Skip to main content
Hit enter to search or ESC to close
Close Search
Dolphin ResearchDolphin Research
search
Menu
  • Our Work
    • Dolphins and Whales
      • Research
      • Port Phillip Common Dolphin Project
      • Two Bays Whale Project
      • Killer Whales Australia
      • Report Sightings using PodWatch
      • Commit to Dolphin Distancing
      • Commit to Whale Distancing
    • Marine Environment
      • Discover Port Phillip: Water & Wildlife Stories
      • Creature Features
      • Our Living Marine Treasures
      • FAQS
    • Education & Community
      • I sea, i care Ambassador Program
      • Education Programs
      • Volunteers and Interns
      • Citizen Science Programs
  • About Us
    • DRI Team and Board
    • Our Impact
    • Vision 2030
    • Charity Status
    • Annual Reports
    • Snapshot News Magazine
    • DRI Webinars
    • E-News Subscribe
  • Support Us
    • Future Generations Tax Appeal
    • Support Two Bays Whale Project
    • Donate to DRI
    • Regular Giving
    • Adoption Program
    • Renew Your Adoption
    • Our Supporters
    • Impact Supporter (Business)
    • Shop/Auction
    • Make a Payment
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • Contact General
    • Contact Education Team
    • Marine Wildlife Emergencies – What To Do
  • search
  • Menu
ISIC NEWSLETTERS TERM 2 2026 Bayside SchoolsDandenong SchoolsDRI Newsletteri sea i careKingston SchoolsMelbourne SchoolsMornington Peninsula Schools

ISIC NEWSLETTERS TERM 2 2026

Enjoy your newsletter here: Bayside Term 2 ISIC Newsletter 2026 Enjoy your newsletter here: Casey…
Education
Education22/06/2026
Add PodWatch to Your Phone DRI NewsEnvironmental LeadershipResearch

Add PodWatch to Your Phone

PodWatch is an easy way to report sightings of dolphins and large whales and contribute…
DRI Researcher
DRI Researcher12/06/2026
ISIC NEWSLETTERS TERM 1 2026 Bayside SchoolsDandenong SchoolsDRI Newsletteri sea i careKingston SchoolsMelbourne SchoolsMornington Peninsula Schools

ISIC NEWSLETTERS TERM 1 2026

Enjoy your newsletter here: Bayside Term 1 ISIC Newsletter 2026 Enjoy your newsletter here: Casey…
Education
Education13/05/2026
Absence or avoidance? White shark response to killer whale predation risk DRI NewsEnvironmental LeadershipKiller Whales AustraliaResearch

Absence or avoidance? White shark response to killer whale predation risk

Our very own David Donnelly has co-authored a paper with Isabella M. Reeves, Adam Barnett,…
Sarah Carrington
Sarah Carrington27/02/2026

Popular Posts

  • Weekly Creature Feature: Do you know what this is? 27/10/2020
  • Weekly Creature Feature: How did these shells get such perfect holes? 28/08/2020
  • Weekly Creature Feature: Do you know what this is? 03/12/2020

Categories

  • Action 7
  • Appeal 18
  • Bayside Schools 16
  • Business 1
  • Casey Schools 10
  • Common Dolphins 22
  • Council Supporter 4
  • Dandenong Schools 18
  • Dolphins 46
  • DRI News 116
  • DRI Newsletter 6
  • Education 106
  • Education Programs 24
  • Environment 41
  • Environmental Leadership 46
  • Events 7
  • Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast Schools 11
  • i sea i care 119
  • Impact Supporter 6
  • Information 33
  • Interns 5
  • ISIC Environment 11
  • ISIC Gallery 5
  • ISIC Treasures 1
  • ISIC-Amb-Blog 3
  • ISICC 113
  • Killer Whales Australia 5
  • Kingston Schools 13
  • Life 93
  • Major Supporter 4
  • Melbourne Schools 21
  • Mornington Peninsula Schools 24
  • People 9
  • Rescue 1
  • Research 66
  • RSS 1
  • Special 9
  • Story 9
  • Sustainable Living 3
  • Two Bays Whales 12
  • Whales 20

