Jun 26, 2008 9:24 am US/Eastern
Distressed Dolphins Found In New Jersey River
Recents Storms May Be To Blame For Wayward Wandering
SEA BRIGHT, N.J. (CBS) ―
It's a sight that experts say they have only seen a few times in the past 30 years: Dolphins swimming in a New Jersey river.
The bottlenose dolphins are dazzling crowds as they swim in the Shrewsbury River, drawing local families like Dana Spernal and her children to stop by grab a glimpse of the sea mammals, reports CBS station WCBS-TV in New York.
"It's cool because I get to see the little baby dolphins and see them flap," said P.J. Spernal.
As incredible as the sight may be, marine mammal experts are concerned for the safety of the dolphins, who wandered into the river more than a week ago. Betty Stevens, who works at a beach club, was one of the first to see them swim in.
"I'm not sure why they are here," she told WCBS. "We had some severe storm activity before Father's Day. Everybody has their own take on why they ended up in the river. Maybe the storm brought them in or a food source brought them in."
Though many are coming to the shore to see dolphins, marine mammal experts are discouraging boaters from trying to get an even closer look. It's a federal crime to harass dolphins, punishable by a $25,000 fine.
State police officers are even warning jet skiers and boaters to steer clear of the mammals.
"We just tell them to stay at least 50 yards away from them," said Sgt. Richard Schnyderite.
Still, WCBS noticed one boater stopping and getting close the dolphins, who experts say appear to be in distress because they keep flapping their tails.
The boater told WCBS he wasn't aware of the hefty fine.
"I'll certainly keep that in mind the next time I go out there," he said.
Officials hope to get the dolphins to swim back into the ocean before the July 4 weekend, when boat traffic increases.
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