Anyone see the dolphins in the Shrewsbury?

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MichaelNJ

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Dolphins in N.J.'s Shrewsbury River Attract Audience

SEA BRIGHT, N.J. (AP) -- Authorities are monitoring a group of wayward bottlenose dolphins isolated in the Shrewsbury River near the town of Sea Bright.

A federal official said Saturday that state police and Coast Guard boats were enforcing a 50-yard buffer around the dolphins.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokeswoman Teri Frady said plans were being made to drive the dolphins out of the river and back out to sea. But she said that could be a risky operation.

In the meantime biologists say the dolphins seem to be in good health as they feed on fish in the river.

The big worry was boats that have been crowding the river as people gather to watch the aquatic mammals.
 
Yeah, they are all over typically between the highlands and rumson bridges. There is a ton of construction going on at the highlands bridge and I would not be surprised if the noise is what is keeping them in the river. The Shrewsbury and the Navesin have tons of bunker, and are a mda house for the 3 and 4th I hope the planned dolphin drive works to get them back to the bay at least.
 
Interesting. I never knew that. I hope they aren't getting mixed up with the boats.
 
We saw the dolphins Saturday morning, but we did not see them on our return trip up the river. First time in 2 weeks we did not see them. I was hoping they made it back into the bay - anybody know?

The NJ State Police and Coast Guard Aux., which had been directing river traffic around the pod in the morning, were nowhere to be seen in the afternoon.
 
No Immediate Plans to Move Dolphins from N.J. River

SEA BRIGHT, N.J. (AP) -- A group of 15 dolphins can stay in a river near the Jersey Shore for the next few days in the hope that they'll return to the ocean on their own, authorities said Monday.

The bottlenose dolphins, including two calves, have been in the narrow Shrewsbury River for about 2{ weeks, possibly after making a wrong turn chasing schools of bait fish.

Wildlife authorities are concerned that heavy boat traffic on the river _ which will be even heavier over the July 4 weekend _ could endanger the dolphins. But as of now, there are no immediate plans to try to move them, said Teri Frady, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

``What we're looking for is a situation where the risk of them staying where they are outweighs the risk of moving them,'' she said. ``They are out there again today, feeding and socializing. They look fine.''

Thunderstorms that moved through the region over the weekend failed to scare the animals out of the river and into open water. Officials had held out slim hope last week that the sound and vibrations of thunder might have spooked the dolphins into leaving the area.

Environmental officials and volunteers are considering various plans to try to either lure or scare the dolphins out of the river into Sandy Hook Bay and out into the ocean. But each poses potential problems, including stressing the animals, Frady said.

A team of experts from as far away as Massachusetts and North Carolina is being assembled and could be deployed on the river this week if conditions worsen for the dolphins.

But even that might not work; authorities said last week they are afraid that rather than being herded out to deeper water by rescuers' boats, the dolphins might just dive deeper in the river to avoid them.

Lone dolphins and smaller groups have periodically entered the river and gotten out on their own, but this is by far the largest group that has been seen in the Shrewsbury in recent memory.

In 1993, authorities tried to remove dolphins that had spent the summer and fall in the river. When the river froze, attempts to shoo the animals out to sea only chased them under the ice, where several drowned.
 
As long as there if food, I don't think they will have a problem.
We have them as far as 35 miles inland, but they go back out when they want.
They are pretty good at getting around in high boat traffic. They even run around the front of boats, within a few feet while we are runniing.
 
People may refuse to believe the findings -> http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=6484968

But I do not. I agree the dolphins are smarter than people give them credit for.

We have recently traveled South along the ICW to Florida from NY. There are many spots along the ICW where it's a 10 mile distance to deep water ocean access. Starting in Beaufort NC we regularly saw dolphins playing in our wake. It mattered not to the locals or the dolphins. One day a pod stayed with us for about 20 miles!
 
Good response, Dan. I wish the authorities would just leave them alone. Too much time and money is being expended trying to move them back to sea. As you indicated, they are smarter then people give them credit for. In my opinion, they are smarter than most humans. They will move on when the food supply is gone. In the meantime, just leave them alone and be careful around them.
 
I heard a brief report that they can only account for 5 dolphins now and they all look thinner. The reporter immediately assumed all the others were dead. Perhaps they went back out in search of food?

Why do I smell more boating regs aimed at protecting the poor defenseless dolphins in our future?
 
I think the problem is the no wake zones. Think about it. Dolphins like to play in the bow wave of boats as they cruise along. Remove the no wake zones so the boats can move on plane and the dolphins will be sure to lead them out!

(Hey, it's worth a shot)
 
The first comment at the bottom of that article really sums up the current state of NJ for me....

"Don't worry, the dolphins will be leaving the river and heading out to sea in a few days. They, the dolphins, have found out the great governor of NJ is about to tax them for living in the river and Shrewsbury wants them to get beach badges."
 
More news....

I didn't know PETA was involved. Those people are dangerous! (Bolding added by me to highlight how they feel animals are more important than people.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090115/ap_on_re_us/wayward_dolphins_1

Passions heating up over New Jersey river dolphins
By WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press Writer Wayne Parry, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jan 15, 5:23 am ET

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Temperatures are plunging, but emotions are heating up over whether the last five dolphins who had taken up residence in two New Jersey rivers will be able to survive the winter.

Critics of the way federal wildlife officials have handled the case confronted the agency overseeing their welfare during a forum Tuesday night at Monmouth University.

