Bunbury’s Dolphin Discovery Centre announces four new fins spotted in Koombana Bay

Some of the South West’s most famous families has become a little bit bigger.

There are four new fins in Koombana Bay this month, with the Dolphin Discovery Centre breaking the news that of recently born dolphin calves.

They have been seen throughout March, being shepherded by their mothers.

Local dolphins Iona and Isis are mothers to two of the new babies in the area but it is Scout and Suru who surprised staff at the DCC the most.

Scout is still looking after her last calf Ambush, who is two years old,and now has to compete with her baby sibling.

DDC communications manager Axel Grossmann said dolphins normally looked after their calves for three to four years before they wean and fall pregnant again.

The other mother who shocked the staff was Suru, who has given birth for the first time this year.

Mr Grossmann described Suru as a dolphin who loves calves, who would look after calves for other mums.

“She got into the point where she became a woman and naturally wanted to look after other calves,” he said.

Mr Grossmann said these four new babies in Koombana Bay were known, because the Bunbury dolphins were known to travel at least 25km — from Binningup down to Peppermint Grove Beach — and there could be more.

He had heard reports from locals near Peppermint Grove who had seen new babies.

With calf season in full swing, Mr Grossmann wanted to stress the importance of the responsibility and empathy which should be shown to marine life.

He said there were laws and rules on boating near dolphins. People should stay at least 100m away when in a boat and not approach them.

“In our area, that is very small, with a lot of dolphins and a lot of people, that is sometimes just not possible,” he said.

“Imagine you are driving through a school zone — you should slow down and keep your eyes even more open, because there’s kids around.”

He said its important to understand the ocean is their home and if they approach you, you should sit back, relax and enjoy the moment.

The intrigue of new calves has already seen an increase in visitors to the DDC, which with the current financial instability of the centre is very welcome.

Mr Grossmann said the work the DDC was important to continue to conserve the environment, educate the public and research the Bunbury dolphin population.

“Research is the baseline for everything, because if we don’t know what they are doing, it is much more difficult to protect them and protect their environment,” he said.

“We can help people understand what these dolphins need and how we can respect them so we can continue to share the same environment with them.”