Help tally Charleston dolphin population during Dolphin Week

If Shark Week gets your pulse racing, Charleston’s Dolphin Week might just make your heart leap. 

From April 20-25, the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network is hosting its ninth annual Dolphin Week, a week of family-friendly events celebrating Charleston’s resident dolphins while giving locals a hands-on role in their protection. 

“Charleston is lucky to have resident dolphins, but without conservation efforts, we all risk the loss of this amazing natural resource,” said Lauren Rust, executive director of the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network. “Dolphin Week and Dolphin Count are great ways to engage the community in our work with a common goal of learning about how to protect local dolphins and their environment.” 

Activities this year include sunset beach yoga with downtown instructor Erin Gray at Breach Inlet, kayak and boat tours with Coastal Expeditions and Barrier Islands Eco Tours, an exclusive College of Charleston screening of the documentary "Stranded," and a happy hour meet-and-greet with the LMMN team at Vickery’s Muddy’s Dockside Bar in Mount Pleasant. 

The week builds to its grand finale: Dolphin Count on Saturday, April 25, with one of the key counting locations at Daniel Island’s Children’s Park on the waterfront. Across 13 stations around Charleston, community volunteers, or “community scientists,” will join marine mammal experts to tally dolphins in real time.  

“We’re essentially capturing a snapshot of the dolphin population in one day,” Rust said. “Everyone has a data sheet; we spend 30 minutes looking for dolphins and then tallying them up. Afterwards, we map all the sightings so everyone can see where dolphins were observed.” Counts happen three times that morning – at 9, 10, and 11 a.m. – to capture the dolphins’ movements across the tidal cycle. 

Charleston is home to roughly 400 resident dolphins, animals that live in its rivers and harbor year-round. As top predators, they are essential to keeping the ecosystem balanced. “They’re also great indicator species … they tell us how healthy our environment is, whether that’s clean water or plentiful food,” Rust explained. 

LMMN works year-round to protect these animals through scientific research, community engagement, response to strandings, education, and advocacy. They photograph and track dolphins, measure water quality, and teach locals how to view dolphins safely and sustainably. 

“One of our biggest goals is for people to learn more about dolphins and that they live in their backyard for 40-plus years,” Rust said. “We meet people every day who didn’t know they were residents and that they can have an impact on their health and survival.” 

From yoga mats to kayaks to spotting fins slicing through Charleston’s waters, Dolphin Week is a chance to celebrate, protect, and connect with the remarkable dolphins that call the Lowcountry home. 

Tickets and a full schedule are available at LMMN.org.