PHOTOS BY JENNA O'DONNELL SEA BRIGHT - A small pod, or group, of bottlenose dolphins have made a home for themselves in the Shrewsbury River in Sea Bright, according to sightings by locals.

It has been reported that there are between 12 and 15 dolphins, including a few juveniles, which have been in the river system for about a week, said Bob Schoelkopf, the founding director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, Brigantine,

"It's the largest number that we've had reported in that water," said Schoelkopf.

Sea Bright Councilman Thomas E. Scriven, who chairs the beach and environment committees, concurred, saying, "I've never seen this many [dolphins] at one time. I think it is just the river and all getting cleaner."

Schoelkopf said the Shrewsbury River is a known hazard and several animals have gotten trapped in the water and were unable to get back out into the ocean.

"We can't remove the dolphins until we have permission from the federal government. We are asking people that spot the animals to call into the stranding center with a location and let us know how many animals, the time and their position. We are actively charting that on a daily basis and passing that on," said Schoelkopf.

He said in the past they have netted several dolphins in the area to move them to open water but have also lost others.

The bottlenose dolphins look similar to the dolphins along the coast but are bigger in size, according to Schoelkopf.

"There are migrating pods of dolphins and New Jersey also has resident pods of dolphins that typically in the warmer months spend the whole summer feeding off our shorelines in various parts of the state," said Raritan Riverkeeper Bill Schultz. The Raritan Riverkeeper is a project of the NY/NJ Baykeeper.

He said the dolphins, which are very family-oriented, probably came into the river system to feed because many of their behaviors are typically food related.

"It is not a rare behavior, but it is not common for a group to come in a river systemlike this," said Schultz. "Typically dolphins are very apprehensive about passing through or under bridges, and that tends to deter them from moving up into river systems."

He said the dolphins were sited in the waters between the Route 36 Highlands Bridge and the Sea Bright-Rumson Bridge.

Although not in any immediate danger, Schoelkopf said the construction on the Highlands Bridge, which has recently been delayed until after the July 4 weekend, may be what is keeping the dolphins from leaving the river.

"The noise underneath [the water] could be quite disturbing," he said. "The sound of the pile driving is magnified underwater and these animals have very sensitive … hearing. If the pile drivers stop, that may be the incentive the animals need to get out of the bay."

In addition to asking for help charting the dolphins' location, Schoelkopf said the center is asking people to remain on land to see the dolphins and not to go out or approach them in boats.

He said that there are a large number of boats and jet skis that could be harassing the dolphins.

Schoelkopf said since they are federally protected animals, harassing a dolphin, which means changing the path the animals are on by cutting in front of them or riding too close to them, would result in a fine of up to $25,000.