15 dolphins trapped temporarily in shallow B.C. tide pool<\/p>\n
Published 5:30 pm Tuesday, May 19, 2026<\/p>\n
Fifteen Pacific white-sided dolphins temporarily became trapped in a shallow tidal pool near Qualicum Beach on May 16.<\/p>\n
The DFO responded to the incident, which saw the dolphins become isolated during low tide in water that was approximately three feet to four feet deep.<\/p>\n
\u201cDFO personnel co-ordinated the response and ensured a large group of onlookers maintained a safe distance to avoid further stressing the animals and allow the dolphins to exit naturally with the incoming high tide,\u201d the DFO told the PQB News.<\/p>\n
At approximately 6:15 p.m., after about 12 hours, the dolphins crossed the sandbar and returned to deeper waters on their own.<\/p>\n
The Marine Mammal Regulations prohibit disturbance to marine mammals.<\/p>\n
Disturbance includes approaching the marine mammal to, or to attempt to: feed it; swim with it or interact with it; move it or entice or cause it to move from the immediate vicinity in which it is found; separate it from members of its group or go between it and a calf; trap it or its group between a vessel and the shore or between a vessel and one or more other vessels; or tag or mark it.<\/p>\n
These regulations apply to all types of watercraft, including boats, kayaks and paddleboards.<\/p>\n
National approach distances require distance of 200 metres when a whale, dolphin or porpoise is in a resting position or with a calf and 100 metres away for other whales, porpoises and dolphins, according to the DFO.<\/p>\n