Dolphins ‘stressed out’ by tourist boats

WILD dolphins are suffering at the hands of well-meaning tourists, say British experts.

A study of bottlenose dolphins living off the coast of Zanzibar found that the animals were experiencing “incredible” stress from pleasure boats packed with holidaymakers.

Lead researcher Per Berggren, from the University of Newcastle, said: “The current situation in Zanzibar is unsustainable. The local community is dependent on tourism — and therefore the dolphins — but unless the activity is regulated, the animals will leave.

“Our study found that whenever the tourist boats were present the dolphins were very unsettled and spent less time feeding, socialising or resting. This has a negative impact, not only on individual animals, but on the population as a whole and long term it could be devastating.

“The problem is that any change needs to be tourist-driven. Many visitors will pay drivers extra in tips to steer their boats in close, herding the dolphins so they can dive right in among them. Our message is, keep your distance and put the dolphins first.”

About 150 bottlenose dolphins live along the south coast of Zanzibar, where dolphin-watching was introduced in 1992.

Tourism replaced traditional hunting practices previously endangering the sea mammals.