Outrage as jet ski riders chase dolphins through Adelaide waters—face massive $100,000 fine

Community anger is boiling over after a shocking video emerged of two jet ski riders charging through a pod of dolphins near Adelaide's popular Seacliff and Brighton beaches last Sunday. The disturbing scenes, captured by horrified beachgoers, show one rider appearing to drive directly over the marine mammals while a second rider lingers nearby.

The incident, which occurred near Seacliff and Brighton beaches in Adelaide on Sunday, was captured on video by horrified onlookers who then sent it to South Australia's Department of Environment and Water, sparking an investigation.

'They were very close and interfering with where the dolphins were swimming, and so that is in breach of the regulations,' said Lisien Loan, a spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Water.

Why jet skis face the strictest rules

In South Australia, jet ski riders have the strictest mandate of all watercraft, and are advised to maintain a 300-metre distance with all marine mammals. This isn't an arbitrary number - it reflects mounting scientific evidence about the severe impact high-powered watercraft have on dolphin behaviour.

Research has found that motorboats caused a response in dolphins during 55 per cent of observations, with a change in behaviour or both behaviour and direction. Jet skis had a more dramatic effect on dolphin groups, with 56 per cent of groups changing their behaviour and 11 per cent changing both their behaviour and direction.

The rules vary significantly across Australia, but jet skis always face the strictest requirements:

• Queensland: Jet skis must stay 300 metres from whales or dolphins, with fines ranging from $689 on-the-spot to $16,500 in court
• NSW: $1,320 on-the-spot penalty notice ($3,300 for commercial operations)
• Victoria: Maximum penalty of $3,620
• South Australia: Maximum penalty of $100,000 fine or two years in prison

The science behind the suffering

Local marine biologist, Dr Melissa Blewitt, said the incident has left her feeling 'tremendously angry'. 'Seeing them behave this way and going back and forth in over the dolphins was just horrible, it was really sad,' she told the publication, adding there are now fears the pod, which has been attracting spectators in recent days, may have broken up. 'It changed their behaviour, they sort of all became a bit erratic and started moving away from the main pod,' she explained.

This scattered behaviour isn't just temporary distress. Level B harassment refers to acts that have the potential to disturb (but not injure) a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by disrupting behavioural patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering.

Toothed-whale species, including dolphins and killer whales, use sound to navigate their environment, called echolocation. Objects get in the way of their ability to communicate, find food, mate and socialise. When jet skis roar through their environment, it's like having a construction site suddenly appear in your living room.

The enforcement reality check

While South Australia's maximum penalty of $100,000 might grab headlines, the reality of enforcement tells a different story. However, the likely penalty would be considerably less than that. In 2013, a jet ski rider was fined $2,000 for harassing a dolphin and its calf in the state.

Recent cases across Australia show similar patterns:

• NSW: $5,000 fine in 2017 (reduced from maximum $100,000 due to guilty plea and remorse)
• British Columbia, Canada: $5,000 fine in 2024 for speeding toward dolphins and filming on a phone
• Hawaii: 47 citations issued in 2024 with fines totalling $10,900, compared to 34 citations for $6,500 in 2023

A troubling trend

Disturbances in Cornwall alone have tripled in recent years (since 2014). Australia is seeing similar increases, with reports of jet ski incidents including harassment of 20 dolphins and their calves near Newquay, disturbance of sea birds at a nature reserve near South Stack, Anglesey, and a reported case of a dolphin being disturbed in Cardigan Bay, Wales.

This Adelaide incident comes at a particularly challenging time for South Australia's marine life. The recent toxic algae bloom has killed about 15,000 animals from over 450 species, according to observations on the citizen science site iNaturalist. They include longfinned worm eels, surf crabs, warty prowfish, leafy seadragons, hairy mussels and common bottlenose dolphins.

The brighter side of marine conservation

Despite these concerning incidents, there's reason for optimism about Australia's marine conservation efforts. NSW has successfully outlawed the breeding of dolphins in captivity, meaning wild dolphins can't be imported into New South Wales. This means that Zippy, Bella and Jet – the dolphins currently residing in the marine park called Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary – will be the last generation to live in captivity.

In a historic move, shark nets were removed from New South Wales beaches a month earlier than usual, sparing countless marine animals from entanglement. This marks the biggest change to the shark control program in over 40 years. The State Government also announced plans for council collaboration next year to review the removal of these harmful nets altogether.

On North Stradbroke Island, community education has achieved remarkable results. Action for Dolphins' awareness campaign worked wonders – rangers report people are no longer feeding the wild dolphins! These dolphins are now safe from being touched and fed by people, are free from social disruptions, and aggression spikes.

What you can do to help

The investigation into this weekend's incident continues, but every Australian can play a role in protecting our marine life:

If you witness harassment:

• Contact the Department of Environment and Water or Crime Stoppers SA
• Take photos or video if safe to do so
• Note location, time, and vessel details
• Report illegal activity to the National Parks and Wildlife Service on 13000PARKS (1300 072 757)

For boaters and water users:

• Swimmers, surfers and boogie boarders must not move within 30 metres of a dolphin. Prescribed vessels like high-powered vehicles such as jet-skis must not move within 300m of a dolphin
• If dolphins approach you, put your engine in neutral and let them pass
• Use responsible dolphin watching guides created with help from volunteers across Eastern Australia to encourage seeing these beautiful animals in the wild, where they belong

As this investigation unfolds, it serves as a stark reminder that our magnificent marine life needs our protection now more than ever. The dolphins that call South Australia's waters home have already endured unprecedented challenges this year - they shouldn't have to dodge careless thrill-seekers as well.

Have you witnessed marine mammal harassment or have thoughts on strengthening protection laws? We'd love to hear your experiences and views in the comments below.