Help Save the Dolphins 

      If you like dolphins and want to know how they get hurt, then read this website. Dolphins are critically endangered because of pollution like oil spills, fishing lines, chemical spills, plastic debris. 

Why the Dolphins Are Going Extinct

     Sewage runoff feeds the growth of algae which robs the water of oxygen needed by other dolphins and other aquatic mammals to survive. If anything destroys the delicate food source of these species, the animals will die off. 

    Humans are responsible for dumping chemicals and human waste (like poop and pee) in our oceans thinking that the ocean was so big that it could handle anything. That is not true. 

     The ocean is suffering because of this pollution that has been added to the water. And the animals who live in the ocean are suffering, too.

    For example, dolphins are now growing cancerous tumors because of the chemical pollutants that are found in their ocean habitat.

Tuna

    Dolphins and Yellowfin Tuna live in the same part of the Pacific Ocean. In order to find tuna, fishermen would look for where dolphins were swimming on the surface of the ocean, because if they found dolphins, down below deeper they would also find tuna.

     The nets that the fishermen used to catch tuna are called purse seines. The nets would catch the tuna, but they would also catch dolphins at the same time. 

    Food shoppers in America  were concerned about how many dolphins were dying, so they protested and stopped buying the tuna. The tuna canning factories stopped using the tuna that was caught where dolphins lived. More than 350,000 dolphins were killed in one year.

    If you buy a can of tuna today, it should be marked with a label that is marked "Dolphin Safe."  If you don't see that label on your can of tuna, don't buy it because the tuna was probably caught using nets and fishing techniques that are harmful to dolphins.

Pollution

    Dolphins are coming closer to extinction somewhat due to the natural food change, but mostly from the actions of humans. Trash got into the oceans from fishing boats, sewer pipes, and parking lots. Some people also just dump their trash into the ocean like it’s a big garbage can. 

     Evidence that marine life like dolphins and other aquatic mammals are being hurt is shown by the tumors that are appearing on their bodies. Almost everything we use can be pollution like gas, oil, paper, glass, and metal pieces from the stuff humans use. Plastic is a special problem. Since plastics do not decompose, whatever plastics that go into the ocean do not disappear.

Climate Change

   Rising temperatures caused by global climate changes is also causing problems for dolphins in many ways.

  Warmer water can affect a dolphin's ability to properly reproduce. The warmer ocean water is also causing the dolphin's prey to move to different places seeking out cooler water. This is forcing dolphins to have to travel farther to find a food source or to face food shortages.

    Dolphins face a loss in habitat that threatens dolphin populations because of a rise in the sea levels and more severe weather patterns and storms. Warmer water also produces algae blooms that are toxic to all dolphins. 

   The warmer water and increased levels of carbon dioxide in the water is also damaging and destroying coral reef habitats which provide food and shelter for dolphins.  

Author’s Note

    I was inspired to create this website because of an app called Fahlo.  Using this app, you can get a bracelet and scan a QR code on your phone, ipad, or laptop.

     With my Fahlo app I can choose a real animal to track, and of course I chose a dolphin! But you can not pick your animal on the app you get a bracelet of the animal you want. The first dolphin I tracked was Bernd, named in honor of a famous dolphin researcher Bernd Gerhard Würsig. Currently I am tracking a dolphin named Ping. 

    While tracking my dolphins I have learned some cool and interesting facts. Did  you know that dolphins have fingerprints on their dorsal fins?

    I also learned that the threats to dolphins are very real and serious, and that's why I wanted to learn more.

    One of the biggest threats is bycatch. Bycatach refers to when an animal that you are not trying to catch accidentally gets captured while you are fishing. Dolphins are often victims of bycatch. Bycatch can also harm other marine animals such as sea turtles and sharks. 

    Another harmful threat to dolphins is poaching. Dolphin poaching is the illegal hunting of dolphins. Dolphins are illegally hunted for food or to be taken into captivity. It is estimated that more than 100,000 dolphins and small whales are killed each year by poaching. Bye bye.