Why Are Bottlenose Dolphins Endangered?

Popular, especially in the northern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, bottlenose dolphins are found in both the free waters and in aquariums.

However, if people want to continue having opportunities to see these beautiful creatures, they will need to take precautions and measures to prevent their extinction. Because of their careless and destructive actions, human beings are almost totally responsible for the endangerment of this species of dolphin; therefore, we are the ones who have to fix the problem.

Fishing and Hunting

Fishing has occurred for as long as history has been recorded. However, people often go to extremes and engage in illegal fishing practices. Some fishermen use huge nets when they go out for dolphins, which results in a large number of them being captured and killed. Even more deadly is the practice of dynamite and/or explosives fishing. When fishermen engage in such a practice, hundreds of sea creatures are killed instantaneously. Dolphins are killed, but so are the fish that they eat, thereby ruining the food cycle.

Along the same lines, hunting is also a major problem. People see hunting for dolphins as a game and they have competitions to see who can get the biggest prize. In some countries, laws do not protect these beautiful creatures from being hunted.

Poor Quality of Life

The destruction of their habitats is another part of the answer to why are bottlenose dolphins endangered. Garbage, including toxic chemical wastes, is dumped into the sea in large quantities on a daily basis. Therefore, the ocean environment is quite polluted. Dolphins cannot safely eat the food because of the contamination. They often wind up swimming to other less polluted areas, but when they move their behavioral patterns and cycles are altered.

Furthermore, the areas where they live often become tourist attractions, and garbage accumulates in that manner as well. The dolphins are also disturbed by people trying to swim out to them or trying to touch them, and their cycles of behavior are changed.

Food Chain

Bottlenose dolphins eat squid, shrimp, small sharks and other creatures. However, unfortunately, these creatures are some of the most endangered species as well. People love to eat squid and shrimp, so they are in high demand in the food market, and many people go hunting for sharks. Therefore, dolphins do not have enough food to eat. In addition, when there is a lack of food in one area, dolphins will go to another area that is more heavily populated with sustenance. When they all flock to one particular region though, that area then experiences problems with an overpopulation of dolphins. If there are too many dolphins, then once again, the food supply becomes inadequate.

Preventing Extinction

As many people know, the next step after endangerment is extinction. Bottlenose dolphins are beautiful creatures that people adore; however, in order to prevent their destruction, people need to stop littering, hunting, and fishing for these animals. Furthermore, they need to not scare away dolphins when they visit them, and they need to avoid polluting their habitats. At the national level, legislation needs to be created and enforced that protect the pollution and destruction of the oceans. If dolphins cease to exist, not only will their beauty and gentleness be gone from this earth, but other creatures in their food chain will also be put at risk to become extinct.

Those interested in learning why bottlenose dolphins are becoming endangered probably also want to know what can be done about it. 

• Legislation like the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, along with its amendments, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 have both certainly done a lot to protect species all over the world.
• Besides legislation, boycotts have proven to be very effective in causing change.  Because of the tuna boycotts, which began in 1988, and work by environmental groups, many fewer dolphins now die in tuna nets. 
• The Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act was passed in 1990 and it mandated “dolphin safe” labels on tuna.  After that, no tuna caught in purse seine nets around dolphins could be labeled “dolphin safe.”