Dolphin Strand Feeding

When people think of dolphins they usually think of a beautiful animal jumping out of the water. Would you ever think of dolphins purposefully washing themselves up onto the beach? During the winter months dolphins participate in the act of strand feeding. Strand feeding is a learned behavior where dolphins and sometimes other marine mammals herd and trap a variety of fish species onto mudbanks, sandbars, or shorelines. Strand feeding is actually a very rare sight to see. With strand feeding only occurring along the East Coast in South Carolina and Georgia, the chances of you seeing stand feeding would be the chance of a lifetime.  Strand feeding is the process of dolphins herding up and swimming in a circular motion, collecting as many fish as they can within the circle. Once the dolphins have achieved this they then move closer and closer to the shore still being a circle with the fish in the middle. The dolphins then throw themselves onto the beach with the fish and eat as many as they can.