Dolphins Sighted in Sag Harbor Cove

At least two bottlenose dolphins were sighted repeatedly in Sag Harbor Cove earlier this month.

While not that rare of an occurrence, the presence of the dolphins was enough for people to contact the New York Marine Rescue Center in Riverhead to investigate.

“We do get calls about them coming into the bays pretty often,” said Maxine Montello, the rescue center’s executive director. “Our hope is they are just following a food source and are being able to use those deeper waters to find food.”

She said the dolphins reported in Sag Harbor appeared to be healthy. “They were free swimming and not interested in our boat, which is a good sign, because they were well aware of their surroundings,” she said.

She said the rescue center was called on August 1, and on that day and the following day staff members observed the dolphins from land. A team returned for a closer look with a boat on August 5.

Although as many as three dolphins have been reported, Montello said her teams only saw two. “It was potentially a mother and her young,” she said.

Montello said she did not get any more calls after August 5, but village Harbormaster Bob Bori said on Sunday that dolphins were reported in the cove until the middle of last week.

While the animals appeared to be healthy, Montello encouraged people to report sightings of what she described as “charismatic mega fauna species” such as dolphins, sea turtles or seals.

“A lot of people don’t realize how many interesting marine animals use our waters,” she said. “It’s important if you see them to report them so groups like ours can monitor them.”

She said it was especially important to report what she called “red flag” sightings of animals that appear to be stranded on the beach or in shallow water.

To report a stranded sea mammal or turtle, call the rescue center’s 24-hour hotline: 631-369-9840.