The Project
© Dolphin Zone.
Why do the dolphins need protecting?
Common dolphins have moved northwards over recent years, but we don't know exactly how this will affect them. Here in Devon and Cornwall we see them frequently, and they are more in contact with people than ever before. They seem to enjoy playing with boats, and bow-ride and breach regularly. This makes them vulnerable to injury by propellers and being struck by boats, especially when the boaters aren’t aware of how to act around them. Groups of dolphins can also be disturbed when they are feeding, or can be split up from their families or groups if boats get too close or even drive through them.
They are also bycaught accidentally in fishing gear, which is a major cause of death for the stranded dolphins found. When they are caught in a fishing net, they can't get to the surface to breathe, so they drown. They can't go elsewhere because they are dependent on the same fish stocks as the fishers.
They are affected by climate change as their environment warms up and habitats change. This causes a change in the whole ecosystem. As they are apex predators, they need healthy seas to survive. Sometimes they are called an "indicator species" - this means that if we can see that the dolphins are doing well, then it is likely that the ecosystem is doing well. However, we don't yet know enough about them to find out whether they are doing well, so here at Dolphin Zone we are adding to the knowledge about these dolphins.
We see many newborn dolphins here, and this means that we need to understand how to protect these essential nursery areas. We aren’t sure if they stay in the area where they were born, or if they move around. We don’t know if the same family stay together, like killer whales, if they form alliances like bottlenose dolphins, or if they break into life-stage groups, such as all adults or all mothers and calves.
Some whale and dolphin species around the world are now endangered due to human activities such as overfishing, ocean pollution, and climate change. This includes the Mediterranean population of common dolphins, where they have almost disappeared. Currently, they seem to be doing well in South West England; we would like to understand more about them so that we can keep enjoying their company for years to come.
Dolphin Zone: Who's that Dolphin?
Exploring the social lives of common dolphins
Our mission is to get to know our common dolphins, their families, behaviours, and culture, to protect them and their future generations.
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Aims
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Conserve common dolphins in Devon and Cornwall, and more widely through UK waters, through research, education and engagement.
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Establish whether the dolphins remain in the area most of the time, are transient, or seasonal.
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Find out more about the social structure and family life of the dolphins.
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Identify a range of behaviours and how these are affected by environmental and human factors.
How we will find answers
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Collect information from citizen science about sightings.
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Collect data from wildlife boat operators and conservation organisations.
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Identify distinctive dolphins such as those who have unusual fins or markings, as these are the easiest to track.
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Observe dolphin behaviour from boats, shore and in videos, to understand social interaction, feeding, and reaction to humans.
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Use a drone to observe without disturbance.
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Note environmental conditions, such as time, tide and season.
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Examine data from passive acoustic monitoring pods.
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Compare our research to other research in different places, and with other species.