Archives

  • June 2026
  • May 2026
  • February 2026
  • January 2026
  • December 2025
  • November 2025
  • October 2025
  • August 2025
  • July 2025
  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • April 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • October 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • September 2015
  • March 2015
  • December 2014
  • April 2014
  • December 2012
  • September 2012
  • April 2012
  • December 2011
  • September 2011

About DRI

  • About DRI
  • Our Team
  • Annual Reports
  • Newsletters
  • Contact Us

What we do

  • Research
  • Education
  • Leadership
  • Sightings
  • Vic Humpback Whale Catalogue
  • ISIC Communities

Our Marine Environment

  • Southern Marine Species
  • Regional Marine Environ.
  • Coastal Management

Become involved

  • Donate
  • Volunteer, Intern & Wk Exp.
  • Coastal Management
  • Book an Education Prog
  • Report Dolphin Sightings
  • WP Pod Surveyor
  • Two Bays Whale Tracker
  • PPB Pod Surveyor
  • BCapture
  • Impact Supporter

DRI CHARITY STATUS | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS

© 2026 Dolphin Research Institute. The Dolphin Research Institute is a Charity Registered with the Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission.
Donations of $2 or more are Tax deductible.

  • facebook
  • instagram
Close Menu
  • Our Work
    • Dolphins and Whales
      • Research
      • Port Phillip Common Dolphin Project
      • Two Bays Whale Project
      • Killer Whales Australia
      • Report Sightings using PodWatch
      • Commit to Dolphin Distancing
      • Commit to Whale Distancing
    • Marine Environment
      • Discover Port Phillip: Water & Wildlife Stories
      • Creature Features
      • Our Living Marine Treasures
      • FAQS
    • Education & Community
      • I sea, i care Ambassador Program
      • Education Programs
      • Volunteers and Interns
      • Citizen Science Programs
  • About Us
    • DRI Team and Board
    • Our Impact
    • Vision 2030
    • Charity Status
    • Annual Reports
    • Snapshot News Magazine
    • DRI Webinars
    • E-News Subscribe
  • Support Us
    • Future Generations Tax Appeal
    • Support Two Bays Whale Project
    • Donate to DRI
    • Regular Giving
    • Adoption Program
    • Renew Your Adoption
    • Our Supporters
    • Impact Supporter (Business)
    • Shop/Auction
    • Make a Payment
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • Contact General
    • Contact Education Team
    • Marine Wildlife Emergencies – What To Do
  • Donate
  • Research
  • Education

The Dolphin Research Institute

Western Port Marina
Hastings, Victoria
Australia

 

T: +61 3 5979 7100
E: admin@dolphinresearch.org.au

  • facebook
  • instagram

What’s in a mailed pack?

For an additional $45, the mailed adoption pack includes:

  • Marine Mammals of Australia & New Zealand identification guide
  • Dolphin Research Institute cap OR Two Bays Whale Project beanie
  • Dolphin money box
  • Dolphin or Whale Distancing sticker

The items in the pack are worth $35+, and the total cost includes postage and handling

SPLIT FIN

Split Fin is perhaps Australia’s best-known killer whale. Known to researchers since 2003, Split Fin was first photographed near the old whaling town of Eden in New South Wales. She and her pod have been sighted almost every year since, moving from Jervis Bay down to Tasmania and even South Australia!
It is believed that Split Fin is the matriarch of a family of killer whales.
She is also the most recognisable due to the damage to her dorsal fin which was almost certainly caused through contact with a boat propeller. The fact that she survived this injury is remarkable in itself but to survive and thrive as leader of her family group is truly something special.

WILSON

Wilson is a rather boisterous showoff. This youngster was first photographed in October 2020 near Rodondo Island off Wilsons Promontory. It is unclear whether they are a male or female, but they were in the company of another humpback whale as they made their journey south.
On this windy Spring day, whale watchers were treated to a spectacular and prolonged display of tail slapping, head lunging, and general playfulness. Wilson and their companion paused their southerly migration to seemingly enjoy their last moments off the Australian mainland before heading into the cold Southern Ocean.

