Bottlenose dolphins are among the most studied wild animals and face significant welfare impacts from commercial tourism, swim-with-dolphin experiences, and boat traffic.
Bottlenose dolphins repeatedly approached by tour boats experience behavioural disruption to rest, foraging, socialisation, and nursing. Mothers with calves show higher rates of boat avoidance behaviour indicating stress. Dolphins provisioned with food by tour operators become dependent, lose natural foraging skills, and sustain higher shark injury rates from altered behaviour. Dolphin rides and swim-with experiences where animals are touched or mounted cause acute stress and skin disease. The social complexity of dolphin groups means welfare harms to individuals affect entire group dynamics.