The Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary
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 to protect 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
through Port Adelaide every year. The Sanctuary contains power plants to provide power to the city; significant
major industries that create jobs; 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 300 transient
dolphins that visit each year at various times. It is important to remember that these dolphins are wild dolphins
and come here to eat, play, socialise 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 tend to be born tail
first and breathe within minutes of birth. The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins grow to about 2.5 metres in length,
can weigh to about 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 sonar in their melon using a process known as echo
location . Echo location is where the dolphin sends out a series of clicks through the water column, which
creates sound waves that bounce off an object. The waves then bounce back to the dolphin where it is
received in the animals lower jaw and then sent to the brain to be interpreted as to what the object is.
That s a handy skill to have at night or in muddy or murky waters where humans wouldn t be able to
normally see.
While the Port Adelaide dolphins are a wild population,
over the years researchers and volunteers have learnt to
identify them and have given them names. The size and
shape of their dorsal fins, or scratches and nicks on their
fins can set them apart. Some of the more commonly
seen dolphins are Twinkle, Marianna, Ali or Bubbles.
Wave is famous for her tail walk and can take huge leaps
from the water.
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 and
since it has been passed on to some of her offspring and
other dolphins of the ADS.
A DOZEN DOLPHIN FACTS
1. The Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary covers 118
square kilometres.
2. The Sanctuary is home to about 30 Indo-Pacific
bottlenose dolphins
3. About 300 dolphins visit the Sanctuary from time
to time.
4. The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins grow to
about 2.5 metres in length, and weigh about 160
kilograms
5. Dolphins can live for about 40 years
6. The gestation period for bottlenose dolphins is
about 12 months
7. Dolphins are usually born tail first and are about
a metre long
8. Dolphins usually only have one calf at a time
9. Researchers and volunteers have named the
dolphins to provide identification, some of the
more commonly seen dolphins are Twinkle,
Marianna, Wave, Ali and Bubbles
10. Dolphins can dive to depths of more than 500
metres, but they have to surface to breathe
through their blowhole every few minutes.
11. Dolphins are often seen in groups known as
pods where they hunt, play and protect each
other.
12. Dolphins can navigate and fish using echo
location by sending out clicks and receiving
them in their brain for interpretation.