Are there dolphins in Wilmington NC?

From shore and in near-shore waters, the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin is the most common marine mammal, said Peggy Sloan, director of the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher. There is a small group of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins documented year-round in the Wilmington area, she said.



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Barrier Islands The largest undisturbed barrier island along southern North Carolina's coast, coastal birds flock to their natural habitat here and dolphins can be seen enjoying the area on a calm day.

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Dolphins, who live in pods, often cruise up and down the coast along that outer sandbar or in the deep trench in between sandbars when they're hunting fish. Sometimes when they're following schools of fish, dolphins will venture closer to shore inside the sandbars where beachgoers are swimming.

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Humpback whales have been confirmed in the waters near Topsail Beach, and right whales have been seen swimming past Wrightsville Beach. Both right and humpback whales are endangered, making it illegal to be within 500 yards – or 1,500 feet – of either.

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The Best Places in the World to See Wild Dolphins
  • Everyone loves dolphins. ...
  • The Azores. ...
  • Hawaii. ...
  • Kaikoura, New Zealand. ...
  • Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. ...
  • Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. ...
  • The Florida Keys, USA. ...
  • Hong Kong.


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Wildlife, such as dolphins, sea turtles and shorebirds are regulars to the town and you might even catch a glimpse of more elusive creatures such as bald eagles, and an occasional alligator in the backwaters. If you want to step back from the crowds, there's plenty to do in North Topsail Beach.

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The California coastline between Santa Barbara and San Diego is home to one of the densest populations of dolphins in the world, according to the Dolphin Project. Bottlenose dolphins, Risso's dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, and short-beaked “common” dolphins have been known to form megapods in the thousands.

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Wild spinner dolphins feed off-shore at night and return to sheltered bays and coastlines during the day to rest, socialize, tend to their young, and avoid predators.

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Some areas of the Outer Banks have fixed lifeguard stands, while others only offer roving patrols. It is always safest to swim near a fixed lifeguard station - particularly if you have children. Lifeguards are generally on duty between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend.

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