Journal
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
Volume 36, Issue 3, Pages 593-604Publisher
SIR PUBLISHING
DOI: 10.1080/00288330.2002.9517115
Keywords
photo-identification; common dolphins; Delphinus delphis; re-sightings; movements; site fidelity; home range
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Photo-identification has been established as a helpful tool in cetacean research. However, no study to date has attempted to apply this method to short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis L.). We present here the results of two studies that were conducted concurrently in Mercury Bay and the Hauraki Gulf on the north-east coast of New Zealand's North Island. Methods for distinguishing between individual dolphins are discussed. Sighting records of recognisable individuals indicate that some common dolphins move between Mercury Bay and the Hauraki Gulf (100 km distance), as well as between Mercury Bay and Whakatane (200 km distance). Common dolphin abundance and site fidelity appeared to be greater in the Hauraki Gulf than in Mercury Bay. A selection of photographs of distinct individuals is presented to allow future studies to compare their sighting records to ours, which may help establish the extent of home ranges, site fidelity, and possibly even longevity for common dolphins.
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