'So Cool!' Watch Dolphins Play in Maryland Waters (ICYMI)

Annapolis, MD — Much like Marylanders head to the beach in the summer, the warmer water has drawn pods of bottlenose dolphins to the waters around Annapolis and Ocean City in recent weeks.

Boaters have shared footage on YouTube of the mammals frolicking in the Severn River, as well as off the coast near Ocean City. This sailboat passenger captured dolphins at play near where the Rhode River and West River come together.

The Chesapeake Bay Program says groups of dolphins – known as pods – typically visit the Chesapeake Bay in summer as the water temperatures warm. While they are most often seen in the lower Chesapeake Bay near Cape Charles and the James and Elizabeth rivers, some dolphins may venture as far north as Baltimore Harbor and Washington, D.C.

Bottlenose dolphins feed mostly on fish such as spot, croakers, menhaden and silver perch, but they will also eat shrimp, squid and crabs.

The northward migration of menhaden is likely a lure for the dolphins to the Mid-Atlantic waters, West and Rhode Riverkeeper Jeff Holland told the Capital-Gazette. Dolphins have been present in area waters he oversees for about two weeks.

On July 8, the Maryland Natural Resources Police shared a video on Facebook of dolphins swimming in the West River. Boaters were asked to be careful while the creatures were in the area.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act protects dolphins from people. Touching, following, feeding or harassing the animals is prohibited by federal law and can lead to fines or jail time. Penalties include a fine of up to $11,000; one year in prison plus criminal fines; and forfeiture of the vessel involved, including penalties for that vessel up to $25,000.

If you see a dolphin that appears to be sick, stranded, entangled in nets, injured or otherwise in danger, call the Department of Natural Resources hotline: 1-800-628-9944.

»Photo of a bottlenose dolphin by the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center; videos via YouTube