It was their first chance for face-to-face questioning of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials since 16 bottlenose dolphins appeared in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers last June.

Three dolphins have died so far, and only five of the original 16 remain in the Shrewsbury. It is unclear what happened to the other eight. NOAA officials say it is possible they left the river on their own and returned to the open sea, but they have no way to know for sure.

The agency says trying to move the remaining dolphins is risky and probably wouldn't work.

But critics fear a repeat of 1993, when four dolphins died in the river when ice closed in on them and they drowned.

"Why are we waiting for strandings?" asked Marlene Antrim of Hazlet. "Why don't you do something before it's an emergency situation? Some of you officials should go sit in that river and see how cold it is."

David Gouveia, NOAA's marine mammal program coordinator, said doing nothing right now is in the dolphins' best interest.

"They are not trapped, they are not stranded, they are not ill and they are not injured," he said. "This is trying to do what's best for the animals."

He said the dolphins that died in 1993 did so because rescuers tried to herd them out of the river, and actually chased them under the ice, where they perished.

"We ended up doing more harm than good," Gouveia said.

Some animal advocates remained unconvinced.

"Unless NOAA takes immediate action, these dolphins, who may be more intelligent than human beings and certainly are every bit as emotional and family-oriented as we are, will slowly die as winter progresses," said Daphna Nachminovitch, vice president of People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals, in a statement released before the meeting. "Taxpayers expect federal agencies like NOAA not to stand by while these vulnerable dolphins suffer agonizing deaths."

Likewise, Joseph Kyrillos, Jennifer Beck and Sean Kean, all Republican state senators from Monmouth County, urged the agency to reverse course.

"NOAA has consistently maintained that any attempt to remove the dolphins from the rivers would be dangerous and possibly result in injury to the dolphins," they said in a statement. "Yet, it is becoming increasing apparent that taking no action whatsoever in light of the dolphins inability to adequately feed themselves will result in the death of the remaining animals."

The senators want NOAA to authorize an immediate rescue by one of the four marine mammal rescue organizations that have volunteered to rescue and rehabilitate them.

Last week, the NOAA said it expects that additional dolphins will either strand themselves or die as winter progresses. But it continues to feel the animals should not be netted or chased from the river, citing the risk involved.

Dr. Aleta Hohn, researcher at NOAA's Southeast Fisheries Science Center, said there are nearly 7,500 bottlenose dolphins that spend the summer off New Jersey. Most head to North Carolina in October or November.

She said dolphins in this area generally head south when water temperatures get chilly, but because they continue to find bait fish, they may show up in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers for years to come.

"Maybe this is the beginning of something we're going to see more often in this area," she said. "They are very flexible animals that take advantage of the habitat in which they are found."
 
It looks like they all died....

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901230305

Readers spout off about fate of dolphins
Posted by the Asbury Park Press
Readers spout off about fate of dolphins

EDITOR'S NOTE: The co-director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, Bob Schoelkopf, expressed fear Monday that all of the bottlenose dolphins who have made their home since last summer in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers have died. Schoelkopf, who has been at odds with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about plans to rescue the dolphins, flatly stated: "I don't think they're alive anymore."

NOAA, which has jurisdiction over the dolphins, has held fast to its position that they should be left to their own devices as they attempt to expand the scope of their habitat.

Yet many local residents have come to think of the dolphins, originally numbering 16, as pets. As summer gave way to fall and then winter, and three dolphins were confirmed dead, many called for an intervention and rescue. Some blamed noise from ongoing construction on the Route 36/Highlands Bridge for the dolphins' failure to return to the ocean. Others faulted NOAA's strict noninterventionist stance.

But still others think NOAA's position has been correct: The dolphins are wild animals and, in the wild, it's all about survival of the fittest. A sampling of readers' comments are offered below. Join readers who are still debating their views in a thread at Hot Topics on our online forums at www.app.com.

Published: January 23. 2009 4:10AM
 
How does this so called expert know they died as opposed to perhaps heading out of the river to where the food is?
 
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water....

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WAYWARD_DOLPHINS?SITE=OKPON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Jan 23, 7:59 PM EST

Witnesses say 3 to 5 dolphins living in now-frozen New Jersey river have left for open water

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/Mel Evans

HIGHLANDS, N.J. (AP) -- A handful of dolphins in a group of 16 living in an icy New Jersey river since the summer have left for open water, witnesses said.

The owner and several employees of a Highlands seafood restaurant said they saw three to five of the mammals swim into Sandy Hook Bay on Jan. 15 before the Shrewsbury River froze over.

Ann Luongo, a waitress at Bahr's Landing, said she saw "two of the most beautiful dolphins jump out of the river, just like you would at Sea World."

She said she watched the rest of the afternoon to see if the dolphins swam back into the river, as they had several times before, but they did not return.

Teri Frady, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said restaurant owner Jay Cosgrove reiterated the same account to the agency, but said she could not confirm or disprove the sighting.

The agency's spotters plan to take boats out onto the river, which was partially frozen Friday, as soon as it was feasible to search for the dolphins.

The lack of dolphin sightings in recent days had led to fears that they had died in the icy waters.

Three of the original 16 dolphins have died and the whereabouts of the others are unknown.

Bob Schoelkopf, co-director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, said he would love to believe the remaining dolphins made it out of the river, but he had doubts.

"When I saw them two days earlier, they were so thin they could barely swim, let alone leap for joy," he said. "I've picked up dead dolphins that had more body mass on them than these did."
 
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