A group of as many as 20 bottle-nosed dolphins have remained in NJ's Shrewsbury River, forcing authorities to impose a 50-yard distance between the mammals and humans who have come to catch a glimpse of them. It's believed the dolphins followed a school of fish and made a wrong turn from the Atlantic, becoming trapped in the river.
While the dolphins seem healthy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Teri Frady said they are monitoring the pod. The agency will only force them into Sandy Hook Bay and the ocean as a "last resort," because that could be very stressful. But the stress of onlookers in boats and kayaks, especially with the July 4th holiday approaching, may not be good for them either, so authorities have been telling people to stay away.
One Long Beach resident told the AP, "As beautiful as it is to see them, they don't belong here. It gets crazy here on weekends; the whole area is inundated with boats. I just hope they can get out."
