Dolphin Watching

During the summer, visitors to Cape Lookout National Seashore routinely encounter the large summer population of Bottlenose Dolphins. But, there is a winter (or permanent) population also, though not as numerous. Thus, almost any visit to Cape Lookout will result in a "dolphin watch". (Some commercial guides will even provide boat trips designed for visitors to get a close look at Dolphins.)

Dolphins are aquatic mammals that must come to the surface to breath…much like whales. They are social animals that travel together in groups called "pods" ranging in size from small family groups to pods of twenty or more.

While most visitors see Dolphins as they travel about in the near shore ocean or in the sounds, a few are treated to a real show when they come upon young Dolphins playing in the surf, riding the waves like surf boarders!

In cooperation with the Cape Lookout National Seashore, the N.C. Maritime Museum sponsors a Dolphin monitoring and photographic-based identification program that is housed in the Cape Lookout Coast Guard Station. For information about this program, contact them at http://capelookoutstudies.org.