B.C. jet skier fined $5K for approaching dolphins too closely

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 19, 2025 3:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is reminding radical that determination are rules astir approaching marine mammals after a antheral was fined $5,000 for getting excessively adjacent to a pod of dolphins. 

Stephen Michael White was fined past period aft being recovered blameworthy successful November 2024 of violating a conception of the Marine Mammal Regulations. 

The incident took spot successful August 2022, in Broughton Strait adjacent Port McNeill on Vancouver Island's bluish coast, according to a media merchandise from DFO.

White was recorded speeding toward a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins connected his Jet Ski, coming wrong a fewer feet of the creatures portion filming connected his telephone — overmuch person than the 100-metre ineligible attack distance. 

Witnesses instantly reported the incident. Evidence presented successful tribunal included images from White's ain societal media, arsenic good arsenic testimonies and images from witnesses. 

The tribunal found his actions to beryllium negligent and reckless, starring to a six-month prohibition from operating immoderate motorized vas connected water. 

White is besides prohibited from posting thing related to marine mammals to societal media. 

Don't disrupt marine animals: DFO

Catriona Day, fishery serviceman with DFO's whale extortion unit, said the section is precise acrophobic astir boaters getting excessively adjacent to marine mammals.

"There's galore threats that these animals are facing," she said.

The section is not lone acrophobic astir carnal disturbance, she said, but also "acoustic disturbance."

Toothed-whale species, including dolphins and slayer whales, usage dependable to navigate their environment, called echolocation. Objects get successful the mode of their quality to communicate, find food, mate and socialize, Day said.

"They are disrupted erstwhile we travel on and get excessively close, and it affects their mean beingness patterns and perchance puts the boater and the wellness of the marine mammal astatine risk," she said.

Day noted the case's blameworthy verdict and court-ordered good are a reminder to travel the rules astir keeping a region from marine animals.

"This is not a joke. This isn't conscionable to … person a large selfie and a large societal media post. You tin get successful occupation for posting this."

"Enjoy the marine mammals; they are fantastic. They're perfectly a dainty that we person successful B.C. But bask them safely, and responsibly and legally," she added.

Under national regulations, disturbances include approaching the marine mammal to feed, swim, oregon interact with it; moving it oregon causing it to determination from the contiguous country wherever it's found; separating it from members of its radical oregon going betwixt it and its calf; trapping it oregon its radical betwixt a vas and the shore, oregon betwixt a vas and 1 oregon much different vessels; oregon approaching the carnal to tag and people it.

If boaters travel crossed marine animals successful the water, Day recommends slowing down and coming to a stop.

"Let the dolphins spell distant connected their own.… It's perfectly amerciable to spell aft dolphins connected purpose," she said.

DFO is reminding British Columbians and anyone taking to unfastened waters this summertime of ineligible attack distances: 

• 400 metres from all slayer whales successful confederate B.C. coastal waters.
• 200 metres from each slayer whales successful each different Canadian Pacific waters, and erstwhile a whale, dolphin or porpoise is successful a resting presumption oregon with a calf.
• 100 metres distant from different whales, porpoises and dolphins.

The restrictions use to each motorized and self-propelled watercrafts, swimmers, and scuba divers — portion of a big of protective measures designed to support marine mammals successful B.C. waters.

The section is besides asking the nationalist for accusation connected akin incidents contravening the Fisheries Act and regulations.