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$5K fine, social media ban for B.C. jet skier who got too close to dolphins
Fisheries and Oceans Canada provided this image of a man who was found guilty of disturbing marine mammals.
A B.C. man caught jet skiing too close to a pod of dolphins while taking video has been fined $5,000 and banned from posting 'anything' related to marine mammals on social media, according to officials.
Stephen Michael White was found guilty of violating federal Marine Mammal Regulations that set minimum 'approach distances' as part of a prohibition disturbing killer whales, dolphins or porpoises, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a news release Thursday.
'Mr. White was recorded speeding toward a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins on his jet ski, coming within just a few feet while filming them on his cellphone – much closer than the 100-metre legal approach distance,' the statement from DFO said.
'The court determined his actions were negligent and reckless.'
The incident unfolded in August of 2022 in the Broughton Strait near Port McNeill and was reported 'immediately,' DFO said. White was convicted last year, and the penalties were handed down in provincial court last month.
In addition to the fine and social media ban, White was prohibited from 'operating any motorized vessel on water' for a period of six months, the statement from the agency said, adding that White was the first person successfully prosecuted for violating minimum approach distances.
DFO's statement also explained some of the risks associated with too-close encounters.
'Toothed whale species, including dolphins and killer whales, rely on echolocating – using sound to navigate their environment,' the agency said.
'Close encounters with a vessel can disrupt their natural behaviours and interfere with essential sound signals used for communication, foraging, and socialization.'
The legislated minimum approach distances vary depending on location and type of marine mammal but they apply to all watercraft, as well as swimmers and scuba divers.
