How to Protect Dolphins From an Oil Spill

If You See a Stranded Dolphin

• 1

  Call the national wildlife hotline. As of May 2011, this number is (866) 557-1401. Many dolphins will try to escape waters they feel to be harmful. By calling in wildlife specialists, you're increasing its chances of survival.

• 2

  Stick around with the dolphin until wildlife personnel show up. However, the dolphin may swing its tail or head wildly, which could injure you -- so don't get too close.

• 3

  Stay away from the dolphin's blowhole. If the dolphin is ill, you don't want to breathe in what it is exhaling.

• 4

  Make sure that your pets stay far away from the dolphin.

• 5

  Keep other people from crowding around and adding to the dolphin's anxiety with noise and attention.

If You Manage Water Areas

• 6

  Place oil containment booms between the oncoming oil and areas where dolphins swim. While the booms won't keep the oil out forever, they will slow its approach, giving the ocean water more time to dissipate the toxins.

• 7

  Collect any tar balls that come up onto shore or that you observe in offshore waters. The more of these you can pull out of the water, the fewer there will be to harm dolphins still in the area.

• 8

  Monitor any unusual mortality patterns in area dolphins. For the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Fisheries Service to declare a "mortality event," several criteria are required, such as a spike in deaths, a tight radius in which all the deaths much occur, similar symptoms or illnesses, and oddities in behavior.