TAMPA, Fla. — They’re cute and fun to watch, but officials want people to keep their distance, not just for their own safety.

  • Dolphin found stabbed in May along Upper Captiva Island
  • NOAA investigators say dolphin was begging for food
  • Federal law prohibits feeding wild dolphins; teaches them to not fear humans

“A fed dolphin is a dead dolphin,” said Stacey Horstman, bottlenose dolphin conservation coordinator with NOAA Fisheries.

Horstman says feeding a dolphin may seem innocent, but it actually teaches the dolphins dangerous behavior.

“When they’re readily approaching boats and fishing gear in that begging posture or looking for free handouts, they’re not paying attention to their surroundings,” said Horstman.

That’s when the animals wind up hit by boats or entangled in fishing gear, both of which can be deadly.

But in some cases, the harm can be intentional.

In May, a dolphin was found along Upper Captiva Island with a stab wound in the head. NOAA investigators are looking for the suspect.

“The injury appears to be caused by some sort of sharp object, some sort of pointed metal rod or spear,” said Manny Antonaras, deputy special agent in charge with NOAA Office of Law Enforcement.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission performed a necropsy, and say the wound indicates the dolphin may have been in a begging posture when he was stabbed.

NOAA Fisheries officials say they see cases like this about twice a year — when a dolphin begged for food in an area it wasn’t welcome.

“These types of violations are very serious and our office does take them very seriously,” said Antonaras.

In fact, anything from feeding a dolphin to intentionally injuring it is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and up to a year in prison, depending on the severity of the offense.

So the best thing you can do to avoid this in the first place?

Don’t feed them.

“The hand that feeds the animal can lead to these types of egregious, really sad cases. So it’s really a human behavior problem that changes the dolphin’s behavior,” said Horstman.

Anyone who might have any information relating to this incident is asked to call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 1-800-853-1964.

You could be eligible for a $38,000 reward.