Understand, discover, explore, conserve.
The Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphin Research Project
In 2003, SAMPLA scientists watched as a pod of around 20 Indian ocean bottlenose dolphins circled our research vessel for half an hour. What was so unique was that at the time we were attracting great white sharks with chum, and had five great whites circling our boat. This remarkable encounter represented the birth of SAMPLA’s Bottlenose Dolphin Research Project.
Inter specific interactions between White sharks and Bottlenose Dolphins
White sharks have traditionally being identified as predators of dolphins, including the bottlenose.
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Photo identification of Bottlenose Dolphins
We use dorsal fin photography to identify individual dolphins by their scars and notches. Using this method, we have been able to monitor the presence of individual dolphins in Mossel Bay since 2001.