CHESAPEAKE BAY REGION — Dolphin season is officially underway in Southern Maryland, with confirmed sightings in both the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River as summer begins.
At NRC Solomons, the MWR Pax River team shared a photo on June 6 showing two dolphins swimming near Riverside Beach, marking the first official dolphin sighting of the summer for the base. The beach is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is accessible to anyone with base access.
Meanwhile, Chesapeake DolphinWatch, a citizen science initiative led by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), gave a shoutout to community member Brett P., who submitted video footage of a pod of dolphins in the Potomac River on May 30. The video, shared publicly by DolphinWatch on June 7, shows dolphins surfacing near the shoreline in calm waters.
These sightings are part of the dolphins’ typical seasonal movement into the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Bottlenose dolphins frequently travel into the Bay during warmer months, often following schools of fish. This year’s first reports began in late May.
How to Report a Sighting or Follow Along
More than 14,600 users are part of the Chesapeake DolphinWatch network. Participants can submit dolphin sightings and view live or historical maps by downloading the free app on iOS or Android, or by visiting www.chesapeakedolphinwatch.org.
Users can view the locations of dolphin activity, share photos and contribute to scientific research led by marine biologists tracking migration patterns and habitat preferences.
Whether you’re at the beach, paddling a kayak or boating across the Bay, experts encourage residents to stay alert and report any dolphin activity.
About Chesapeake DolphinWatch
The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), one of the largest marine visitors to the Chesapeake Bay, is known for its playful behavior — leaping from the water and bow-riding boats. While common along the U.S. Atlantic coast, their patterns in the Bay are still being studied.
Dr. Helen Bailey and her team at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (UMCES) are leading research to understand when, where and why dolphins enter the Bay, how long they stay and what areas they use most.
To explore photos, past results or support the project, visit www.umces.edu/dolphinwatch. You can also contact the team at dolphinwatchcb@umces.edu.
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