Fraser Island Dolphins
Interaction with Dolphins has been going on in South-east Queensland for thousands of years. It is thought that local aborigines fished for mullet at the same time dolphins were hunting the fish themselves. This action led to the mullet heading towards one point near land where they could be trapped and eaten by both man and mammal. Truly a symbiotic relationship between man and animal if there ever was one. All the dolphins found around Fraser Island are listed as endangered, vulnerable or potentially vulnerable. These include the-
The BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN is found in both deep oceanic conditions as well as the shallow waters surrounding Fraser Island. Their inshore habitat ranges from open coasts with strong surf to sheltered bays and waterways, lagoons, large estuaries and the lower reaches of rivers. The name comes from a European who thought that the snout of these dolphins resembled an exaggerated antique bottle with its thick base and thinner neck. They dolphins themselves tend to be seen in groups of up to about 15 when close to land but have been seen off the coasts of Australia in massive pods of up to 100. They are part of the cetacean family with whales and porpoises and grow to around 2-2.5 metres in length. As they mature they start to show a spotted pattern on their underside. These dolphins are normally seen cruising at between 5 and 10 kilometres per hour but it is said that they have been recorded keeping up with a boat travelling at over 30 kilometres per hour. Other remarkable facts about the bottlenose dolphin is that the usually dive for around 3 minutes, but once again if needed can last much longer. They also must be awake at all times to continue to be able to breath. So they rest on the surface with their snouts just poking out and shut down only one side of their brain. This being so that one half can rest whilst the other stays alert to approaching danger. They breed at around 10 years of age and usually live for around 30 years.
Dolphins are common along
Fraser Island Beaches
The Indopacific Humpback Dolphins are slightly larger than the bottlenose variety, growing up the 2.8 metres in length. They tend to come closer to the shore than the bottlenose preferring a depth of around 20 metres and are more of a pinkish grey than a plain grey. They also don’t seem to be attracted to boats and you won’t see them bow riding like other dolphins. When surfacing the Humpback comes out nose first, followed by the body and tail in an arc-like motion. They seem to love herring and bream for a meal and can be found in pods of around 6, however, similar to the bottlenose dolphin they have been seen in larger groups further out to sea.
Book a Fraser Island Adventure Tour
