1 September 2026

Dear Friend

This uplifting image of two playful common dolphins was taken during a recent Port Phillip survey, when our team saw so many dolphins that they lost count!   

As I started to write this, Ella excitedly confirmed that, after lots of detective work, she can ID the smaller dolphin on the left as Criss-cross's fifth calf. We suspect the gymnastic dolphin is Criss-cross (more below)...   

Today we focus on teams. Our common dolphins work in teams to herd huge bait balls of fish during cooperative feeding. Our teams of 'i sea, i care' Ambassadors do incredible work in their school communities. Our research and education team collaborates to provide the best possible science and education programs (more below)...      

Last week's report confirming the first dolphin death linked to bird flu in South Australia was a terrible sign of how far and how fast bird flu is spreading. 

This is the equivalent of COVID, but without the ability to close flyways or mount successful immunisation programs.   

We know from experience on other continents that there is little we can do in the short term to stop the huge impacts that will affect species across Australia. 

What we can do, however, is build our understanding of what's happening to species now and focus on improving the resilience of species and the ecosystems they depend on.  

We provide an update below based on a government briefing note sent to us on 31 August. We will maintain a "living" post on our website as new information becomes available.   

Port of Hastings Open Day to celebrate 60 Years. DRI will have a stand to run community education programs. You can actually get up close with tug boats! Saturday 12 September, 10.00 - 2.00, at 1 Stony Point Rd, Crib Point. 

In the months ahead, we will share some exciting news about our new inflatable whale and also more about our plans for the decade ahead.  

From ABC Online: link HERE

H5N1 Avian Influenza in our  backyard

News late last week of the first Avian Flu-linked death of a common dolphin in South Australia follows the death of two fur seals, also in South Australia, and is very concerning.   

The Victorian government's 31 August H5 bird flu update reports that the virus is now confirmed in wild birds along much of Victoria's coastline and some inland locations.

The extent of the spread means that, in general, only new outbreaks will be investigated and dead wildlife in the open environment should be left to decompose naturally. At first, this sounds odd, but it is unrealistic to do otherwise. In built-up areas, they recommend using gloves and a face mask when picking up the bird, double-bagging and disposing of it with normal garbage.     

With Avian Influenza here, you may encounter sick or dead wildlife infected with the virus, especially along the coast.

It's natural to feel upset and helpless when you witness one, or even many, affected animals, but you can do something to help. Every observation will add crucial knowledge about this outbreak. 

In all cases, it is recommended that you AVOID close contact, RECORD what and where, and REPORT all observations, especially with photos to enable validation, to help understand the movement and persistence of the disease.   

If an animal is alive and clearly suffering, call: 1800 675 888.

The following link takes you to the Victorian Government portal, which also provides links for the latest updates and an online form to report sick or injured wildlife, including the location, and to upload photos.

We will maintain a "living" post on our website with updates as we learn more.

Our current post provides some overall context and more depth on the science. 

• The overwhelming message is that:
  • Susceptibility is certainly due to species encountering this virus for the first time. However, susceptibility does not occur in a vacuum; it also relates to ecosystem health and to stressors on animals such as low prey abundance, toxic algal blooms and other manifestations of climate change that influence species' immune systems.  
  • Seals are at greater risk than dolphins because their colonies overlap with bird rookeries, creating crowded, stressful conditions that are ideal for the virus to spread. 

Sadly, lessons from other continents suggest the impact of H5 bird flu will worsen significantly. The best thing we can all do is to AVOID, RECORD and REPORT.

We will maintain our long-term monitoring to detect change in our resident dolphins and keep you informed. 

Good News: Too many to count! 

On a recent Port Phillip survey, our team had a major problem - there were too many to count, with more than 80 dolphins estimated across multiple groups (like the one above) spread from Mt Martha to Frankston! 

Meet our team on the day: (L-R) David Donnelly (Research Officer), Ella Dunn (Current Williamson Research Fellow, Georgie Puschner (Education and Research) and Ella Hutchinson (Past Williamson Research Fellow and now volunteer).   

This was a particularly valuable research day, as these large aggregations normally happen much, much earlier in the year. It meant that we were able to record many of the regular dolphins and add to our understanding of calf survival, as with Criss-cross and her fifth calf, below.    

Introducing Criss-cross

• Criss-cross was first sighted in 2010 and is number 35 in our Port Phillip Common Dolphin Catalogue. 
• She has been seen every year since, except in 2018 and 2019, making her one of our most regularly sighted dolphins. 
• She is named for the distinct criss-cross shaped scarring along the front edge of her dorsal fin. 
• She is pictured above with her fifth calf, who was first spotted as a newborn at Criss-cross's side on the 10th of October last year. 
• Since then, Criss-cross and her calf have been seen in January, February, and August of this year.

Ella now has a huge piece of detective work to go through more than 1,000 fin-ID images to identify the individuals on that very busy day. Who knows, she might find some dolphins we have never seen before! 

Our team is pondering why this year's build-up in numbers is so late, and we are looking for other signs in the Port Phillip ecosystem that could provide clues. 

We will keep you informed.   

Teams for Education too! 

We currently have about 90 teams of 'i sea, i care' Ambassadors, like the smiling beach-cleaning team from Moorooduc Primary (above).    

Our active Research and Education Team provides flexibility and ensures that new knowledge is available across all our programs.

Georgie (above) is sharing her love for marine life with an Ambassador. Georgie also works on our Two Bays Whale Project, helping to analyse all our whale sightings submitted through PodWatch on DRI's website.  

I want to give a special mention to Jacqui Younger, who is well-known to our Ambassadors and schools but is always behind the camera. It was hard to find, but here is an image of her in her element!  

Jacqui has formal training in marine science and education, and works very closely with Ellie to help drive our programs. Now that Ellie is on extended leave, Jacqui is working with Maddy and Georgie to ensure our children receive quality experiences. 

We are lucky to have such a committed and talented team! Thank you all. 

Please remember that our education calendar is filling up for term 4, so contact our educators to ensure your children can benefit from our programs.  

Publications 

Discover Port Phillip: Water & Wildlife Stories is a five-part ebook series

The Key Programs You Help to Support

Also, thank you to ConocoPhillips, Aplitude Energy, JIW Foundation.

All images of dolphins and whales are taken under the authority of a scientific research permit issued by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.