I came to Mandurah in January 2016 to study the dolphins that occupy the Peel-Harvey waterways.
Although I have been here for such a short time, I have noticed that these magnificent animals are part of Mandurah’s identity.
As a scientist, I investigate many aspects of the local dolphin population.
This includes estimating how many dolphins occupy the waterways each season, what kind of social lives they have and trying to better understand the remarkable variety of social and feeding behaviour they display.
Recently, I have stopped to think more about the value of the Peel-Harvey waterway and the dolphins that reside in it.
We tend to be very aware of the critical habitat the estuary provides for waterfowl, especially migratory birds, and many fish species.
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We also appreciate and enjoy the services, like filtering water from pollutants, and recreational opportunities the Peel-Harvey delivers in terms of fishing and boating.
In addition to these, I have discovered how dolphins are part of, and have had an impact on, so many people’s lives in Mandurah.
The consolation in difficult times many have found in observing the local dolphins, and the joy others have experienced in their everyday lives having caught a glimpse of the dolphins at play, is remarkable.
Recently we lost a great man, Jim, who was one of these people. He and his two dogs regularly visited the dolphins.
The dogs would swim out barking at the dolphins, who were used to them swimming in circles around them.
Often it looked to me like the dolphins with their bodies perfectly adapted to living in the water would wind-up the much slower moving dogs on purpose.
This inter-species interaction amazed many and brought smiles to people’s faces. Jim was part of the life on the Peel-Harvey, he was part of the landscape.
He lived enjoying the estuary and took the time to appreciate all it had to offer.
In an attempt to highlight how important it is that we look after our waterways, I wish I could put a monetary value on the services they provide.
It is however impossible. The connection we can have to the estuary, the life in and around it, is invaluable.
Krista Nicholson is a PhD candidate at Murdoch University. Search Mandurah Dolphin Research Project on Facebook for more information.
