An expert on wildlife disturbance issues has warned that Broughty Ferry’s pod of bottlenose dolphins could be lost forever if irresponsible jet skiers continue to harass them.
Thrillseekers chasing the creatures have angered local boat tour groups.
Dr Deborah Benham said irresponsible jet skiers are putting the dolphins at risk by travelling at high speeds alongside pods.
“There can be significant danger, and we know the impact of vessels and jet skis can be quite serious,” she said.
“You have your immediate impact in terms of an animal getting hit or getting killed from a collision. Jet skiers can also disrupt feeding behaviour and the care of young animals. When that happens quite frequently that can lead to the animals being under a lot of stress, not getting enough food, not being able to care for their young properly and obviously that then leads to long-term impacts on the population.
“We do know in places where there’s been this kind of ongoing cumulative effect that we have seen higher rates of mortality and animals abandoning the area.
“It’s happened in similar places where you have these small groups of dolphins very coastal areas and lots of people coming out in vessels and we have seen a large proportion of the population abandoning that area.”
Dr Benham is project officer for the the Dolphin Space Programme, a scheme set up to ensure the dolphin-watching industry is safe and responsible.
She said the wildlife tourism industry is very important to the area, and existing operators worked hard to be responsible.
“I would say 90% are not aware of the seriousness of the impact they can have,” she said.
“However, the law actually says it doesn’t matter whether you are intentionally or recklessly disturbing a protected species like the dolphin if you are causing an impact on their behaviour that could lead to these longer-term impacts, you are breaking the law.
“I think jet skiers need to show a degree of common sense. I mean, you wouldn’t drive a motorbike through a field of sheep. So we should really be employing the same common sense around the marine environment.”
Bob Richmond, of Tay Maritime Action, has been conducting dolphin-watching tours from Broughty Ferry for years, and has had several clashes with thrillseekers who chase after the intelligent mammals.
However the skipper, who takes tourists out aboard his boats the Marigot and the Badger, said most local jet skiers are aware that such behaviour is unacceptable, and suggested those coming in from nearby harbours may be to blame.
Tayside Police have pledged to come down hard on anybody who is caught deliberately causing distress to dolphins.
A spokesman said, “People out on the water should not get too close to the dolphins, or chase them, and should maintain a reasonable speed when near to them.”
Sue Edwards, of Seawatch Foundations, said, “All dolphins are at risk when being driven at by irresponsible jet ski riders.
“Dolphins at the harbour have enough to deal with from ships, safety boats and pilot boat traffic coming in and out of the harbour.”