As their food sources move around the sea and inland waterways, the dolphins are there. In late summer, early fall we find them up in the small creeks feeding on small schooling bait fish and other times in the inlets or open ocean.

We have both Migrating and Local Bottlenose dolphins here in the Lowcountry. And of these two groups there are Dolphin that primarily stay in the Ocean and those that stay Inside (in the back waters). Strand feeding is a feeding technique or method that only the Local - Inside Dolphin use and this only occurs in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The experts know that only the local Dolphin, but not all local Dolphin use this method. Studies show that young animals had to have learned it from their parents or other adult pod members in order to carry on the technique, teaching their own offspring. It is exciting to see but then just being out there with the dolphin is a treat.

On my tours we may witnessing strand feeding animals or follow along with them in the waterways or stay with them as they follow behind the shrimp boats,  feeding on the fish which get scooped up by the nets. They join the fish inside the net, but are strong and smart enough to swim back out the front. When they do surface it’s right beside our boat.  We quickly realize that we are well accepted when they allow us to stay with them.

Dolphin activity in late summer/fall is at its highest inside and out behind the shrimpers because of  the amount of food in the water.  On our backwater dolphin tours, we find them feeding in the smaller creeks and rivers. But the Dolphin are a part of all tours and we will take time to be with them when the opportunity is there.  Notice the different scarring on each Dolphin in the closeup images, as you look through- Life certainly is not easy for these amazing mammals!