Dolphins’ sweet gesture for volunteers

How the iconic dolphin pod showed they were missing human interaction during the coronavirus restrictions.

Dolphin carrying 'gift' on its nose

Tin Can Bay's famous dolphins are missing their daily visitors and have been bringing barnacle-encrusted "gifts" ashore for volunteer feeders.

Barnacles Cafe and Dolphin Feeding co-owner Jenny Dunstan said the dolphins have always brought objects ashore, but the amount had increased.

SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGE DISCUSS USE WITH YOUR EDITOR - Hundreds of people used to visit the public dolphin feedings before coronavirus restrictions were put in place

The cafe and public dolphin feedings had been closed since late March, and Mrs Dunstan said the dolphins were missing it.

"We can get up to 100 (visitors) and then were cut back to nothing, and the dolphins are missing the human interaction," she said.

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"They bring empty beer bottles, pieces of timber, old fashioned milk bottles that go back years, sponges, anything they can find. It's like they're cleaning up the creek, so to speak."

Barnacle-encrusted items the dolphins bring to shore for the volunteers

Mrs Dunstan said the dolphins had still been coming so volunteers had been feeding them during the restrictions.

"There's a pod of about six, and there's two babies in it."

The cafe was able to reopen from last Saturday for 10 diners at a time, and Mrs Dunstan said public feedings were back on each day at 8am with social distancing being maintained.

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