Ocean Etiquette: NOAA's Rules for Viewing Seals, Dolphins and Other Marine Wildlife
Note: Some future links on this site may be affiliate links. We never claim hands-on testing; guides are researched from the public sources listed in each article.
How we wrote this: A plain-English summary of NOAA's ocean etiquette guidance, checked October 29, 2026. Some species have legal distance rules; check local regulations.
Six habits from NOAA
1. Learn before you go. Read about the wildlife, viewing sites and local regulations.
2. Keep your distance. Use binoculars, spotting scopes or a zoom lens instead of getting closer.
3. Hands off. Never touch, handle or ride marine wildlife. It can injure the animal and put you at risk, and for some species it may be illegal.
4. Don't feed or attract wildlife. Using food, decoys, sound or light:
- disrupts normal feeding;
- can sicken or kill animals; and
- gets them used to people.
5. Never chase or harass wildlife. Don't:
- surround an animal;
- trap it between a boat and the shore;
- block its escape route; or
- come between a mother and her young.
6. Stay away from animals that look abandoned or sick. Some animals, such as seals, leave the water or are exposed at low tide as part of their natural life cycle, and there may be nothing wrong with them. If you think one is in trouble, contact local authorities or the NOAA Fisheries stranding network.
Putting it into practice
- On the beach, keep dogs leashed and well back from resting seals or nesting birds.
- In the water, let dolphins, turtles and other animals approach or leave on their own terms.
- At night on nesting beaches, follow sea turtle rules.
- Pick up trash, especially fishing line; see marine debris.
Related: tide pool etiquette, horseshoe crabs, jellyfish.