MARTHA

Martha was first photographed by the Dolphin Research Institute off Mount Martha in August 2011. She was accompanied by four presumed male humpback whales who appeared to be competing for the right to mate with her.
The pod was very active in the area and were quite violent toward each other at times. Our research team were in the midst of this amazing event and managed to photograph the unique fluke of Martha.
But this is not the only sighting of this whale! After uploading images to the online platform Happywhale, we were excited to learn that Martha was first sighted in Hervey Bay, Queensland, in 2008.

FEEDER

Feeder was first photographed in July of 2020 by citizen scientist, Barb Wallace off Pyramid Rock, Phillip Island.
On this day, Feeder was actively feeding on small baitfish and was accompanied by common dolphins. Over the course of the following week, Feeder was sighted a further three times and was seen feeding during each encounter.
While we now know that feeding in Bass Strait is not as rare as once thought, Feeder was one of the individuals who prompted us to investigate this behaviour more closely.

GINGER

Ginger is one of Western Port’s more residential bottlenose dolphins. First seen in 2006 swimming with surfers, she has been a regular fin along Western Port beaches throughout the years. 

Since she was first identified, Ginger has had four known calves: Smooth, Blaze, Prince, and most recently, a new calf in 2026. A credit to her mothering, Smooth, Blaze and Prince have all survived after leaving their mother’s side, with Blaze and Prince now regulars along Western Port’s beaches themselves.

We are always excited to receive sighting reports from citizen scientists in the area, helping us continue to follow Ginger and her growing family.

DD

DD is one of the few males we know of in Port Phillips unique common dolphin community. He was born in 2012 to a mother we call Square Notch. At just 8 months old, DD suffered an injury to his dorsal fin, possibly from a boat propeller. Despite his injury, this resilient dolphin doesn’t seem to be at all affected by his “damaged dorsal” fin, which is how he got the name “DD”. He is now regularly sighted with other resident dolphins like BUD and Lucky who also sport old injures.

Tall Fin

Tall Fin was first seen in 2006 and has been sighted every year since. He is one of Port Phillips resident males and loves the limelight, often outshining the other dolphins when we are trying to photograph them for ID purposes.
Tall Fin has a very slender and tall fin, with no obvious markings, which is unusual for a dolphin that must be approaching 25 years of age. Over the years, we have seen Tall Fin mating with various females in the bay suggesting some of the calves in Port Phillip may be his. We have also seen him “baby-sitting” calves for extended periods of time.

V-NICK

V-Nick is one of Port Phillip’s first common dolphins, having first been seen in 2005. In fact she is dolphin #1 in our catalogue of over 150 common dolphins. She is easily identifiable by a “V” shaped nick at the top of her dorsal fin and has been seen most years since 2005. She is a champion mother of five, having her first known calf in 2008. Most of her calves we have been able to keep track of and watch grow, and most recently, we have even been able to track V-Nick’s first grand-calf born in early 2023!

POKE

Poke is one of the original common dolphins we discovered in Port Phillip in 2005, or “OGs”, as they are fondly referred to at DRI. Poke, who is at least 25 years of age, is still regularly seen on surveys, often spotted with V-Nick, Tall Fin and Esther.


During the last 20 years, she has been a super-mum, giving birth to seven calves in the Bay! One of Poke’s earlier calves was injured in its first year, possibly by a propeller. The fact that the calf survived is a credit to Poke as a mum and the health of the calf.

VIOLET

Violet is one of Port Phillip’s remarkable common dolphins, and was named after a very special supporter of the Dolphin Research Institute.
Violet was first seen in Port Phillip in 2015 and became a first-time mum in early 2020. Violet spent the next one and a half years raising her young calf in the protected waters of the Bay. More recently, in 2025, Violet was spotted with her second calf!
Whilst we don’t often spot her in Port Phillip, we believe this free spirited dolphin often spends her time out in Bass Strait, likely socialising with hundreds of other common dolphins.