SAVE SOUTH KONA BAYS! Proposed Time-Area Closures for Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins.
42 Comments
S
Stephanie Turcotte Edenholm
4 years ago
I agree that a stop must be made to the practice of dropping boats of tourists from the hotels into the bays without properly educating them about the dolphins and the fragile coral. I DO NOT agree that the bays be closed off to all access into the water from 8am to 3pm. There are plenty of visitors and locals who swim and free dive in the bays and do so without aggravating or disrespecting the dolphins or other wildlife inhabiting that area. I have been coming to the Big Island since 2002 to swim in the bays (Hookena, Honaunau and Kealekakua Bays) for my overall well-being. My husband and I don't go to the commercial part of the island due to the heavy tourism. I can't imagine not being able to swim in those bays at all. Please re-think the way this closure is being structured. It is not dealing with the real issue which is the impact of increased tourism and social media marketing without proper education about the environmental impact and proper interaction and use of the bays. Thank you for your consideration!
R
Rachel Wolff
4 years ago
I agree with Gerard, there are better ways to go about sharing the bays with the spinner dolphins. Educating visitors is one of them. Rachel Wolff
E
Evan cambra
4 years ago
Evan Cambra
A
Ashley Nichole Pieratt
4 years ago
Ashley Pieratt
A
Anonymous
4 years ago
No to the proposed rule!
J
Joshua spahr
4 years ago
Featured
this is a very poorly thought out plan and the studies cited by noa are pretty shakey, it would severly impact all accessable bays in south kona and basically kill honaunau bay as being a mecca of freediving by cutting off access to the dive moorings
M
MELISSA BOURGEOIS
4 years ago
Featured
Please keep the bays open to swimmers, freedivers, scuba divers, and tourists. Consequences of restricting most of the bay, in my opinion, are that there will be more sharks in the bay and more injuries to tourists who go elsewhere to swim where it's not as easily accessible or calm. Instead focus attention on education; i.e. in flight videos, volunteers, and signage at bays.
T
Tonia Drazkowski
4 years ago
Please don't close, find another way
A
Alexander Cook
4 years ago
Featured
If you just enforce the existing laws there’s no need for this. Freedivers aren’t harassing dolphins. Tour boats chasing after them and dropping a load of tourists in the water is a problem. Feel free to address that but, leave the locals be.
N
Noah Makela
4 years ago
The state is trying to reprimand the wrong people again
M
Martin Kay
4 years ago
The proposal is overkill. Find out how the other regulation stopping swimming with dolphins works first
G
Gerald Besson
4 years ago
This is the study NOAA uses to backup the closure of the South Kona bays. The study attempt to establish a correlation between human presence (vessels, swimmers, snorkelers, kayaks ...) and dolphin whistling by measuring acoustic levels. The study is rather weak and less than conclusive as in many occasions expected patterns do not occur. In any case it doesn't warrant the permanent closure of the bays to swimmers. NOAA's drastic approach is ridiculous and senseless. It's an act of discrimnation and repression toward the local community. Limit dolphin centric commercial activity in those areas if necessary but stopping people from accessing the ocean is unacceptable.
T
Travis Lee
4 years ago
Please keep the ocean open. Valuable resource that can be enjoyed by all.
A
Anonymous
4 years ago
More interviews and analysis of the unintended consequences of this proposal are needed. For example, what are the societal consequences for local businesses including Freediving courses, canoe clubs, and small scale kayak rentals? Are these entities harming the dolphins? Surely not the freedivers, and yet this proposal would have severe negative consequences of this small, yet growing industry and community. Please do more research.
A
Anonymous
4 years ago
Education and respect is key to humans sharing the ocean with other species. In this case, the Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins.
G
Greg Rothaus
4 years ago
Please don't be intellectually lazy and find a way to do both by restricting access to those who are under licensed guides certified to protect harrassment of dolphins and then enforce! This helps prevent damage to local businesses that access these areas. Get them certified to supervise divers and then let them out with a guided group
K
Ken Kiriyama
4 years ago
Do not make such unacceptable laws that will prevent swimmers, Freedivers and ocean lovers access to the sea!
