The Dolphins who live in Nelson Bay

The dolphins who live in Nelson Bay are among the most unusual in the world. Port Stephens is home to approximately 160 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops aduncus ) — permanent, year-round residents who never migrate — and they live in two completely separate communities that never mix with each other . The East Basin pod occupies the open marine waters from the Heads to Soldiers Point; the West Basin pod lives in the murkier, river-like waters from Soldiers Point to Karuah. The two communities have distinct social structures, different foraging behaviours, and — despite sharing the same bay — rarely interact. Scientists consider this separation rare worldwide. Below is a detailed summary of their biology, behaviour, and the regulations that protect them. Here is a factual summary…