The first NSW dolphin census will take place on 30 May. Photo: Dolphin Research Australia.
Spotted dolphins along the coast lately? You could help track them, with Illawarra and South Coast residents invited to take part in the first statewide Dolphin Census.
The one-day event on 30 May will see volunteers stationed along beaches and headlands to help scientists build a clearer picture of where dolphin populations are found and what habitats they use.
Volunteers who register will be trained as citizen scientists in the weeks before the NSW Dolphin Census Day, with the project a collaboration between Dolphin Research Australia and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
On the day, volunteers will spend at least 15 minutes continuously watching for dolphins from their favourite vantage points along the NSW coast, including beaches, headlands, harbours, bays and river estuaries.
Dolphin Research Australia CEO Dr Liz Hawkins said most dolphin species relied heavily on coastal habitats.
“Places where people love to work and play, and where our actions can impact them, which makes them highly vulnerable,” Dr Hawkins said.
“At the moment, we simply don’t know enough about many of our dolphin populations.
“By working together as coastal communities, people across the state can help improve our understanding and contribute to protecting dolphins and their habitats.”
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Officer Andy Marshall said every time they looked more closely at coastal dolphins, they uncovered new insights and “often realise how much more there is to learn”.
“In fact, many dolphins don’t travel as far as people assume, with some female Indo‑Pacific bottlenose dolphins spending their whole lives in the same local coastal area,” he said.
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins are the most often seen species off the NSW coast, with other species seen including the bottlenose dolphin, the common dolphin and the Australian humpback dolphins.
In areas such as Jervis Bay where smaller local studies have occurred, researchers and dolphin watchers can sometimes identify individual dolphins by unique dorsal fin features.
No experience is needed before undertaking the training and people can participate as individuals, with friends or in groups, bringing binoculars or a camera with a zoom lens.
Registered volunteers can choose to attend training in person, join a live webinar or complete a self-paced online course to help identify dolphin species, learn how to collect data and ensure safe observations.
The information collected will help fill key knowledge gaps about NSW’s dolphins and support conservation efforts.
The census is supported by funding from the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy.
Register to get trained and be ready for the statewide Dolphin Census on 30 May.
