By LawInspectsYes, it can be illegal to communicate with dolphins, especially if you’re going out of your way to harass them in the wild or their natural habitat. And this might be a little surprising for some of you, but that’s how it is laid down under the federal law of the country right here in the United States of America. But in order for you to fully understand this, we’d suggest you to keep on reading where we’ll talk about the particular case where it is illegal to “communicate” with dolphins and what that exactly means.
What’s the Law That Protects Dolphins?
It all started in 1972 when the U.S. Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act, or simply MMPA. The purpose of this legislation was the conservation of sea animals such as dolphins, whales, and seals, which resulted in a ban on human activities that cause injuries to them.
One thing that can be easily fascinating is the fact that it is strictly prohibited to kill or harm animals. However, the complicated part that the officials did not tell you is the fact that you are not allowed to harass these animals either. Moreover, in this context, the term “harass” does not only refer to wrapping up the animals or physically contacting them, but also to any action that would interfere with their usual activities, such as swimming, feeding, resting, and socializing.
That’s where this whole “talking to dolphins” thing starts to come into question.
So, Is Talking to a Dolphin Considered Harassment?
According to the law, communicating with a dolphin is not against the law. However, it explicitly mentions that if the way you did things forced a dolphin to change its behavior, then it might be categorized as harassment.
If you were trying to get the attention of a dolphin by calling it, splashing water, or making sounds, and it went away or changed its behavior, then that little exchange could have legal implications, although it might be a very small interaction. It’s law-wise, it can be a matter of a problem.
Why Is There So Much Concern?
You might be wondering, “Why would it be bad to just wave or say hi to a dolphin?” Actually, there is a valid reason for all these warnings.
Dolphins are sometimes mistaken for friendly, polite neighbors, but they are wild animals after all. In situations where people feed them or try to come close to them in water, the dolphins naturally change their behavior. A few of the dolphins can make the decision to depend on people for food and thus lose the ability to hunt. Further, some animals may become acclimated to the noise of the boats and then suffer. Besides, there are also examples in which dolphins have become hostile in case the anticipated food was not given by the people.
Could You Get in Trouble for It?
Suppose you were at a beach or on a boat, and you had a dolphin passing by in the water, and you simply said “Hey there!” to it, and it just ignored your voice. So this means that probably there are no problems, and you don’t have to be worried about it.
On the other hand, if you were doing those things specifically to get the attention of a dolphin, throwing the noise, waving your arms, following it in a boat, or trying to get close to it, then certainly that would be considered harassment under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
What about the sanctions? They are not minor by any means. You might receive a monetary penalty consisting of thousands of dollars; in some cases, it can be as high as $36,000, or you might also be sentenced to jail, depending on the situation.