A History of our Dolphins part 7 2022
29 April 2022 - New calf born to Wendy first seen today
29 April 2022 - New calf Dove born to Prince first seen today
2 May 2022 - Cut males have been following Wild Turkey recently. Emily has a calf named Eric ( Emily is herself a calf of Mahalo)
2 May 2022 - Jingles believed to be female.
11 May 2022 - Hatrick free of males
21 May 2022 - Nicky still pregnant. Hayley seen without 13 mnth old calf Poppy ( Hayley seen several times after still with no poppy) Update see 1 July 2022
21 May 2022 - Wendy seen without her 3 week old calf. Several further sightings including 26th & 27th May have confirmed the calf must have deceased.
1 June 2022 - Concerns that poppy is no longer seen with Hayley or at all ( see 1 July 2022)
1 June 2022 - High Jinx and Indie male. Jingles, Sailor and Baloo are female. Lucy Bowie Malika all look pregnant ( ? Hayley) . Jasper likely male.
7 June 2022 - Nicky has a new calf born in the last few days. ( see 23 June 2022)
23 June 2022 - A male neonate was found alive on town beach. The rough ocean had 3m large swell sets rolling towards the breaking surf town beach
Swimmers remarked the inshore current was unusually strong.
We believe the strong swells likely caused the small calf to be swept onto the beach, away from it's stronger mother.
Normally it would be very hard to know who such a calf was and without a mum and the raging swells there is limited chance of survival.
However with Mandurah Cruises help we were able to id the calf as Nicky's ( also spelt Nikki )
Nicky's calf had a very frilly tail and very frilly dorsal exactly as this calf did. The calf measured 1.3m long, fitting in with Nikki's "giants" lineage.
Frantic efforts by volunteers to find its mother Nicky luckily were also quickly successful
She was found alone in adjacent calm marina and town waters and appeared to be frantically searching for her calf. We had a boat stay with her.
Unfortunately our many requests to DBCA that reuniting should at least be attempted were refused and the calf was euthanised by them.
Her mother stayed in the town waters for the rest of the morning sadly with her calf euthanised on a beach around the corner.
Whilst this is the hardest situation rescuers have to face and normally does end this way when a mum is not found, we believe it would have been
worth to try and reunite them, given that we had found the mother in nearby calm waters.
This was also taking into account twice Nicky has reunited with separated calves in the past including one stranded on the shore.
Both times successful reuniting occurred, and the calves never left her side afterwards for years.
These were likely due to Nicky's well known behaviour of foraging in the extreme shallows and calf misadventure even shallower.
Nicky is Mandurah's best known dolphin and the huge outcry from the community is a lasting testament to their love for these dolphins.
The calf has been named Neptune ( forever the God of the seas)
1 July 2022 - In far happier news 14 month Poppy who hasn't been seen with his mother for weeks was suddenly back with her today!
Further update see 6 July
6 July 2022 - In a very bittersweet moment Hook and Bitts ( rescued dolphins) seen herding Nicky.
Hayley seen foraging in Inlet and then travelling to Dawesville Bay with others - Poppy was halfway down Harvey Estuary with other calves, & Diver.
31 July 2022 - Whisper and Indie confirmed male. Remy and Bodhi almost certainly male based on behaviour. Jasper also possibly male.
11 August 2022 - Wendy being herded by Bitts Hook and Blake.
For researcher - Dolphins not seen for a very long time- Ziggy Comet Merak Kiss Lita Luna Piper and Nikalia.
7 September 2022 - Lowblow being herded by Crook Alliance ( now includes Yoyo)
11 September 2022 - Ryder appears to now be weaned
1 October 2022 - Surprise entrapped behind rocks due to low tides in front of Katinka Retreat for 3rd time.
Thanks to all the residents and people who rang and watched over him and DBCA marine ranger Ben who attended.
Surprise was able to successfully escape on the high tide during the night
6 October 2022 - Dolphin seen in Dawesville Cut with large shark bite injury. 26th October reseen - already significantly healing.
