Bottlenose dolphins face welfare threats from human interaction including boat disturbance, swim-with-dolphin activities, and acoustic pollution that affect individuals and populations globally.
Wild dolphin welfare is threatened by human interactions that appear benign but accumulate across time and individuals. Repeated boat approaches cause dolphins to spend energy on avoidance rather than foraging, social interaction, and rest — the behaviours that sustain individual welfare. Swim-with-wild-dolphin activities that allow swimmers to enter the water near animals cause acute stress responses and may disrupt calves from mothers. Acoustic pollution — particularly military sonar — causes physical trauma to the auditory system and panic-induced strandings. Wildlife encounter guidelines (minimum approach distances, no motor approaches, no swimming near) protect individual dolphin welfare while enabling sustainable wildlife watching that generates conservation support.