He was boating off the coast of Hilton Head. Then, he saw hundreds of dolphins
Hilton Head Island is quite the place to see wildlife.
There are alligators walking across golf courses, rare turtles nesting on the beach, and great white sharks swimming far off the island’s coast.
So it’s not surprising for beach-goers and boaters to catch a glimpse of dolphins jumping in the waves.
It is rare, however, to see hundreds of them at once.
Bluffton local Ryan Trexler was stunned when he was out on a friend’s boat about 10 miles off the Hilton Head coast earlier this week and saw a large pod of spotted dolphin.
He said there were anywhere between 100 and 200 dolphins.
“I’ve never seen so many dolphins in my life,” Trexler said.
He said it was like a scene out of BBC show “Blue Planet.”
“They just appeared all around us,” he said, adding that the “surreal” experience lasted about half an hour.
Last year, Hilton Head was named one of the “10 Best Dolphin Sighting Destinations in North America” by The Travel Channel.
Although dolphins are exciting to see, it’s illegal to feed them. Advocates have said it can be detrimental to the dolphins’ health, according to previous reporting. They said dolphins who learn that boats are a source of food put themselves in danger when they come close to boat propellers.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in its marine life viewing guidelines, recommends dolphin-watchers stay at least 50 yards away from them.
Among the other guidelines:
▪ Limit your viewing time to 30 minutes or less.
▪ If approached, put your vessel’s engine in neutral, allow the animal to pass and move away slowly.
▪ Avoid excessive vessel speed or sudden changes in speed or direction.
▪ Never pursue or follow marine wildlife.
This story was originally published April 27, 2019 at 2:50 PM.
