2005 Flipper Count

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	2005 Flipper Count Dolphin Census in Port Stephens

Every year in autumn volunteers, scientists and dolphin watch operators take position on the beaches and the waters of Port Stephens and fix their eyes on the waves looking for dolphins. For half an hour every fin is counted and recorded for the annual dolphin census.

Foundation volunteer Jeff Wong at site L18 at picturesque Zenith Beach.

Foundation volunteer Jeff Wong had come to Port Stephens for the second time to count the dolphins: "It's a great excuse to come up here for a weekend, sit on the beach and stare at the ocean for a while. I didn't see any dolphins at my survey site, but then there was one right in the boat harbour in Nelson Bay."

Port Stephen's resident bottlenose dolphin population counts over 150 individuals. Many have names and locals recognise them by the shape of their dorsal fins, which are as individual as a human fingerprint.

The animals attract thousands of visitors every year, and the resulting boat traffic is likely to have significant effects on the dolphins. To make sure that the stress posed to the animals is kept To a minium, volunteers, scientists and tour operators keep a close eye on the well being of the population.

Each one of the 150 Bottlenose Dolphins in the Port is worth 1 million dollars to the local tourism economy.

The best way to see the dolphins in their natural environment is through one of the many organised cruises. Port Stephens' dolphin watch operators have long recognized that they have to care for the animals
and ensure that their activities do not harm or disturb them in any way. The local Imagine Cruises pioneered the D.R.E.A.M. Fund (Dolphin Research Education and Management), which has sponsored research by the Macquarie University into our dolphins so that we can develop a Dolphin Management Plan for Port Stephens. The project gathers information to better understand the dolphin's movements, habitat and food requirements. It will lead to the development of a management plan, which provides a scientific base to better protect the dolphins. Since 1998 the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife runs the fund in conjunction with the Port Stephens Dolphin Watch Association and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

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