HONOLULU — Federal regulators are proposing to ban swimming with dolphins in Hawaii, a move that could imperil one of the Aloha State’s most popular tourist delights and the industry that has sprung up around it.

The National Marine Fisheries Service says Hawaii’s spinner dolphins — the nocturnal species that humans usually frolic with — are being deprived of rest during the day and becoming stressed out.

The agency was expected to announce the proposal Tuesday.

Swimming with dolphins is popular with visitors and some locals, with dozens of companies on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island operating dolphin tours daily.

The proposed rule could shut down or greatly disrupt the industry as it now operates.

Ann Garrett, assistant regional administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s protected resources division for the Pacific Islands, said dolphins have been found to be burning calories at a higher rate because they are forced to be vigilant as people approach their pods.

Associated Press