Hope, 14-year-old dolphin from Adelaide Sanctuary, has died

Another dolphin from the Port River sanctuary has died. It’s the sixth dolphin death in the past year.

Hope, a 14-year-old male dolphin from the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, has died.

Whale and Dolphin Conservation – The Port River Dolphins announced Hope’s death in a Facebook post on Thursday, and said the University of Adelaide Vet school is conducting a post mortem examination to determine his cause of death.

Hope was recovered on Tuesday by ADS rangers, and his death comes after five other young dolphins have died in the Port River pod in the past year.

Dolphins can live up to 60 years, although in captivity most live to around 13 years.

A study by the South Australian Research and Development Institute, released in June, revealed pollution in the Port River made dolphins susceptible to illness that limits their hearing and ability to hold their breath, making them more likely to be struck by boats.

Controversially, six-year-old Hunter was euthanised last October. He had poor vision, a severe bacterial ear infection, infected skin lesions, damaged lungs, an inflamed bleeding stomach and inflamed small intestine. He was emaciated and starving.

His younger brother Squeak, 4, died a month later from “blunt trauma” but also had skin abscesses, had been losing weight and eating an unusual diet.

Dolphin Hope swimming in the Port River at Port Adelaide, SA. Picture: Whale and Dolphin Conservation – The Port River Dolphins

These deaths followed the disturbing disappearances of Doc last June and Twinkle last July, after they became thin and weak.

Both Doc and Twinkle are presumed dead — Doc was last seen on June 27, 2021 and Twinkle on July 7, 2021.

Tallula, a male aged 12, was found dead in a similar condition in August. Tallula’s autopsy also found a fish hook in his stomach, enlarged adrenal glands, depleted white blood cells, toxoplasmosis (a parasite infection commonly found in cats), mouth ulcers and dermatitis.