I Love Dolphins, But NOT for Dinner

 A Bottlenose Dolphin, off the coast of  Alabama in 2006.

Would you like some dolphins in your kitchen? No, not to cook, but to watch over your culinary activities!

You'll find some kitchen dolphins here on this page, along with some information about the difference between mahi-mahi, which we eat, and true dolphins, which most of us don't

Mahi-Mahi, or the common dolphinfish, is often served grilled, broiled, baked, and sometimes fried.  However, the name common dolphinfish, is a bit of a misnomer.  No one I know wants to eat a dolphin.  They just don't.   In the United States, there is a great affection for and sensitivity to, the dolphin that does NOT exist in some other parts of the world.

A few years back, some people assumed that our favorite marine mammal was being slaughtered and served up for lunch in eateries across America.  They became very agitated at seeing the word "dolphin" on menus, and began a campaign to save the dolphin from being eaten.  They never saved a single marine mammal with their actions.  They did, however, demonstrate how confused and uneducated they were.

So, let's clear up the confusion right now.

Male mahi mahi, caught off the coast of Hatteras, NC.

By Qbx101 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Are Mahimahi dolphins?  

NO

1. Dolphins are NOT fish.  They are marine mammals.  
2. Mahi-Mahi ARE fish.  They are NOT dolphins, in spite of the term dolphin-fish.  
3. As mammals, dolphins breathe air, not water, and give birth to live young, just as we do.
4. Fish have gills, cannot survive by breathing air, and generally reproduce by spawning.

The common dolphinfish is not related to Flipper and friends - not even distantly.

These days, the term mahi-mahi is now what you'll see most often on menus.  

If you see the word "dolphin" on a restaurant menu in the U.S., it's probably a hold over from the days when the term dolphinfish was more widely used.  

They were originally called that, because of their habit of swimming around near dolphins.  That didn't make them dolphins anymore that hanging out with geese will make  you a goose.

If you should see the word dolphin on a menu, and are uneasy about it, just confirm with your server that what's actually being served is, indeed, mahimahi.  

(If you travel to certain other countries, though, remember:  all bets are off.  Everyone everywhere doesn't necessarily share our attitude about dolphins.)

A few years back, we were at a seaside eatery that specialized in seafood. I noticed that one of their sandwich selections was grilled or blackened dolphin.  Since that didn't look right to me, I asked the server, who explained that it was actually mahi-mahi, not real dolphin.

Dolphin kitchen accessories are a nice way to have dolphins in your kitchen!

Whether you need a special little thank you gift, or just want to brighten your own kitchen, don't forget to check Zazzle for ideas. Here are several of the hundreds and hundreds of things you'll find there.

While looking for something else, I came across the recipe for a delicious sounding dish:  Macadamia Mahi Mahi.

Marine mammals are protected in U.S. waters, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

There are some 125 species of mammals living in the world's oceans and estuaries.  Among them are:

• dolphins
• porpoises
• whales
• sea lions
• seals
• manatees
• sea otters
• walruses

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