with boats, while many dolphins also succumb after swallowing debris, including nets, balls, and plastics.

A fishing technique called purse-seining, in which huge nylon nets up to one mile long are used to catch yellowfin tuna, causes the death of about 20,000 dolphins per year, as the dolphins and tuna often swim together and the dolphins are crushed or drown when the nets are brought in.

The use of driftnets (banned in 1993 but still used illegally) and gill nets (still legal) kills more bottlenose dolphins each year than any other fishing method.  Dolphins are also hunted for food, oil, and other uses. In Chile, for example, the endangered black dolphin is hunted to provide bait for king crab, and Turkish fishermen kill dolphins for oil and chicken feed. Japan is believed to be the largest consumer of dolphin meat.

The gentle nature of bottlenose dolphins and other species makes working with them and preserving their habitats an especially rewarding experience. Several conservation groups are ready to help you share that experience.

The widespread distribution of bottlenose and other dolphin species, combined with the energy of dedicated researchers and volunteers around the world who are concerned about their survival, means there are many opportunities to make a difference for dolphins and their ecosystems. Here are some of them:

• A 12-day program in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain, may be your choice if you want to work alongside a scientific team that is researching dolphins and whales. You will be trained on the methods used to do surveys at sea and data entry on land, and presentations on conservations plans are provided. This is an area rich in bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins, and common dolphins.
• Scotland is the site of this volunteer opportunity, where you can assist a marine research team with field activities to conserve and protect dolphins, porpoises, and whales. This is an 11-day program that takes place on the southern coastline of Moray Firth.
• Help save bottlenose and striped dolphins, as well as whales, in the Ligurian Sea near Italy. You can go for 1 to 12 weeks and be involved in tracking, behavioral sampling, photo identification, and more.  
• Join a dolphin research project in Kenya, where you can conduct research from a surface vessel and snorkel to observe turtles. Volunteers are trained by research staff and have an opportunity to work in the Shimoni Archipelago, off the coast of the Indian Ocean on the border with Tanzania, an ideal location for dolphins.
• Volunteer to help save the Pink River Dolphins in Brazil. This is a year-round project, so you can join the researchers at any time. Duties include observation, data collection, and data entry. The minimum stay is two weeks.

Experts say dolphins have a level of intelligence comparable with humans, and all species appear to be especially skillful at cooperating with each other when looking for food or caring for their young. You can be part of a human team that cooperates to ensure the future of these remarkable creatures.