K
Kristen Smith
4 years ago
Please protect them and close beaches!! They need space
D
Debi Grant
4 years ago
I support this petition.
A
Anna Clark
4 years ago
These bays need to stay open, it is not always a guarantee that resting dolphins will be there. It is senseless to close a bay just on the chance that a dolphin might be in the area. These are lovely spots that are special to many of us, and they do not need to be taken away. Many wonderful memories have been made in these bays, and they need to be allowed to keep on being made.
I agree that a stop must be made to the practice of dropping boats of tourists from the hotels into the bays without properly educating them about the dolphins and the fragile coral. I DO NOT agree that the bays be closed off to all access into the water from 8am to 3pm. There are plenty of visitors and locals who swim and free dive in the bays and do so without aggravating or disrespecting the dolphins or other wildlife inhabiting that area. I have been coming to the Big Island since 2002 to swim in the bays (Hookena, Honaunau and Kealekakua Bays) for my overall well-being. My husband and I don't go to the commercial part of the island due to the heavy tourism. I can't imagine not being able to swim in those bays at all. Please re-think the way this closure is being structured. It is not dealing with the real issue which is the impact of increased tourism and social media marketing without proper education about the environmental impact and proper interaction and use of the bays. Thank you for your consideration!
I agree with Gerard, there are better ways to go about sharing the bays with the spinner dolphins. Educating visitors is one of them. Rachel Wolff
Evan Cambra
Ashley Pieratt
No to the proposed rule!
this is a very poorly thought out plan and the studies cited by noa are pretty shakey, it would severly impact all accessable bays in south kona and basically kill honaunau bay as being a mecca of freediving by cutting off access to the dive moorings
Please keep the bays open to swimmers, freedivers, scuba divers, and tourists. Consequences of restricting most of the bay, in my opinion, are that there will be more sharks in the bay and more injuries to tourists who go elsewhere to swim where it's not as easily accessible or calm. Instead focus attention on education; i.e. in flight videos, volunteers, and signage at bays.
Please don't close, find another way
If you just enforce the existing laws there’s no need for this. Freedivers aren’t harassing dolphins. Tour boats chasing after them and dropping a load of tourists in the water is a problem. Feel free to address that but, leave the locals be.
The state is trying to reprimand the wrong people again
The proposal is overkill. Find out how the other regulation stopping swimming with dolphins works first
This is the study NOAA uses to backup the closure of the South Kona bays. The study attempt to establish a correlation between human presence (vessels, swimmers, snorkelers, kayaks ...) and dolphin whistling by measuring acoustic levels. The study is rather weak and less than conclusive as in many occasions expected patterns do not occur. In any case it doesn't warrant the permanent closure of the bays to swimmers. NOAA's drastic approach is ridiculous and senseless. It's an act of discrimnation and repression toward the local community. Limit dolphin centric commercial activity in those areas if necessary but stopping people from accessing the ocean is unacceptable.
Please keep the ocean open. Valuable resource that can be enjoyed by all.
More interviews and analysis of the unintended consequences of this proposal are needed. For example, what are the societal consequences for local businesses including Freediving courses, canoe clubs, and small scale kayak rentals? Are these entities harming the dolphins? Surely not the freedivers, and yet this proposal would have severe negative consequences of this small, yet growing industry and community. Please do more research.
Education and respect is key to humans sharing the ocean with other species. In this case, the Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins.
Please don't be intellectually lazy and find a way to do both by restricting access to those who are under licensed guides certified to protect harrassment of dolphins and then enforce! This helps prevent damage to local businesses that access these areas. Get them certified to supervise divers and then let them out with a guided group
Do not make such unacceptable laws that will prevent swimmers, Freedivers and ocean lovers access to the sea!
Please protect them and close beaches!! They need space
I support this petition.
These bays need to stay open, it is not always a guarantee that resting dolphins will be there. It is senseless to close a bay just on the chance that a dolphin might be in the area. These are lovely spots that are special to many of us, and they do not need to be taken away. Many wonderful memories have been made in these bays, and they need to be allowed to keep on being made.