These dolphins are tired of being overworked for tourists…literally. In Hawaii, the high number of island visitors who have their hearts set on meeting the "dogs of the sea" are having a negative impact on the health of these spinner dolphins by preventing them from getting much needed rest and sleep. Scientists have created maps which show that only 21 out of 99 bays off the main Hawaiian islands were "suitable habitats for resting dolphins."
Interacting with spinner dolphins is highly popular all over the world, not just in Hawaii. I can't help but wonder how overworked dolphins are in less regulated parts of the world. I've never wanted to "ride" a dolphin as I've always viewed it as partaking in a lame circus-like activity couched in "family fun." This recent study has definitely convinced me that sequestering these wild creatures into the very profitable (yet often archaic) tourism world is something that will be remembered with disbelief and shame in a hundred years.
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