It’s that time of the year again to celebrate the playful dolphin and other marine mammals!
The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network’s (LMMN) Dolphin Week returns in April. You can can take part in family-friendly fundraising events while contributing to organization’s efforts to protect the Lowcountry’s marine mammals through science, awareness and conservation.
“Charleston’s resident dolphins are a cherished part of our coastal heritage but without ongoing conservation efforts, we risk losing this precious resource,” said Lauren Rust, founder and executive director of the LMMN. “Dolphin Week programming provides an opportunity to unite as a community to learn and work together towards protecting these beloved marine mammals and their environment.”
Charleston is one of the most important places for dolphin research in the world, National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF) experts told the Charleston City Paper in a 2023 report. From examining the unique strand feeding method used by local dolphins to find mullet to studying their head-standing through the pluff mud to shovel for crabs, local research into bottlenose dolphins is vital to understanding dolphins globally.
NMMF Field Manager Brian Quigley explained that dolphins are a sentinel species, meaning they can be indicators of an entire ecosystem’s health. Not only that, but the dolphins in Charleston serve as an important reference population to compare those in other parts of the country.
Dolphin week programming runs from April 15 through April 20. Tickets are available online for all events, including beach yoga, sunset boat ecotours, sunset kayak tours and the organization’s inaugural Golfin’ for Dolphins charity golf tournament.
Dolphin Week culminates with LMMN’s Dolphin Count on April 20. During this free event, community members will come together with marine mammal experts across multiple Lowcountry locations to help the network collect valuable dolphin data.
As “community scientists,” guests will learn about Charleston’s local dolphin population, how to raise awareness about ways our communities can view dolphins responsibly and help encourage the development of our next generation of marine stewards.
- For a full event schedule, visit www.lmmn.org.
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