Dolphins are dying at Monkey Mia
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381745)
Rockingham, Australia
March 2, 2022 7:21am CST
MyLotter John Evans (@58lordstreet) put up a photo of Monkey Mia beach on a recent post of mine. Monkey Mia is on Western Australia’s west coast, about 900 kms north of Perth. It is part of the Shark Bay Marine Park and World Heritage site, and a very popular tourist attraction as for years typically five to seven wild dolphins have been coming into the shallows to be handfed.
In the 1980s, when dolphins first started coming to be fed, dependence on handouts and neglect of calves was resulting in a high calf mortality rate. Scientific studies and research resulted in changes being made and the survival rate increased dramatically.
The interaction with the dolphins is carefully monitored and they are fed only 10% of their daily requirements so that they don’t become dependent on handouts. However, since 2018, more than half of the dolphins have died. At the moment, only two dolphins are coming in to be fed.
Calf mortality in the Shark Bay area is high. There is a large tiger shark population in the summer months which coincides with the dolphin breeding season. Scientists who have been studying dolphins both here and at the Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre are divided in their opinion as to whether limited handfeeding is detrimental to the animals or not. Whatever the reason for the deaths, it is a great shame.
Here is a link to the news article: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-11/monkey-mia-dolphin-deaths/100641468
I don’t have a photo of a dolphin but here is a watery photo with some nice reflections.
20 people like this
21 responses
@58lordstreet (1668)
•
2 Mar 22
what a shame , there seem to be quite a few where I am now but have never actually been out on the sea here so havent seen any yet
5 people like this
@58lordstreet (1668)
•
2 Mar 22
we were not allowed in the water becaus ethey had babies with them
3 people like this
@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 22
@58lordstreet There were photos in the article showing a couple with great chunks taken out of them by sharks.
@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 22
@58lordstreet I meant that a couple of dolphins had great chunks out of them but we do have a lot of human deaths due to sharks too.
@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 22
As John says, I very much doubt it. @Janet357 @58lordstreet Evans is also an Irish surname and my husband's ancestors are from Ireland. Also as John says, t's a very common surname too. I should have stuck with my maiden name, Candy. That's not quite so common. 
1 person likes this
@58lordstreet (1668)
•
2 Mar 22
@58lordstreet its a very common name in the uk, Wales in particular .When I sign up for anything all versions of my name are already gone
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
2 Mar 22
That is a shame..When I went on a whale watching cruise a few years ago, I saw no whales but some smaller dolphins or porpoises that swam beside the boat. That was fun.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 22
Dolphins seem to like to accompany boats. Maybe they're curious.
@rebelann (117196)
• El Paso, Texas
3 Mar 22
You're right.
Now in the US many of our hummingbirds are slowly dying because people put red dye in the sugar water they give them .... all anyone needs to do is grow trumpet vines or other flowers for them to get the food they need and only give them plain water.
In the news this morning they stated that the bird population in the US is down by over 30%, I just hope they're wrong but I wouldn't be surprised if it's true 
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 22
Originally there were a lot more dolphins (and heaps of people) but some got a bit aggressive if the fish weren't forthcoming, etc, (that's the dolphins, not the people 
) so they brought in the authorities to bring some sort of order. (And then the people got aggressive because not all got to feed the dolphins. ) Dolphins are fed at Bunbury too but the data there is showing it's not helping them sustain their numbers.
) so they brought in the authorities to bring some sort of order. (And then the people got aggressive because not all got to feed the dolphins. ) Dolphins are fed at Bunbury too but the data there is showing it's not helping them sustain their numbers.@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 22
@58lordstreet They can come into surprisingly shallow water.
1 person likes this
@58lordstreet (1668)
•
2 Mar 22
my partner got frighten by a shark there , Im sure it was either a very baby one or actually a fish ....it was in water that was only about two feet deep
1 person likes this
@58lordstreet (1668)
•
2 Mar 22
I read that koalas are on the endangered list now as well
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 22
The horrific wildfires didn't the koala numbers any favours. There are probably a lot of Australians who haven't seen koalas. That doesn't surprise me really although they're in most zoos and wildlife parks.
@58lordstreet (1668)
•
3 Mar 22
@JudyEv I went in the oppsite direction to everyone again lol on a path near the ocean road and there was a koala sat in a tree at shoulder level to me ;-) also managed to spot an echindna , not even seen one of them in the zoo
1 person likes this
@58lordstreet (1668)
•
2 Mar 22
I did see some in the wild but some australian friends said they had never seen one
@rsa101 (40946)
• Philippines
3 Mar 22
That is sad that ecotourism also has a bad effect on them. I think we have a similar situation here when they opened for tourists the routes of the whale shark, they were somehow become traumatized by hordes of tourists taking pictures and touching them. They some limited the whale sharks' interaction nowadays and just watch them from afar.
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (49753)
• India
2 Mar 22
There are some aspects of Animal conservation which are difficult to manage.
However, the authorities could perhaps adapt some innovative means to rectify the current situation.
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (49753)
• India
3 Mar 22
@JudyEv
Yes but with so much environment and animal life already disturbed, human action is now needed at a faster pace to try and restore some balance.
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Mar 22
@JudyEv It affects their diet, migration patterns, and like you said they get dependent on it. Many of the well fed birds out here are a little to round if you know what mean . . . that can't be too good. I imagine it's doing the same type of things to the dolphins.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91013)
• United States
2 Mar 22
That is such a shame to hear about this.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91013)
• United States
3 Mar 22
@JudyEv I can imagine being able to see dolphins up close would be appealing and certainly a tourist attraction, The only dolphins I ever saw up close was at Sea World in Florida. They were amazing
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Mar 22
@Marilynda1225 They would let a limited number of people wade into the water and the dolphins would approach the people. I'm not sure if the people or the wardens fed them the fish.
@aninditasen (18198)
• Raurkela, India
3 Mar 22
The water looks crystal blue. Hope the dolphins learnt to feed themselves and their population increased.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
2 Mar 22
I wonder if the reduction in the population is part of a natural cycle or something more ominous.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Mar 22
@SophiaMorros They say the sharks are always there and dolphins go there to calve as the water is warmer. I don't know if the sharks are doing more damage or if it is just that people can see the damage in the tamer dolphins. I guess there is a lot that's not really known.
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
3 Mar 22
@JudyEv Which begs the question: Why are there more sharks? Or why does it seem that the sharks are doing more damage to the dolphin population than they have in the past.
Yes, I do tend to over-think things.
1 person likes this
@58lordstreet (1668)
•
4 Mar 22
I remember Rockingham now , the camera broke there so no pictures, got it fixed in bunbury where there were loads of flies lol
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91299)
• United States
2 Mar 22
Oh dear the poor dolphins and such beautiful creatures also.
Thanks for the link Judy.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 22
It is indeed. They had footage of dolphins with great hunks taken out of them by sharks.
@LindaOHio (222222)
• United States
3 Mar 22
This is so, so sad. I hope they figure out what is going on.
1 person likes this
@freelancermariagrace (29342)
• Philippines
3 Mar 22
I love dolphins and this breaks my heart 
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381745)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 22
It's very sad indeed. A lot of people collect dolphin figurines, etc. Do you do that?
