[crbfisher]

Dolphins in the Chester River. About 40 of them. We were in about 5 feet of water. It was great watching them swim so close to the boat.

Did anyone else see them? They were between Long Point and Winchester Creek yesterday around 4. First time I have seen so many at one time and in the Lower Chester.

I got a little bit of video on my phone. Sorry no pictures.

 

[drifter]

Two weeks ago I saw about that many as far up as the mouth of the Corsica. Last week I saw just a few in the same place, just outside the Corsica. They appeared to be feeding - rolling around, changing direction and so on. Really surprising to me.

 

[buckshotgumbo]

A dolphin eats 4-9% of its body weight per day.
So, figure about 30 lb a day on average for an adult.

 

[crabby and son]

I have seen pods of 200 just North of the Bay Bridge and about 10 in the South River. They mostly eat bunker and spot.........Gary

 

[pkeating]

I saw them while passing by Hail Point over a month ago. They have been around for a while now.

Pat

 

[goose70]

I think this is good news for the Bay. They wouldn't be here if the food wasn't available. The question is, what are they eating? It would be nice if DNR, U. Md. or the National Aquarium conducted a study on Chesapeake 'fins. I know one biologists who speculates that it could be either more menhaden (resulting from fewer striped bass to prey on them), or more Spanish macs in the Bay, or some combination. Since the dolphins arrive in the spring, I'm thinking it's not the Spanish macs that attract them and more likely menhaden.

 

[Seapro02]

 

[crabby and son]

I think this is good news for the Bay. They wouldn't be here if the food wasn't available. The question is, what are they eating? It would be nice if DNR, U. Md. or the National Aquarium conducted a study on Chesapeake 'fins. I know one biologists who speculates that it could be either more menhaden (resulting from fewer striped bass to prey on them), or more Spanish macs in the Bay, or some combination. Since the dolphins arrive in the spring, I'm thinking it's not the Spanish macs that attract them and more likely menhaden.

It's hard to determine what they eat because you can't catch one to examine their stomach contents. I heard they prefer smaller soft fish........Gary

 

[UncleRob]

When I was stationed in North Carolina I would feed them mullet. I swam a lot along the coast and they would swim all around me to get their goodies.

 

[SteveL]

There have been reports of them following along crab trotlines and snapping up the crabs before they can be netted.

 

[mdracer]

Saw them eating Crocker’s in the St. John’s river in Fla. theywere throwing out of the water and catching them.

 

[crabby and son]

There have been reports of them following along crab trotlines and snapping up the crabs before they can be netted.

Everything and every one loves crabs. A trotline must be a buffet for them..........

 

[andypat]

We had a lot of Dolphin shows at the Venice South Jetty where my fishing friends and I hung out. I remember the day this lady photographer got this great picture at the jetty. She was really happy. Her picture made it on quite a few magazines.

 

[Capt.Nick]

What does every body want fish to eat exclusivley? Anything that people don't? It's always been like this,hasn't it? The difference now is that there are more people and less fish and the people are eating all the fish and complaining the the fish are eating all the other fisf. We need less peope again to balance it out.Not more people eating what's left of the fish and nothing for them to eat.Fish aren'the problem,people are

 

[O sea D]

We had a lot of Dolphin shows at the Venice South Jetty where my fishing friends and I hung out. I remember the day this lady photographer got this great picture at the jetty. She was really happy. Her picture made it on quite a few magazines. View attachment 282412

ThaT is one cool picture Andy

 

[SteveL]

They are an extraordinary species. Based on US Navy and other scientific research, they can differentiate between a golf ball size object made of different materials, stainless steel vs brass, that is buried under the sediment a foot deep from a hundred yards away. They can tell if a human is facing toward them or away based on sonar sensing. Teams of divers and bottlenose have cleared mined harbors effeciently that allowed safe access to U.S. vessels.

https://www.niwcpacific.navy.mil/marine-mammal-program/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_Marine_Mammal_Program

 

[longtail]

They are an extraordinary species. Based on US Navy and other scientific research, they can differentiate between a golf ball size object made of different materials, stainless steel vs brass, that is buried under the sediment a foot deep from a hundred yards away. They can tell if a human is facing toward them or away based on sonar sensing. Teams of divers and bottlenose have cleared mined harbors effeciently that allowed safe access to U.S. vessels.

https://www.niwcpacific.navy.mil/marine-mammal-program/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_Marine_Mammal_Program

Yea, I like em too.
Enjoy what we have to offer ya, and thanks

 

[UncleRob]

I know they would wait for me at Coquina beach every day. One day they broke away from me, never did see what they were up to, but a day later a 10' Tiger shark washed up on the beach beat all to hell with it's abdomen ripped open.

 

[Vietpimp999]

I like them but I don't think they can beat Buffalo for the AFC East tittle this year, even with Tyreek Hill 😂😂😂

 

[andypat]

ThaT is one cool picture Andy

Thanks!