Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary
© Barbara Saberton
The Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary (ADS) was established in June
2005. The objectives of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary Act
2005 are to protect the resident population of Indo-Pacific
bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the Port River and
Barker Inlet area and the habitat on which they rely.
The ADS is an area of 118 square kilometres, which would
equate to the entire size of Adelaide, North Adelaide and all the
parklands fitted within the boundaries at least three times. The
area covers the Inner Port, Outer Harbour, North Haven marina,
and stretches north to Pt Gawler. The boundary includes key
habitat features such as mangroves, seagrass, saltmarsh, tidal
flats, tidal creeks which all combine to provide habitat for the
ADS dolphins and their food resources.
The Sanctuary is part of a busy living city and port, which has
more than 2600 commercial ship movements every year. The
Sanctuary contains power plants to provide power to the city;
significant major industries; as well as providing fishing and
boating recreational activities; housing estates and has Aboriginal
and European cultural and historical points of interest.
Human industrial activities such as boating, stormwater runoff,
water quality, pollution and rubbish all have impact on the
waterways.
The Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary is not only about the dolphins, it
is also about the environment in which they live. A healthy river is
the key to a healthy dolphin population.
There are about 30 resident Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins
within the Sanctuary, with about 400 transient dolphins that visit
at various times. It is important to remember that these dolphins
are wild dolphins and come here to eat, play, socialise, reproduce
and live.
Dolphin biology and the ADS dolphins
When dolphins are first born they are usually about a metre in
length and dark in colour. They are born tail first and breathe
within minutes of birth. The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins
grow to 2.5 metres in length, can weigh up to 160 kilograms
and can live for up to 40 years.
Dolphins can dive to depths of more than 500 metres, but they
have to surface to breathe through their blowhole every few
minutes. They can often be seen in groups known as pods
where they hunt, play and protect each other.
Dolphins navigate and seek out food using a process known as
echo location. This is when dolphins send out a series of clicks
directed through their melon and from their lower jaw. These
clicks or waves bounce off objects and are received by the
animal to be interpreted as to what the object is.
2 | Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary threats
© Ally Whyatt
While the Port Adelaide dolphins are a wild population, over the
years researchers and volunteers have learnt to identify them. The
size and shape of their dorsal fins, or scratches and nicks on their fins
can distinguish them.
It’s thought that when Billie, one of the first known dolphins,
was temporarily kept in Adelaide’s Marineland to recover from
an injury after being trapped in the nearby Patawalonga, she
saw the performing dolphins doing tricks. She then took those
tricks back into the wild when she was released and since then it
has been passed on to some of her offspring and other dolphins
of the ADS.
ADS staff installing safety buoys
• Researchers and volunteers have named the dolphins to
provide identification, some of the more commonly seen
dolphins are Twinkle, Marianna, Wave, Ali and Bubbles
• Dolphins can dive to depths of more than 500 metres, but
they have to surface to breathe through their blowhole
every few minutes.
• Dolphins are often seen in groups known as pods where
they hunt, play and protect each other.
• Dolphins can navigate and fish using echo location by
sending out clicks and receiving them in their brain for
interpretation.
Dolphin facts
• The Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary covers 118 square
kilometres.
For more information
• The Sanctuary is home to about 30 Indo-Pacific bottlenose
dolphins
Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary
GPO Box 1047 Adelaide SA 5001
• About 400 dolphins have been recorded to visit the sanctuary.
• The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins grow to about
2.5 metres in length, and weigh about 160 kilograms
T: (08) 8240 0193
E: [email protected]
www.environment.sa.gov.au
• Bottlenose dolphins can live for about 40 years
• The gestation period for bottlenose dolphins is about
12 months
• Dolphins are usually born tail first and are about a
metre long
FIS 92555
• Dolphins usually only have one calf at a time