The dolphins of Monkey Mia are famous for their almost daily ritual of swimming to shore to interact with humans. As the bottlenose are wild, numbers and the exact time of their visit varies, however the dolphins usually visit the shore up to three times a day and more frequently in the mornings.
Seven dolphins regularly visit the beach, including Nicky aged 24, Puck aged 23, Surprise aged 22, and Piccolo aged seven. Up to 20 other dolphins visit occasionally and may be sighted only three or four times a year, while others are seen many times. These occasional visitors stay offshore, preferring to keep a safe distance from human contact. It may take up to several years before they gain enough confidence to venture closer to shore.
The dolphins are very well looked after, as they are protected by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), who employ the rangers to feed the dolphins and manage the crowds of tourists. When there are large crowds in the water, the dolphins tend to swim up and down the shoreline, just out of arms reach of the people, coming in only to accept fish then move off quickly. The public are asked constantly, to watch for signs of stress and obey the rangers instructions at all times. You can get a better interaction from the dolphins, by not attempting to touch them at all.
Visitors shouldn't expect to feed the dolphins when visiting Monkey Mia as we are very privileged just to see them. To enable this unique phenomenon to continue, some rules and regulations are necessary.
The dolphins may be fed only "fresh fish" provided by the rangers and under ranger's supervision.
The Dolphin Information Centre operates in a fragile and unique situation, which occurs nowhere else in the world. Since the centre has been functioning, they have been able to observe and study the dolphins, ie. How they behave and how they are affected by humans and vice versa.
There are usually three rangers on duty at any one time. Their job is to care for the visitor centre as well as ensuring the dolphins are approached in the correct manner. The centre also shows educational videos on the dolphins that are of great interest to the visitor. Souvenirs and postcards are on sale also. Proceeds of which support the Monkey Mia appeal trust.
The ranger on duty will advise the feeding times and may hand out fish to selected people to feed to the dolphins.
Please note that the breeding season for dolphins is December through to early February.
