1
LEISURE ARAB TIMES, SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016 26 N E W Y O R K T I M E S CROSSWORD Sherman’s Lagoon — By J.P. Toomey Mutts — By Patrick McDonnell Hagar The Horrible — By Chris Browne Beetle Bailey — By Mort Walker Garfield — By Jim Davis Baby Blues — By Rick Kirkman & Jerry Scott Conceptis Sudoku Challenger The grid must be so completed that every row, column and 3x3 box has every digit from 1 to 9 inclusive Answer to yesterday’s puzzle bridge bridge By Steve Becker contract bridge bridge odds ’n’ ends WAIANAE, Hawaii: Allison Al- terman likes to swim in the ocean for exercise near her home on Hawaii’s Big Island. Sometimes her swimming group will see spin- ner dolphins gliding or jumping near their course. If the dolphins stick around, tour boats will inevitably show up, sometimes 20 at a time, all drop- ping passengers with floaties in the water for a swim. For many, it’s a chance to realize a long-held dream. For the dolphins, however, they “come into the shore to rest and it doesn’t seem like they’re able to do that because they’re surround- ed,” Alterman said. Scientists are concerned the in- tense interest is harming the noc- turnal animals because they need to rest after foraging for food all night. Now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is preparing to propose rules to help protect the dolphins. The agency could ban swim- ming with Hawaii spinner dolphins or prohibit people from shallow bays when the dolphins are rest- ing. “Disturbing their resting behav- iors can actually affect their long term health and the health of the population,” said Ann Garrett, the assistant regional administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s protected resources di- vision for the Pacific Islands. Garrett said the agency plans to propose rules in June. The regulations could affect over 200 dolphin-related businesses operating in the state as well as recreational swimmers and other ocean users. Claudia Merrill, co-owner of Dolphin Discoveries in Kailua- Kona on the Big Island, said she would welcome some regulations, particularly if rules would prohibit swimming with dolphins during their prime resting hours from late morning to mid-afternoon. Tour operators must be edu- cated to watch for the signs when the dolphins are settling into their rest state, Merrill said. One key in- dication is when a pod of dolphins synchronizes its dives and swims. “It should be a sustainable in- dustry. It can be a sustainable in- dustry,” Merrill said. Some Kona operators follow guidelines that local tours estab- lished, which include avoiding four dolphin resting bays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. But Merrill said only three of the 12 Kona coast tour operators she knows of fol- low the guidelines. Garrett said her agency has heard reports of vessels chasing down pods at high speed and cor- ralling the dolphins into an area. Hawaii’s spinner dolphins feast on fish and small crus- taceans that surface from the ocean’s depths at night. When the sun rises, they head for shallow bays to hide from tiger sharks and other predators. To the untrained eye, the dol- phins appear to be awake during the day because they’re swim- ming. (AP) A dog owner arrives with a Cavalier King Charles spaniel dog on the first day of the Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, central England on March 10. (AFP) DIRECTIONS: Fill each square with a number, one through nine. ■ Horizontal squares should add to totals on right. ■ Vertical squares should add to totals on bottom. ■ Diagonal squares through center should add to total in upper and lower right. THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE SOLUTION. Today’s Challenge Time 2 Minutes 0 Seconds Your Working Time __ Minutes __ Seconds Word by Word Life Haya Life is not all beer and skittles. Al haya laisat kulaha jeah wa lebat qawareer khashabiya. Numbers 7154 Seven thousand one hundred fifty-four Sabat alaaf wa maah wa arbaah wa khamsoun Yesterday’s solution Scratch pad …
