21/05/2026
KANGAROO ISLAND REEF RESLEINCE PROJECT REPORT - A RAD KI INITIATIVE
This last Kangaroo Island Reef Resilience Project (KIRRP) survey was a very special one indeed.
THE SURVEY
Six wildlife warrior women (and one very patient skipper) headed out from sunrise to sunset on a KIRRP marine wildlife survey stretching from Emu Bay to Snug Cove and back again. The brief was to map the current abundance and behaviour of wildlife across this stretch of coastline whilst also assessing signs of resilience and possible recovery following the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB).
The survey covered approximately 60 nautical miles (110kms), taking in remote beaches, ancient cliff systems and deeper offshore waters beyond 50m in depth where life still seems to accumulate in remarkable abundance. By surveying such varied habitat in a single day, KIRRP is able to build a much clearer snapshot of what is happening across our section of the Great Southern Reef and how - or if - the system is recovering post bloom.
Before departure, volunteers were briefed, fitted with lifejackets and assigned their monitoring roles. Each pair was allocated a taxa (animal group/species category) and given data sheets refined by the RAD KI team over the past five years specifically for KIRRP surveys and BDBSA data submission.
One final weather check and off we set.
From the moment the survey began the girls were fully on task - scanning offshore for bird activity, searching cliff faces for coastal raptors and documenting everything encountered along the way. It was a VERY chilly 7-15 degree day, but well worth it, with the sun eventually rewarding our wildlife warriors with a brief appearance on the journey home.
RAPTORS
Mia - our RAD KI Marine Biology intern from James Cook University - was in charge of coastal raptor monitoring and once again the birds did not disappoint. Across the day we recorded 15 white-bellied sea eagles and two separate eastern osprey sightings, including a dramatic territorial dispute involving four white-bellied sea eagles joined by several wedge-tailed eagles who never miss the opportunity for a good aerial battle (due to sheer abundance, KIRRP generally only records this species when interactions with coastal raptors are observed).
DOLPHINS
Brooke - a Kangaroo Island Wildlife Network volunteer and second-time KIRRP surveyor - monitored dolphins alongside Mackenzie from Sea Dragon Lodge. Although encounters were fewer than expected, we still recorded five wonderful interactions involving well over 100 dolphins across the day.
One of the fascinating aspects of KIRRP dolphin monitoring is that we regularly encounter three very different dolphin species within the same survey area - resident Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins alongside pelagic ocean-travelling species that appear to move into Kangaroo Island waters when food availability is high.
We were lucky enough to encounter all three species during this survey, including two tiny newborn calves travelling strongly within one pod. This was especially significant following our recent response to a deceased newborn dolphin calf recovered from Stokes Bay beach, most likely from the same pod.
PINNIPEDS
Pinniped monitoring was handed over to Simone from Roo Lagoon, who required very little direction once the sea lions and fur seals began appearing. Across multiple haul-out sites we recorded 12 separate pinniped sightings involving close to 100 individuals.
We also witnessed something rather extraordinary - over 100 pelagic common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) co-feeding amongst a large raft of Australian sea lions in 36.7m of water, kilometres from the coast. Although we have documented this joined bottom-feeding behaviour on a handful of occasions previously, post bloom these large mixed-species feeding events appear to be becoming far more regular.
All pinniped observations during KIRRP surveys are now also carefully assessed for any visible signs potentially linked to H5N1 avian influenza or longer-term impacts associated with brevetoxin accumulation following the bloom event.
PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
Our final volunteer of the day was Yulia - board member of the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Network and passionate wildlife photographer both above and below the water. Once we saw the size and calibre of Yulia’s camera lens, it became immediately obvious what her role for the day would involve.
Documenting what we encountered photographically.
And Yulia did this beautifully, with me, Ro, occasionally attempting to assist in the background.
Sadly, conditions were ultimately not considered suitable for in-water surveys. As always, safety comes first during KIRRP operations and with cold temperatures, overcast skies and extremely remote coastlines, the decision was made not to enter the water during this particular survey.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
Now the real work behind the scenes begins.
Once back on land, thousands of photographs must be sorted, catalogued and matched against field observations before the data is verified and transferred into spreadsheets. Importantly, KIRRP data feeds directly into the Biological Database of South Australia (BDBSA), contributing to long-term scientific records used by researchers, government agencies and environmental managers across the state.
KIRRP has also now established its own KI Reef Resilience Project iNaturalist page where photographic observations, coordinates and species records can be uploaded and verified as research-grade observations accessible to the wider scientific community.
Ultimately, our aim has always been simple - to ensure as much of this information as possible reaches the people and systems where it can genuinely contribute to understanding resilience and recovery across our section of the Great Southern Reef.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
This particular KIRRP survey was made possible largely through the incredibly generous ongoing support of our dear friend and local islander Sharon Maree Cole.
Sharon cared for many members of the community - including members of my own family - during their final hours of life and her daily sunrise photos and affirmations have brought comfort to so many of us over the years.
As Sharon has always said:“If you live on Kangaroo Island, you are already better off than 99% of the world’s population.”
After a long freezing day surrounded by dolphins, sea eagles, sea lions and some of the most spectacular coastline on earth, it was hard not to feel exactly that.
Thanks again Sharon.
GET INVOLVED
Although formal KIRRP surveying will now slow over the winter months due to generally difficult on-water conditions, we are still very happy to take expressions of interest from anyone wishing to volunteer on future surveys or assist with data processing behind the scenes.
If you would like to learn more about the work KIRRP is doing - or perhaps even contribute directly to monitoring the resilience and recovery of our section of the Great Southern Reef - keep an eye on our socials and future volunteer opportunities.
Cheers,
The Kangaroo Island Reef Resilience Project (KIRRP) A RAD KI initiative
If you would like to donate, please click on the link below : https://square.link/u/qrxWwlfv
@topfansAuthentic Kangaroo IslandNational Parks and Wildlife Service South AustraliaGreat Southern Reef FoundationThe Wilderness SocietyThe IslanderABC AdelaideBirding Kangaroo IslandBirdLife Australia Raptor GroupEcotourism Australia
