Dolphins are everywhere at the “Rivah!”
For more than five years, dolphin sightings on the Chesapeake Bay have been logged by citizen observers at chesapeakedolphinwatch.org.
Dolphins are awe-inspiring. They surface for an instant and then disappear, reported Southside Sentinel reporter/photographer Tom Chillemi. They are one of the few water creatures that make themselves visible.
“You hear them breathe out and by the time you look, they are going under water,” said Chillemi. “However, they often swim and surface in groups, which makes sighting easier.”
Dolphins move into the bay during the summer months. Dolphin pods are often seen off the Mathews County shore of Mobjack Bay between Pepper Creek and the New Point Comfort Lighthouse, and at the mouth of the Rappahannock River. As summer warms they move further up in the rivers. Last summer a pod nearly too big to count was seen in the York River above the Coleman Bridge, he said.
Those lucky enough to encounter them in shallow water can see them swimming under water, said Chillemi.
The Rivah Visitor’s Guide hopes to have more on dolphins later this summer. So send photos, or videos, by July 15 and report where they were sighted. Submissions may shared in the Rivah Visitor’s Guide.
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