Ballycastle Coastguard joined officials from Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in responding to reports of dolphins being potentially harassed by personal water craft and other leisure vessels.
The teams launched on Sunday afternoon (25 July) to the waters off Ballycastle beach in north Co Antrim, where “a conversation was had with several PWC users and they were asked to return to Ballycastle Harbour”, a coastguard spokesperson said.
“At the harbour advice was given on the legal protection of these marine mammals, and how to legally operate in their presence.
“After the area was cleared of PWC and pleasure craft the dolphins were observed to swim freely west and re-aggregetae into their pod.”
The coastguard said noise from leisure vessels “causes distress to these social mammals as they cannot communicate acoustically with their pod”.
It also emphasises that a conviction for wildlife disturbance under the NI Wildlife Order comes with the potential of a heavy fine or even jail.
“These are also large animals and have the potential to capsize vessels or cause injury,” it added.