23 October 2022 - 4th Luca's legacy Cleanup event held.
1 November 2022 - Kiya now weaned
20 November 2022 - River's newborn calf first seen today. Named Bilya
2 December 2022 - Amira seen a newborn today ( followed them for least an hour) and then again the next day swimming together still.
There has been no sign of River or her calf recently. On 8 December by comparing photos it was established this was River's calf!
7 December 2022 - Malika seen with a newborn calf Meeka today. She tragically lost her last calf Meelan to fishing line entanglement in October 2021.
8 December 2022 - River who hadn't been seen for days seen back together with Bilya. Amira seen today without a calf ( ie possibly babysat/kidnapped before)
9 January 2023 - River seen without calf Bilya today. Her and Spike/Frankl were moving very fast powering along the back of the inlet
15 January 2023 - Topnotch seen in town with a newborn calf (Hopscotch) today by Mandurah Cruises. It's rostrum appears normal unlike elder sibling Beaky
19 January 2023 - Unfortunately both River and Spike were seen together both without their calves today ( missing newborn Bilya and 10 month old calf Frankl)
Bilya has been missing for some time now, though high winds have prevented confirming any resightings of River until today
Now both calves were not with their mothers. ( see 20th below) Mums were followed from Austin Bay across back of inlet to Roberts Bay
so there was no chance Frankl was just nearby or off playing.
General note - There has a huge negative residual in our waterways resulting in extreme shallows for weeks. At time the high tide didnt even reach normal low tide.
It has been an extremely dangerous extended period for the dolphins, more extreme than seen before.
19 January 2023 - Two small dolphins seen via the upper Serpentine camera ( possibly Tswizzle and Jac) up higher than Woodlands Retreat
20 January 2023 - A mother and calf were seen in extreme shallows behind Boodelan who appeared to be Spike and Frankl back together ( unable to get close)
River was again seen without Bilya and there would appear no hope that Bilya is still alive after many sightings of River alone.
23 January Calf Frankl was confirmed back with Spike. River did not have her calf Bilya.
20 January 2023 - Bowie seen badly sunburnt on her left side. Genie was not with her though they had been normally together all of 2022. See below
20 January 2023 - Ocean dolphin Peaches seen by Mandurah Cruises in Cut with a newborn
20 January 2023 - Deceased dolphin found in front of Harvey River Delta area, Harvey Estuary. Genie, male calf of Bowie almost 2 years old.
25 January 2023 - Deceased dolphin reported in Harvey Estuary shallows Birchmont area, location just north from Possum Place.
Found to be Bowie mother of deceased Genie above. See 20 January.
Bowie and her previous known calves are now all deceased - Bowie, Stardust, Genie all from stranding and Ziggy who has known stranded and was last seen just before Stardust died ( fate unknown, possibly stranded with Stardust). A sad ending to such an iconic dolphin family.
We appreciate residents of the area reporting the dolphin, volunteers who attended, and DBCA for removal.
Bowie was 2.47mm long approx. ( very long ) with a measure from blowhole to start of dorsal of 78mm.
31 January 2023 - Surprise entrapped again this time in ornamental pond next to Nourishing the Soul Cafe. Very high tide last night with 23cm residual
Surprise was able to escape around 1.30pm due to the high residual well before predicted high tide at 7pm
However it was surprising that he only waited till there was 50cm water level to do so ( measured by Krista)!
5 February 2023 - Males have been following Lovis and Laika
16 February 2023 - Twenty one has been herded by Bitts alliance with Yoyo.
24 February 2023 - Injured dolphin reported seen in the Dawesville cut. We did see Joy with shallow shark bite to her right side.
25 February 2023 - Lucy seen with new calf ! River being herded by Frank alliance. The calf has been named LouLou ( can be shortened to Lou if found to be male)
3 March 2023 - Freezebranded dolphin 14 was found recently deceased floating in the entrance to Murray River.
On opening his mouth he was found to have nearly entirely swallowed a 1m (believed tiger) snake! The head of the snake was missing.
