Days of the dolphins: More and more visiting local waters

Some beachgoers may be sticking to the sand after reports of shark sightings on the South Shore, but those venturing out onto the water in recent weeks have been treated to spectacular sightings of other marine wildlife.

As  Captain Liz Gillooly set out for a sail with charter guests aboard on July 29, she spotted a pod of about 50 dolphins swimming in Gardiner’s Bay.

“We turned around, circled back and were able to stay with them for almost an hour,” Ms. Gillooly recalled this week. “Our guests were totally blown away. They were just playing around us.”

Ms. Gillooly, who owns and operates Layla Sailing out of Greenport, said that was one of several encounters she’s had with dolphins this year. “I’ve never in my life seen dolphins in these waters, so it was super surprising.”

Once a rare sight in local waters, sightings of whales, dolphins and other marine mammals are becoming a more common occurrence, according to local wildlife experts.

Rare is the correct description. One of the last views of dolphins was four summers ago, when the beautiful sight of several of them blessed travelers onboard a morning North Ferry boat bound for Shelter Island. The pod of dolphins rose to the surface and surfed the bay before diving and rhythmically rising again, over and over.

The dolphins were there and then gone, but those on the boat were thrilled by their brief presence.

Maxine Montello, the rescue program director at NY Marine Rescue Center in Riverhead, said the recent sightings are not an anomaly. “As long as there’s a good, stable food source, they can take temporary residency throughout an area,” she said last week.

Local marine biologist Chris Paparo, who runs the Fish Guy Photos accounts on social media, said it’s encouraging to see them return, and could be an indication that water quality is improving and conservation efforts are working.

According to Defenders of Wildlife, a nonprofit environmental organization that advocates for imperiled species, dolphins are highly intelligent mammals found in every ocean and saltwater bay and sound. They are “mostly in shallow seas of the continental shelves and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid,” the organization reported.

Mr. Paparo hopes that these encounters lead to a heightened awareness and appreciation for the local ecosystem and pleas for environmental protection. “If we all chip in, it makes a huge difference,” he said.

“People aren’t stuck behind their desks — there’s probably more people on boats than normal,” Ms. Montello said, pointing out that a rise in human encounters could lead to a rise in vessel strikes, entanglement and harassment.

While the pod of dolphins didn’t get close enough to Ms. Gillooly’s sailboat to swim in their bow waves, the captain had to remind her guests not to jump in and swim with them. As a protected species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, it’s illegal to feed or swim with dolphins in U.S. waters and observers must stay at least 50 yards away when viewing the animals.

“We’ve been preaching social distancing with each other, but it’s important for these animals too,” Ms. Montello said. “Sharing these beautiful waters with our local fauna is key to make sure they do keep on coming back.”

The New York Marine Rescue Center, based in Riverhead, runs a 24-hour hotline to report sightings and possible animals in distress at 631-369-9829.