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  • Please Help Our Dolphins

    Mums & calves

    A baby dolphin is called a calf. Calves suckle milk from their mothers. They usually start catching small fish when they are about 6 months old.
    Calves are very vulnerable. They spend more time on the surface and are not as quick as mature dolphins
. It is therefore extremely important that people using watercraft keep an eye out and do not approach them.

    Do not feed

    Dolphins are wild animals. Touching, feeding and approaching dolphins is illegal and can be very harmful to them.

    Reel in fishing lines

    Fishing line and debris can be dangerous for dolphins and other wildlife.
    • Please reel in lines if dolphins are close.
    • Dispose of fishing lines and rubbish properly.

Please Help Our Dolphins

Mums & calves

A baby dolphin is called a calf. Calves suckle milk from their mothers. They usually start catching small fish when they are about 6 months old.
Calves are very vulnerable. They spend more time on the surface and are not as quick as mature dolphins
. It is therefore extremely important that people using watercraft keep an eye out and do not approach them.

Do not feed

Dolphins are wild animals. Touching, feeding and approaching dolphins is illegal and can be very harmful to them.

Reel in fishing lines

Fishing line and debris can be dangerous for dolphins and other wildlife.
• Please reel in lines if dolphins are close.
• Dispose of fishing lines and rubbish properly.

Newhaven Ave

picnic shelter

Nearest picnic shelter

Please call the Marine Mammal Emergency number (0427 556 676) if you see:

    - ​people feeding or harassing dolphins 

Educational resources

Fact sheet: Marine Mammal information

Activity: Marine Animals of SA bookmarks

Activity: Protect Our Dolphins bookmark

NPWSSA Respecting Marine Mammals safety sticker

NPWSSA Marine Mammal Strandings

Useful links

Feeding dolphins disrupts their natural feeding patterns

Boats pose risk of injury to dolphins

Pollution harms dolphins

Fishing line harms dolphins

Trail stations

at the South Gates

1

Station 1

at the South Gates

opposite the marina

2

Station 2

opposite the marina

at the Patawalonga boat ramp

4

Station 4

at the Patawalonga boat ramp

at the Diversion Basin

5

Station 5

at the Diversion Basin

at the West Beach entry

6

Station 6

at the West Beach entry

at the Stanley St beach

7

Station 7

at the Stanley St beach

Keep in mind when watching dolphins

Mums & calves

Mothers and calves form very strong bonds; the calves usually stay very close to their mothers and will swim along in the 'slip stream' the mother creates as she glides through the water. The mortality rate for baby dolphins is very high, unfortunately many of the baby dolphins do not survive their first year. There are many threats that dolphins face including pollution, being hit by boats or caught in fishing line.

Like humans dolphins also grieve if they lose their baby. Often if they lose their calf they will push the body around, sometimes for several days. It is a heartbreaking sight to see and even more heartbreaking to think that us humans may be responsible for some of these deaths. The surviving calves do not generally leave their mothers until they are about 3-4 years old. They will often head off on their own a few months before the mother has another calf.

Station 3

opposite the Patawilya Reserve

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