Dolphin Watch patrons play an important role in monitoring dolphins in the Peel-Harvey Estuary. As citizen scientists, they collect data and report observations that advance research and help inform wildlife management.
Mandurah Dolphin Research Project
The Mandurah Dolphin Research Project (MDRP) was established at Murdoch University in 2016 to conduct a population assessment for dolphins occupying the Peel-Harvey Estuary.
The assessment showed that a socially, spatially and isotopically distinct community of approximately 90 dolphins, currently 84 (March 2025), resides in the estuary. This community occupies an apex predator role and removes an estimated minimum of 200,000kg of finfish from the system annually. As such, dolphins have now been included in the ecological character description for the Ramsar-listed Peel-Yalgorup wetland.
Although the estuarine dolphin community is considered stable, it has a slightly negative population growth rate, which makes it vulnerable to external stressors and threats. Reducing adult female mortality by 10% is recommended as a management priority to ensure the dolphin community is maintained at its current size into the future. This means that, on average, no more than one reproductive female should be lost from the community each year. Between 2020 and 2024, five mature females were confirmed deceased. The research data, in particular on births and deaths of individuals, continues to be greatly complemented by citizen science observations.
One of the ways that mortality in the Peel-Harvey Estuary dolphin community can be reduced is to ensure a quick detection and response to live stranding events. The estuary has been identified as a bottlenose dolphin live stranding hotspot in Western Australia. Since the commencement of MDRP research, 39 live stranding events, involving 34 individuals, have been recorded. Half of these strandings were high and dry strandings with several of the individuals suffering significant sunburn. Generally, the stranded dolphins are healthy individuals, based on their post-stranding survival and reproductive records, belonging to the estuarine community and strand in areas that they are familiar with. Research is underway to better understand the behavior and environmental conditions that lead to live strandings. This will help to ensure early detection of stranded animals and to inform appropriate and timely rescue response. Additionally, MDRP is working with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and other stakeholders to evaluate the possibility of a collaborative response strategy to local dolphin incidents, such as strandings and entanglements.
In addition to monitoring the local dolphin population, the current MDRP research focus is on evaluating dolphins’ contribution to ecosystem benefits and services. This will allow us to consider how dolphins’ value far exceeds their ecological function in an ecosystem through, for example, their aesthetic value, promotion of human wellbeing through tangible and perceived contact, function as a charismatic engagement tool for nature education and conservation efforts, and for providing economic benefits through contributing to the tourism industry.
The current research is funded by the City of Mandurah, Peel Development Commission, Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, Visit Mandurah and Mandurah Cruises. Significant donations have also been received in the past from John and Bella Perry and the Mandurah Volunteer Dolphin Rescue Group.
Identifying the Mandurah dolphins
You can download the latest FinBook Guide for Mandurah, here: FinBook Mandurah 2023
