Located in the southwest of Western Australia just two hours’ drive south of Perth in Bunbury, is a place where you can swim with wild dolphins! Here in Koombana Bay, the staff and volunteers are dedicated to providing an ecotourism experience with a focus on research, conservation and education.
It’s been a fabulous start for 2020 for the Dolphin family in Koombana Bay with resident female dolphins Calypso and Koomba both giving birth this week! Bottlenose dolphins are mammals and nurse their young with milk from the mammary glands. They are very social animals and the duty of raising the calves is shared, when one dolphin usually helps the mother to take care of the calf, very much like a midwife.
Dolphin calves are playful and inquisitive, it is always a delight to see them frolicking in the shallows and you can experience this watching from a boat or even swimming in the water with them in Koombana Bay on one of our tours.
Within their groups, bottlenose dolphins like to play. They surf on waves near shore and ride waves caused by boats and big whales. They have also been documented creating bubble rings with their blowholes, spinning them with their beaks, and then breaking them apart by biting them. The technique of creating bubble rings is a learned behaviour; dolphins watch others create them and then try to mimic the behaviour.
Bottlenose dolphins inhabit the temperate and tropical oceans around the world. Australian populations can be found all around the coastline entering into bays, estuaries, and river mouths and also offshore in the open ocean. They generally swim in groups (called pods) of 10-25. Offshore, they have been seen in larger groups of several hundred. These large groups are called herds.
These amazing animals measure around 2-4 m (6-12 ft.) long and weigh 135-650 kg (300 – 1400 lbs.). Males are significantly larger than females. They can swim at speeds up to 35 km/h (22 mph) and dive as deep as 915 m (3000 ft.). These highly intelligent marine mammals use echolocation when hunting for fish, squid, and crustaceans. They consume 8-15 kg (15-30 lbs.) food per day. Although they sometimes hunt independently, they also cooperate in groups to capture prey.
With so many dolphins living along the coast, Bunbury and Koombana Bay (just a 2-hour drive from Perth or 1-hour from Margaret River, in south Western Australia) offer the perfect opportunity for dolphins and humans to meet and interact. Our Dolphin Swim Tours and Eco Cruises provide amazing experiences for people wanting to see these beautiful intelligent animals up close and personal.
Visit the Dolphin page on our website to find out more about our tours or make a secure booking live online. If you want to know more, call 0456 407 547 or email our friendly staff at Aussie Marine Adventures.
