Dolphins hanging out in Beverly
Harbormaster says they've been spotted near Kernwood Bridge, Obear Park and Jubilee Yacht Club
It’s not quite like the Shoebert frenzy (yet!), but another large marine mammal has been causing a stir in Beverly over the last week.
Dolphins have been spotted in the water around the Kernwood Bridge, in the Danvers River alongside Obear Park, and off Sandy Point near the Jubilee Yacht Club, according to Beverly Harbormaster Capt. Peter Dickman.
Dickman said he saw a pod — maybe a dozen — playing in the ocean near the Jubilee Yacht Club over the weekend.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “I grew up in Beverly and I’ve never seen them before.”
Dickman provided this photo of dolphins swimming near Obear Park:
Dickman said the dolphins, which he believes are Atlantic white-sided dolphins, could have been chasing small fish for food. He said one dolphin got stuck in the mud in Danvers last week and had to be put down. Dolphins were also spotted in Gloucester Harbor last month.
According to NOAA Fisheries, Atlantic white-sided dolphins are found off the coast from North Carolina to Maine. They are about 8 to 9 feet in length and weigh 360 to 505 pounds. Like all marine mammals, they are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Like a good reporter, I went down to Obear Park on Monday to see if I could spot them myself. One woman I spoke with said she had heard about the dolphins and stopped by Obear expecting a long line of cars. Alas, there were no dolphins. But we’ll always have Shoebert.