Up to four new dolphin calves in Port River

After two years of heartbreak, it’s baby joy in the Port River with up to four new calves boosting the numbers of the threatened pod.

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After nearly two years of heartbreaking losses in the Port River, including all new-born dolphins dying this season, new dolphin calf sightings have offered a ray of hope for the threatened pod.

Dolphin watchers were overjoyed to discover two new babies in the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary over the weekend.

Dolphin Jade was seen with a young calf – named Opal – and another baby was seen swimming with a pod at Outer Harbor on the weekend.

New calf Opal seen in the Port River with mum Jade on the weekend. Picture: Jenni Wyrsta

Whale and Dolphin Conservation volunteer Sharon Sharp was the first to see the new babies.

She said there could be as many four new calves swimming in the sanctuary.

However, because their mothers only visit the sanctuary occasionally, and some do not have any distinguishing marks, it is difficult to identify them.

“We saw these young calves in various places on Saturday (including) at Outer Harbor and out in the gulf just beyond the Barker Inlet,” she said.

A new calf spotted at Outer Harbor. Picture: Sharon Sharp

The arrival of new calves offers fresh hope for dolphin watchers, who have endured a series of devastating losses in the Port River.

Over the past two years, 11 out of 13 calves born have died – including all four born this season. Two adults have also died.

Adelaide dolphin expert Dr Mike Bossley said he was hopeful these new babies would survive but noted they were seen in areas that will still have no speed limit even after the State Government’s new laws come into effect on April 29.

On that date, the existing unlimited speed zones in the dolphin sanctuary will drop to seven knots in key areas, excluding a channel through the Barker Inlet and a strip in front of the Adelaide Speedboat Club.

The Portside Messenger campaigned hard for the reforms for more than a year spurred by calves’ deaths.

A report by the SA Museum showed that of the 35 dead dolphins recovered from the sanctuary in the past 13 years, 17 died from blunt trauma – which experts believe was probably caused by boat strikes.