Mandurah Dolphins

The wild bottlenose dolphins of Mandurah Western Australia Watching a dolphin chase fish

The wild dolphins in our waters off Mandurah are bottle nose dolphins (tursiops truncatus). Their average length is about 3 metres,with calves being about 1 metre at birth. Dolphins are mammals, giving birth to live young and our bottlenose are medium grey in colour with a pale or light grey flank or belly. They may live up to 30 years, and can swim in short bursts at speeds up to 40 km/h.

There are many wild dolphins in our waters. Of course they dont always leap out of the water as some of our pictures show. In fact its not common to see this. The dolphins are mostly seen cruising around in pods and looking for fish. They are totally wild and protected.

Mandurah dolphins at play

One Mandurah dolphin is particularly easily recognisable... U-boat with the chopped-off fin. Some pleases for the sake of U-boat, her calf and her fellow wild dolphins; Leaping dolphin in mandurah waters

Please notify CALM or the rangers if you spot any dolphins stranded or in distress (tangled in fishing lines perhaps). Keep a lookout in shallow lakes like Goegrup in summer when they travel up that way and get caught by the tide. Particularly if they are swimming aimlessly in the lakes, the hot summer sun in shallow water is deadly for them.
Attempting to feed the dolphins is completely prohibited. They are wild animals and catch their own food. Trying to feed wild animals exposes them to disease, turns them into beggars, and could lead to their death.
Please do not approach a dolphin closer than 10 metres under power, and not directly from the front (head-on).
Please slow down when you get near them. They are not expert dodgers of power boats as some may think. U-boat and Split-fin were probably injured by boat props.
Please leave them some space and leave them alone if they keep on moving away from you or when they are feeding.
Please do not muck up their patch with plastic bags and other harmful throw-aways. Pick up any rubbish you see in or near the water.

Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM)

A rescued dolphin being taken by boat to deeper water

In our area CALM has the responsibility for conserving the wildlife of Western Australia, and CALM wildlife officers have developed considerable expertise and a high success rate when dealing with strandings.They should be your first point of contact should you spot a dolphin in trouble.

Our dolphins do get stranded often, caught by the tide in shallow inland lakes and parts of the river system. Summer times seems to be the danger times, when water levels are low and the sun burns unmercifully onto exposed backs in shallow water.

The Calm Wildlife Protection Section should be contacted ASAP on 08 9334 0292 or after hours on 08 9334 0224. The Swan Regional Marine Operations Unit for CALM can be contacted on 08 9432 5111 or on 24 hr. pager on 08 9483 6462.