Kangaroo Island/Victor Harbor Dolphin Watch is a volunteer-led community project that has been gathering data on the movements, behaviours, and habitat preferences of dolphins in the waters around Kangaroo Island since 2005 and in Victor Harbor since 2011.
The project's data collection efforts involve Citizen Scientists using world-class photographic identification techniques to identify individual dolphins by distinctive dorsal fins and body markings, providing vital data for study of international significance.
The project began as a program for senior students and has since evolved into a community project that sees Citizen Science volunteers of all ages actively involved in data collection, analysis, collation, and cataloging. It has multi-entry levels so that anyone interested can take part, and its value to the global community and worldwide conservation effort is widely recognised.
The project's significance extends beyond providing insights into the conservation and protection of dolphins as a keystone species. It also offers enormous benefits to members of the community at large, providing opportunities to enhance mental health and wellbeing and fostering positive, meaningful social connections and interactions.
Dolphin Watch is solely organised, managed, and operated by volunteers and survives on sponsorship and donations, making any support given a game changer for the organisation, enabling it to continue to monitor and gather data regarding the movements of dolphins in the regional waters.
SeaLink has been supporting KI/VH Dolphin Watch for over 13 years and has assisted the project to go from strength to strength in the region, spreading its conservation message to the world. The sponsorship has facilitated the travel of Dolphin Watch to regularly coordinate Victor Harbor operations, and attend conferences, workshops, and presentations to spread the conservation message and advocate for marine fauna protection.
The project's ambitions for the future include increasing dolphin protection by establishing their home range and preferred habitats and publishing data in scientific journals and publications. The current focus is on non-seasonal breeding and further connectivity investigations, with higher levels of protection than currently exist being an imperative.
Kangaroo Island/Victor Harbor Dolphin Watch is an exceptional example of a citizen-led research project that not only contributes to scientific knowledge but also fosters community wellbeing and resilience, thanks to its founders Tony and Phyll Bartram. Its ongoing success is due to their dedication, plus Victor Harbor Manager Nedra Haines, mentors and sponsors, the volunteers and the unwavering support of local community, enabling the project to make a significant contribution on the research of dolphins in local waters and beyond.
