It’s official…. last summer’s dolphin breeding season has been described by the Dolphin Discovery Centre’s research team “as the most successful since monitoring began” advised Miss Jodie Mott, General Manager. “This season has been the best in recent times in terms of new calves being born in the bay and surrounding waters with 17 new calves being observed between December last year and as late as May this year” said Miss Holly Smith, PhD Candidate with the South West Marine Research Program (a joint initiative between the Dolphin Discovery Centre, Murdoch University, and Industry Partners). She went on to say that “to date all calves have been resighted alive and growing rapidly through the winter”. Whilst the calves are enjoying socialising, often keeping each other company and playing together, the Mum’s are kept busy with the more serious activities such as foraging for fish. These new calves will be dependent upon their mothers for milk for the next two years or so before venturing off to form their own groups with juveniles of the same age. “It’s an exciting time for the dolphin population and we hope that all these calves survive to be recruited into the adult population” said Miss Smith. Dolphin Discovery Centre Marine Biologist Mr Phil Coulthard said “the Bay may well be one of the most critical habitats for Bottlenose Dolphins on the West Coast. Although we are uncertain why Koombana Bay appears to be so popular with the dolphins, it does offer attributes that provide an outstanding environment for their socialising, resting, mating and feeding behaviours”. Mr Coulthard went on to outline the favourable Koombana Bay environment conditions which included:- Physical protection: because the Bay is north facing, protection from the trade winds and swells offer relatively calm conditions all year round. Shallow water: detection of predators using echolocation is very effective in shallow water leaving the chance of ambush from a deep water attack (by sharks!) to be minimal. Plenty of food: productivity from the Leschenault Estuary connected to the Bay provides plenty of food for smaller fish that dolphins love to eat such as whiting and herring. Warm water: during the late summer, the warmth of the shallow water in the Bay helps the calves who have a vey thin insulation (blubber) layer when first born to stay warm. Last week dolphins were sighted from the Dolphin Discovery Centre every day, including a recorded 15 dolphin visits to our famous ‘Interaction Zone’ said Jodie Mott, General Manager of the Dolphin Discovery Centre. The Dolphin Discovery Centre is Australia’s Premier Dolphin Experience offering four levels of interaction including: Interpretive Centre and Theatre, Interaction Zone, Dolphin Eco Cruises, Dolphin Swim Encounters. | 
