Read all about Western Australia’s best wild dolphin population here on our Mandurah Dolphin Blog.
Feel free to comment and ask questions on any of our stories for our dolphin experts to answer.
We work very closely with the Mandurah Dolphin Research Project as well as the Mandurah Dolphin Rescue Group to monitor the health and wellbeing of our local dolphin population. Collectively, we share our observations, reporting on any new arrivals or areas of concern.
We have the greatest respect for, and never lose sight of the fact that, Mandurah dolphins are wild creatures. We are just so lucky they are naturally curious and playful animals who are very happy to share their life with us.
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All mammals have hair at some point in their lives, including dolphins. They are born with whiskers on their upper jaw, approximately 6 on either side of their rostrum. They generally fall out within a week after birth due to water pressure as they learn to swim. This is one of a calf’s features …
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In Mandurah we are lucky enough to see dolphins in their natural environment, in the wild. They are not fed, they choose to be here and come and go as they please, on their terms. There are places in Australia that wild dolphins are fed and have now become dependent on humans for food. It …
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Did you know that Mandurah has been identified as a dolphin stranding hotspot? Since 1985 there have been at least 36 live strandings involving approximately 60 animals in the Mandurah waterways. With the vast areas of shallow water, low tides and the hot summer temperatures, our dolphins are in great danger of stranding in the …
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Dolphins rely on their eyesight to avoid predators and to find food, which is essential for their survival. Combined with their excellent eyesight and sonar like system to process visual information underwater – called echolocation, dolphins have a great advantage in the ocean compared to other marine life that rely on sight only.
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We would like to introduce to you two of Mandurah’s resident dolphins – Nikki and John Edwards. They are both easily recognisable with their distinct dorsal fins. From a distance they may look similar with the same shaped fin but if you look closely you can see the difference. You may have seen them in …
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You may have noticed that some of Mandurah’s dolphins have faint numbers on their fins. Many years ago when dolphins stranded here in Mandurah, freeze branding was the method used to help identify and keep track of the dolphins. Mandurah has been identified as a dolphin stranding hot spot, with the Peel-Harvey area being so …
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Dolphins are known to be highly social and intelligent animals that display complex behaviours. It is no surprise that outside of humans the most complex social groups and structures have been found in bottlenose dolphins. Specific research supporting this has been done on a population of dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia and similar behaviours …
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Our dolphins here in Mandurah have each been named and are identified by their unique dorsal fin characteristics, such as the shape and notches. There are several ways they can get these notches in their fins – from playing and fighting with each other, fishing line entanglements and from encounters with sharks.
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On Wednesday 11th April 2018 a wild dolphin birth was observed and captured on camera by Mandurah Cruises & the Mandurah Dolphin Rescue Group. To witness a dolphin giving birth (in the wild) is extremely rare, this being only the second occasion ever documented in the world. The day started out just like any other …
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A dolphin’s diet consists predominantly of fish, caught by chasing them and rounding them up with their group. They are also opportunistic feeders who catch what they can, when they can and so, Mandurah’s dolphins have developed some complex techniques to find and catch food that is unique to their habitat.
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