Boaties urged to be careful around three new Port River baby dolphins

CONSERVATIONISTS are pleading with boat owners to take extreme care around three new dolphin calves in the Port River, which have been caught playing around in a very cute video.

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CONSERVATIONISTS are pleading with boat owners to take extreme care in the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary with the birth of three new calves last month.

Environmentalists fear for the safety of the three new babies, two of which have been born to resident dolphins Sophie and Oriana.

Oriana’s calf has been named CK.

Adelaide dolphin expert Mike Bossley said authorities needed to crack down on speeding drivers within the sanctuary, particularly given the new calves.

Oriana and new baby CK in the Port River. Picture: Sharon Sharp

“If they are doing the speed limit, they (dolphins) would be OK,” he said.

“The trouble is there are places that have got a speed limit of 10 knots (20km/h) that people just ignore and go flat out and there are plenty of places where there is no speed limit — that’s why there needs to be a review.”

Conservationists and kayakers say there has been an increase in hooning behaviour in the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary since the State Government removed in-water speed limit signs during an upgrade.

A sign explaining speed limits around Port Adelaide. Picture: AAP/Keryn Stevens

Regular kayaker Bob Newlands is pushing for the signs, which used to be on the old wooden channel markers, to be reinstalled.

Last year, the State Government replaced them with new plastic channel markers and instead of putting signs back on the markers installed a “very complicated sign” at the Angas Inlet boat ramp.

Mr Newlands said the sign was “interpreted as meaning the speed limit in Angas Inlet and Barker Inlet is unlimited outside the narrow boating channel”.

“A direct consequence of removing these signs is an increase in speeding boats in areas where they used to go slower,” Mr Newlands said.

He said it was “a sanctuary in name only” due to the presence of speed boats which should be restricted in certain areas.

“Imagine if you were walking through Cleland (Wildlife Park) and trail bikes were allowed?” he said.

Adventure Kayak SA owner Phil Dodderidge said there had definitely been an increase in speeding in the area since there were no longer signs in the water which put not only the dolphins but also his clients in kayaks at risk.

Kayaker Bob Newlands with a confusing speed limit sign at the Angus Inlet boat ramp on Garden Island. Picture: AAP/Keryn Stevens

“It made it very clear what the speed limits were because it is confusing for some people,” Mr Dodderidge said.

“There’s no more protections for the dolphins now than before it was declared a sanctuary in fact there is less now without the signs.”

Dolphin conservationist Sharon Sharp wrote to the Transport Department in January to try and get the signs put back up and said she was told they were unnecessary.

A Transport Department spokeswoman said it had reinstated signs in Angus Inlet and would install two new signs in Barker Inlet by the end of May.