Dolphins
are often seen swimming through the blue waters
of the Bay even from the convenience of the
beach or the Urangan Pier. You'll find them
playfully riding the bow waves of boats or
chasing schools of fish in the shallower water.
Dolphins eat the equivalent of around 5% of their body weight in food daily. Their diet consists mainly of fish,
especially baitfish, but they also enjoy squid and octopus. Dolphins can stay under water for up to 15 minutes and swim over 100 metres deep. They are extremely playful and
often leap metres out of the water and love surfing on bow waves.
The main species
found here are the Bottlenose and the Humpback
Dolphins, and it's believed these creatures
remain permanent residents of this area their
entire lives - averaging 30-40 years. The
bottlenoses are more outgoing than the humpback
dolphins which tend to be shy and more likely
found around mangrove swamps, lagoons and
estuaries. The best time to view the dolphins
in Hervey Bay is between December and July.
Bottlenose Dolphins
The Bottlenose Dolphin
[Aduncas tursiops] average between 2 and 4 metres long and weighing between 90 and 650
kgs. Dolphins are warm-blooded mammals, which breathe air, and due to their social nature often live in
pods of up to 10,
sometimes consisting of as many as 50 dolphins.
There are 2 species of Bottlenose Dolphin - the Inshore and the Offshore.
Bottlenose dolphins leap from the water
and somersault to breathe and also to
communicate with each other.
Location determines their coloration, but around our waters the Inshore Bottlenose dolphin is usually grey or brown on top with a
pale coloured underbelly and usually smaller than the Offshore Bottlenose which is larger, more solid looking and darker in
appearance with dark brown or grey colouring.
Indo Pacific Humpback Dolphin
The Humpback Dolphin
or Sousa Dolphin [Sousa chinesis] is usually
seen in our local rivers and estuary systems and
are often referred to as Estuary or Mary River
Dolphins. They can be found year round but tend
not to be as sociable as other species.
Common
Dolphins
The
Common Dolphin [Dolphin compensis] is most often
seen in Hervey Bay's waters between June and
September. They are extremely fast in the water
and exciting to watch.
