Blame it on the Rain

by Kailey Aiken

Well, it rained again all week. But I’m tired of writing about it, you’re probably tired of reading about it, and I know we’re all tired of living it. I think I’m starting to forget what the sun feels like on my skin. But anyway, instead of complaining about the rain (because that is seriously all that’s happened this week), I thought I’d talk about the second most consistent element of the summer thus far: dolphins.

Every day I’ve been on the beach (which is like, every single day), rain or shine, wind or fog, I’ve seen at least one dolphin swim by. Sometimes it’s just one or two slowly cruising by. Other times, there’s a whole pod jumping and feeding right in front of me. This week, they’ve been just about the only swimmers on Beach 97th.

I remember seeing tons of dolphins and even some whales last May and June, and around the same time the year before that, too. And then as summer wore on, the dolphin sightings became less and less frequent. Sharks, on the other hand, usually pop up more frequently later in the summer.

I had a few guesses on the reasons behind this, but during one of my breaks off the dreary, wet and sandy chair on Tuesday, I decided to do a bit of research and find out for sure. So here’s what I found.

As I had originally thought, part of it has to do with dolphins just preferring the cooler water temperature in the early summer months. Like Goldilocks’s just-right bowl of porridge, the current water temperatures (around 60 to 70 degrees) are just right for our bottle-nosed friends.

Unsurprisingly, their residency in Rockaway also has to do with their food supply. Early summer brings schools of bunker fish to New York waters, which is like nutrient-packed candy for dolphins. As these schools of fish disperse and head north later in the summer season, the dolphins follow their all-you-can-eat buffet.

One factor that I hadn’t really considered before my little research exploration was the effect of human disturbance. Like many wild animals, dolphins are not a fan of noise pollution (or any pollution) and as summer picks up, more boats, more noise, and more overall beach activity can push them further offshore or towards quieter beaches on Long Island.

So if you’re hoping to see some dolphins this summer, you should get to the beach soon!

The dolphins will still make their appearances throughout the season, but your best bet is right now. I’ve seen them at all different times of day, but most frequently in the morning.

In comparison to dolphins, sharks prefer the toasty temperatures of July and August waters (around 70-80 degrees). They too follow their food supply, but they like to show up fashionably late, after fish like bunker, mackerel, and small bluefish have fully settled in. Late summer is also shark nursery season, when juvenile sharks hatch or migrate closer to shore where there are fewer predators and a large food supply.

Aside from my marine science lesson, happy Juneteenth! We’ve all been getting ready for the holiday on the beach, anticipating crowds that are only topped by the Fourth of July.

Weather permitting, it should be a great day on the beach — and a much needed one! Fingers crossed for plenty of sunnier days ahead. I need my tanlines (read: burnlines) to come back.