Pod of dolphins spotted in Mount Hope Bay

BRISTOL, R.I. (WLNE) — A pod of Dolphins were spotted in Mount Hope Bay Tuesday by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

“It’s pretty close to the metropolitan area, so it’s unusual to see dolphins that far up the Bay. We think that it’s a sign that the water is clean” said Michael Healey, spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Management.

The Office of Water Resources was testing for water quality in the Narragansett Bay to ensure that shellfish are safe to eat. That’s when they spotted the dolphins.

The dolphins were seen feeding in the Bay.

According to the Department of Environmental Management, they think the dolphins swimming in the Ocean State during March is a sign that the water is clean. Also, another reason we are seeing dolphins is because we’ve had a mild winter.

The most common type of dolphins to see in Rhode Island are bottlenose, especially in Newport, Westerly, South Kingstown, and Narragansett.