A dolphin lover? Please, read this...

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Yes. I've seen dolphins and it was beautiful and MAGICAL, but my last experience made me wonder if we're doing more good than bad. When looking at the cutted fins of dolphins at Dolphin Bay-Bocas del Toro, by motors' props, I think it's more bad than good for them.

My way of giving back this experience to Mother Nature is sharing this little note, after researching and educating myself more about them. I discovered that they sleep with half brain working, that their intelligence level is similar to those of dogs and monkeys, that they're social and playful beings and love to play with waves!

Going to a not so happy part, I also discovered that loud noises (like those of boats' engines) can affect their hearing and stress negatively. By being in a stressfull environment they could not feed, mate or act naturally. And, if we follow this line, lack of mating would lead to less dolphins and, eventually, their extinction in this area...
Another point: the Bay is full of jelly fish, one of dolphins' food. Spreading trash like plastic bags to seas, oceans and/or rivers, could kill them since they mistake plastic bags for jelly fish, sofocate and die.

I know that none of us want to harm or extinct dolphins, so if you visit Dolphin Bay or another similar place, I suggest that you give your small grain of sand:

1. Educate people whom you are sharing the boat with (including the driver) about how motor noises and plastic bags affect dolphins.
2. Important one *Please, DO NOT chase them!* We are paying for the tour anyways and there's no need to chase the poor dolphins. I saw how 5 boats, including the one I was in, with visitors were chasing a group of dolphins to get to see them better. It's not very nice to be honest... specially by looking at the consecuences in dolphins' fins, mutilated by props and knowing they can be hit by the boat. Some even fear the props due to past experiences of damage. Dolphins at the open sea are more willing to come close since they haven't had negative experiences with boats.
3. Once in the area, ask the driver to turn-off the motor and/or slow down. We don't want to hurt them by driving at high speed or having stressed dolphins who will not mate due to frequent motor noises.
4. Remember that they're wild dolphins at their natural habitat... their home. They are not trained to make tricks or play with us.
5. Do not feed them This would make the dolphins get used to receive food from humans and, in their natural habitat, is NOT good or healthy for them.

Like every experience with a wild animal, it's possible that you will not see them completely (full body), but see a fin or a tail. But the Bay is BEAUTIFUL, calm waters and an amazing sky. Just being there is a blessing, a magical experience that shouldn't be "programed". It's better to see them by parts than to chase them and harm them... Don't you think?

I'm not an expert biologist. My basic knowledge comes from Google, Wikipedia and books ;) I'm a fan of nature and its wonders, with lots of hope that it will last forever! If you have any additional suggestions to contribute dolphins' preservation or any information that needs to be corrected, feel free to post your comments in order to educate us all! (Thanks to Rebecca Rissanen from Smithsonian-Bocas del Toro for reading and editing some of the list items).

"We protect what we love, love what we know and know what we understand" - Philippe Cousteau

Finally, you can see the video:

More info about dolphins--> http://www.dolphins-world.com/