noaasanctuaries:We’re backflipping into Dolphin Awareness Month with this Pacific white-side
noaasanctuaries: We’re backflipping into Dolphin Awareness Month with this Pacific white-sided dolphin in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary! Pacific white-sided dolphins are highly social animals that can be seen traveling in schools of up to a thousand individuals. They are also very playful, and can be spotted “bow riding,” or swimming near the front part of a ship, jumping, somersaulting, and spinning in the air! Pacific white-sided dolphins are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, but they still face threats from fishing gear entanglement and underwater noise pollution. You can help by keeping a distance from the dolphins, and reporting dolphins that are in distress. Learn more about how you can help these charismatic whales here. (Photo: Douglas Croft) [Image description: A dolphin backflipping above water.] -- source link