Venom tests by Nahiid proved inconclusive ( there is a 12hr limit to such tests)
14 was 2.42m long with a measure of 73mm from blowhole to base of dorsal.
9 March 2023 - Frankl confirmed as male. CC has minor shark attack scars on belly and back
18 March 2023 - Anna ( who is/was pregnant) being closely followed by Hook alliance and Blake
24 March 2023 - Lovis seen with a brand new calf ( Lyra)
1 April 2023 - Oogum seen with a new calf named Snookum ( siblings boogum and snoogum)
3 April 2023 - Anna still being followed by frank alliance
3 April 2023 - Lovis seen without newborn calf and being followed by males. Sadly it is likely her newborn Lyra is deceased
5 April 2023 - Solo seen in lower reaches of Black Lake ( nearest road end of Davis Rd), still able to swim but unable to exit.
He kept to a deeper pocket during this time, approximately knee deep only.
Initially he made an attempt to reach the exit but thereafter stopped trying and was spending long periods of 45 minutes or so completely still.
Luckily a week of high tide was forecast from the weekend, and storm surge from incoming bad weather and cyclone up north, all driving the water
higher. Solo was last seen in the area during Sunday afternoon 9th April.
6 April 2023 - Anna still being followed by Frank Alliance. Has she lost a calf?
20 April 2023 - Sweetpea seen with new calf ( Snowpea)
30 April 2023 - 15 month old Bliss first seen with a 5 prong gidgee embedded in his right side in the Dawesville Cut today ( Sunday midday).
The gidgee had a long blue pole attached ( with red tape wound around connection point of pole and prongs)
1 May 2023 - Bliss still has the 5 prong gidgee prongs in right side ( and red tape still there ) however the long blue pole has disconnected.
Until 5 May this remained the same. During this time Bliss and mother Brandon kept distance to themselves, no playing with other calves
5 May 2023 - Bliss seen without the 5 prongs of the gidgee in his side. Prongs have luckily dislodged. Left with 5 holes in his side ( Friday)
7 May 2023 - Mandurah Cruises saw Coal with a newborn in town today ( Blaze). Spotlight also seen with a newborn in Comet Bay / Mandurah entrance
26 & 27 May 2023 - Pepsi seen carrying a decomposing deceased newborn in the Cut, closely followed by Moretto male alliance.
Eventually the remains became impossible to continue carrying. She was then seen to carry seaweed in its place ( 29th)
27 June 2023 - Pepsi has been courted by Sharkbite's alliance in the Cut. Unidentified dolphin with flopped over half dorsal seen in the Cut.
27th June 2023 - Happy news! Hayley seen with a new calf Harper. Her previous young son Poppy is still doing well despite early weaning.
LouLou appears to be male ( early days as still small. See Photo)
28th June 2023 - Hayley and newborn being closely followed by Crook alliance including Yoyo.
20 July 2023 - Deceased male neonate found seascapes beach 118mm long 36mm blowhole to front of dorsal.
27 July 2023 - Nikaila seen back in the inlet today after no sightings for a year ( last seen June 2022 in Harvey Estuary)
4 August 2023 - Hopscotch seen with long cut, likely from braided fishing line. Snowpea likely male. Sombero being herded by hook alliance
11 August 2023 - Deceased male calf believed to be Hayley's neonate Harper floating in cut from inlet towards ocean ( tide had been going out most of the day)
within white foam and also dead fish 1.36m long male neonate 41mm from blowhole to front of dorsal
13 August 2023 - Hayley seen without a calf, being closely followed by Bitts, Hook and Blake.
Blaze seen to be a female. Loulou and Snowpea believed male.
18 August 2023 - Harper taken for necropsy. Suspected acute septicaemic Erysipelas. Ryan, adult male dawesville covered in cetacean pox virus lesions.
History continued on page 8 here
