DD May 2024 Update
DD is dolphin #13 in our catalogue and one of our second-generation animals, born to Square Notch in 2012. He is also among only 16 confirmed males in a community of over 150 common dolphins in Port Phillip.
Thanks to his unique dorsal fin from an injury back in 2013, DD is very easy to identify during surveys (below).
We have seen him almost every year since he was born – more recently with Tall Fin, the resident male of the group, in November 2023 (below). The two of them were accompanied by some well-known females to our researchers: Esther, Ragged Fin, Poke and Hayley.
Tall Fin and DD have been seen together on multiple occasions over the years, perhaps they have formed a social bond? Male social bonds are seen in other dolphin species for different reasons, including being related to one another or increasing their mating opportunities with females. Future sightings of the two together will provide further insights into this relationship, and we will be sure to update you when we find out more.
