Authorities in Hawaii have initiated a legal case against a group of 33 swimmers who allegedly harassed a pod of wild dolphins in waters off Hawaii Island on Sunday.
According to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, 33 swimmers appeared to be "aggressively pursuing, corralling, and harassing the pod" in Hōnaunau Bay.
DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement approached the group of in the water and alerted them to the violation.
"They were met by uniformed officers on land, where a joint investigation was initiated by DOCARE and the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement", Hawaii DLNR said.
Drone footage captured by the authorities appears to show the group of swimmers chasing the animals.
In September 2021, US regulators banned swimming with Hawaii's spinner dolphins, a popular tourist activity, to protect them against close encounters.
Under the regulation, swimming with, approaching, or remaining within 50 yards (46m) of a Hawaiian spinner dolphin is prohibited within two nautical miles from shore of the main Hawaiian islands.
Authorities in Hawaii have initiated a legal case against a group of 33 swimmers who allegedly harassed a pod of wild dolphins in waters off Hawaii Island on Sunday | https://t.co/8PVe5dx4Et pic.twitter.com/3GBXSDI47s
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 29, 2023
