Dolphin Encountours Research Center

12/11/2026

Dolphin Diary 10 November 2026 - This morning we were greeted by some large surf, making it somewhat tricky on backline. As we launched, bottlenose dolphins were spotted surfing and it was not long before we found ourselves in the company of a small nursery pod that included mum Sheshy and her son who is going on three.

Her firstborn Shira - as sociable as mum was amongst the pod and was keen for a bout of conscious interaction and circle swimming. Visibility has dropped off however our finned friends were very accommodating and stayed for a while before heading off south. They were super whistley today too!

Thank you for joining us today!

12/11/2026

11/11/2026

We recently welcomed Leila, a volunteer from Switzerland 🇨🇭 who recently completed her Master's degree in Biology, specialising in Conservation and Biodiversity.

"This leaves me with one question: How much can we truly understand about an animal's history and behaviour through observation alone, without interfering with its natural environment? This is both one of the most interesting aspects and one of the greatest challenges of studying and conserving wild dolphins."

📚 Read Leila's full blogpost where she speaks about how watching wild dolphins from a distance lets researchers tell them apart using their scars and fins, while reminding people to give the animals space and never force them to interact.

In the Field - What the Dolphins Have & Haven’t Taught Me...

07/11/2026

Dolphin Diary | 31 October 2026 - As we launched this morning, a small pod of 7 young indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins was spotted heading south, slightly offshore. Slipping in, the pod was moving fast. Females Zapha, the oldest of the group, slowed for a bout of conscious interaction while the youngsters passed through.

Ray Reef lived up to her name today with multiple, various species of rays spotted as well as a small reef shark!

Thank you to our bums on board today!

06/11/2026

Dolphin Diary | 30 October 2026 - Two pods of dolphins were spotted this morning.

First up sub-adults surfing into the bay heading north, and then a nursery pod heading south. Slipping in, we were soon joined by some sociable souls including mature females SheShy and Danny - both with swelling bellies.

Shira, now ±7 and SheShy’s firstborn was in the mix too and like mum, stayed for some circle swimming and conscious interaction. Billy and his pesky remora popped in towards the end too.

Thank you for joining us today!

06/11/2026

We had one sighting of a SRW this season. A single adult heading north….

🐋 The journey south: a new chapter for southern right whale mothers and calves

By late October and early November, our sheltered coastal bays begin to quieten. The winter calving and mating season is drawing to a close, and southern right whale mothers and their young are preparing for their long journey south. 🌊

But this migration is more than a change of scenery. It is an extraordinary energetic challenge.

🐋 Mothers running on reserves

Southern right whales are capital breeders: mothers rely largely on energy stored in their blubber to sustain themselves and produce milk throughout the nursing season. By the end of this period, they can have lost a substantial proportion of their body reserves.

🌊 A demanding journey for calves

For calves only a few months old, the journey to their summer feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean means:

Endurance: keeping pace over thousands of kilometres of open ocean.
Survival: navigating unfamiliar offshore waters and potential predators.
Learning: developing the movement patterns and navigational skills they will need in future migrations.

❄️ Why does this matter?

The success of this journey depends on what happens next. Mothers need to reach productive feeding grounds to rebuild their energy reserves and prepare for future reproduction. Changes in ocean conditions and prey availability can affect how quickly they recover and when they are ready to calve again.

That is why our long-term monitoring of southern right whales is so important. By tracking population trends, calf production and body condition, we can better understand how these whales are responding to a changing Southern Ocean.

The journey south is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of the next chapter in the lives of these whales. 💙

University of Pretoria Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria

03/11/2026

Spend your summer where the Indian Ocean meets the shore!

We’ve officially opened bookings for our Mozambique Summer Dolphin Experiences in Ponta do Ouro, running from December right through March.

As the original operator in the area since 1996, we specialise in ethical, non-invasive marine encounters and always allow the dolphins to come to us on their terms.

Email or WhatsApp us to get more info, or simply book your next summer holiday!

📧 [email protected]
📞 +258 84 330 3859

03/11/2026

Dolphin Dairy 29 October 2026 - It’s not often you get to have a close bout of conscious interaction with a singleton. Today however was one of those days.

Up the coast we observed one bottlenose dolphin jumping and smashing the waters surface. ‘Remora jump’ spilled off both Mitch’s and my lips and it was not long after that, that we realized it was Billy, but where was Bob?

Billy was ace out and clearly not impressed with his new hitchhiker and spent the first few minutes bolting around, heading down to the sand for a rub and then back again. He did slow for a visit with his observers before heading off south - possibly to go catch up with Bob!

Thank you to all our bums on board today.

03/11/2026

Dolphin Dairy 24 October 2026 - It was calm, it was clean, it was quiet; but today, our finned friends had other plans. Not a sociable soul between the 5 different sightings.

Each approach resulted in long-dives and mostly avoidance, except for a small adult male pod that included Carly and Chappy - who offered up a brief passthrough.

There will be days like this when the resident dolphins simply just don't have time to stop and visit. There may be a predator around or they simply may just be over humans - either way, we are there to observe and take note of the days they don't want to engage too.

Thank you for joining us!

28/10/2026

Dolphin Dairy 22 October 2026 - This morning we headed out with volunteers, crew and Lwandi Lady Agi! Two pods of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins were observed, one of which was a mixed pod that included Rob, Tik and Dylan.

The old, speckled males passed closely by, offering up a view of Rob with some new rake marks. A spritely young female, also sporting scars slowed for some close circle swimming, offering up a great opportunity to to capture her healed up shark scar! A quick archive search found an image of her dating back to July 2023 when the injury was still freshish!

Adot was also spotted amongst the fins, she had a teeny little newborn with her. Welcome little one, may you grow up to be big and strong, in a calm and safe environment.