A VIDEO of a jet ski rider chasing and harassing dolphins off the coast of Torrevieja has sparked outrage.
The waters of the Costa Blanca boast rich marine life including a healthy population of bottlenose dolphins.
However, the behaviour of one jet ski rider has been widely condemned after he was seen accelerating towards a pod of dolphins and chasing them.
If you encounter a dolphin while on a motorised vessel the advice is to keep your distance, slow down or put the engine into neutral if possible and enjoy the encounter from a distance.
Under Spanish maritime law, interfering with dolphins and other cetaceans in the wild is strictly prohibited whether it be feeding, touching or swimming with them.
If you’re lucky enough to see dolphins in the wild, you must maintain a 60 meter distance.
This rogue jet skier, however, sped towards a pod of dolphins and cut them off which puts them at serious risk of colliding with a propeller.
Engine noise disrupts the frequencies dolphins rely on to communicate, raising the risk of mothers and calves becoming separated and driving them away from potential feeding grounds.
As peak summer season kicks off, the incident has reignited a debate about jet ski use near swimmers and marine wildlife on the Costa Blanca.
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