Dolphins push fish onto mudflat, beach themselves to eat
If you spend enough time in the saltwater creeks of the Carolina’s, you may get lucky enough to see this some day. If you’ve got your video camera or phone handy enough to capture it live, you’re even luckier.
Tim Lovett of Higher Ground Outfitters in Beaufort, S.C. was just that lucky a few days ago. While paddling in one of the many creeks of the lowcountry, Tim witnessed dolphins pushing fish onto the mud flats, then beaching themselves in order to make a meal out of those fish.
While this seems like a strange – and dangerous – way to feed, it’s actually quite brilliant. It disorients the fish, and puts them on dry land, making it difficult for them to get away before the dolphins show up and take a bite.
The dolphins often get help from a wave, which makes the bank slippery enough for them to slide back safely into the water, but if that doesn’t happen, other, non-beached dolphins have been observed splashing the beached ones enough to send them slipping back in.
Click here to visit Higher Ground Outfitters, one of the top stores in the lowcountry for outdoor clothing, shoes, and accessories. They also offer stand up paddleboard and kayak sales and rentals.
