Page 119 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators

Bottlenose dolphins
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Expert advice, the best chance to see a bottlenose

Cornwall-based AK Wildlife Cruises Captain Keith Leeves
takes spotters out to see dolphins all year round.
Are there any telltale signs that knowledge of the animal but also the vast experience
dolphins are in the water? behind the operators can really help. One can never
We always look for birds, they are a guarantee a wildlife sighting.
great indicator of dolphin presence.
Fast travelling dolphins will make What should dolphin spotters wear?
a lot of white water and splash around, so look out for Even in hot places and during the summer it can be
disturbances in the water. On a calm sunny day, look much cooler offshore. Always take plenty of layers,
out for a glint of light bouncing off an animal’s smooth waterproofs, hats and gloves. Take good pair of
wet skin. binoculars or a camera and in the summer take plenty
of sun cream. In the sun you do get a lot of glare and
How much can spotters interact with dolphins? polarised sunglasses will help you see animals through
Quite a lot, depending on the animals. They are playful the water.
and inquisitive and if they come toward your boat then
that’s the animals choosing to interact with you. There Can you describe what an average bottlenose dolphin
have been studies indicating that high pitched voices sighting is like?
excite dolphins and may even attract them. They love nothing more than showing off and playing
and o en do incredibly high jumps. They might keep
Should spotters feed wild dolphins? their distance and we never infringe on that. There
No. There is always a risk that dolphins could become are occasions when they will come rushing over to
dependent on being fed by humans. It’s not like putting say hello and bottlenose dolphins in particular are
a bird feeder out in your garden, big marine mammals extremely playful.
shouldn’t be fed. It would be lovely to be able to feed
these animals, but we really can’t condone it. What are the best dolphin-spotting weather conditions?
Flat, calm sea is just perfect so you can see their fins.
What advice can you give to readers who want to If there’s anything going on you can’t miss it. Sunshine
see dolphins where they live? isn’t always the best because of glare. An overcast day
If you can find a dedicated operator, go is an excellent day to go out, o en providing the best
out with them. Not only for their sighting conditions.

Bottlenose dolphins
generally swim in
groups of ten to 25

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