Frequently Asked Questions

1. WHEN DID THE DOLPHIN FEEDING PROGRAM START?
   
   The Tangalooma Dolphin Care and Research Program started in 1992 in conjunction with the University of Queensland to research dolphins in the wild. The dolphins that continue to visit Tangalooma are totally wild. They choose to come into the shallows to interact with us however; they do vary their numbers and occasionally do not attend. Many scientists from all over the world come to Tangalooma to study the dolphin’s natural behaviour. It is important that these dolphins retain their natural instincts and remain wild. Tangalooma is only one of two places in the world that you can come to hand feed Bottlenose dolphins on a regular basis.
   
   
2. WHAT SPECIES OF DOLPHINS VISIT TANGALOOMA?
   
   The species of dolphin is the Inshore Bottlenose dolphin. In Moreton Bay Inshore Bottlenose dolphins grow to 3 meters in length and 200 kilograms in weight. There are around 600 to 800 Inshore Bottlenose dolphins within Moreton Bay and of those we have individually identified 127 dolphins from the resort’s beaches.
   
   
3. HOW MANY DOLPHINS VISIT THE PROGRAM?
   
   A pod of ten dolphins regularly visit the provisioning program at Tangalooma. Only eight of these dolphins are fed because the two newest calves, Storm and Silhouette, are still suckling from their mothers, Tinkerbell and Shadow respectively. Occasionally, other dolphins visit the feed area. A record was set in December 1996 when 19 dolphins were in attendance.
   
   
4. DO OTHER SPECIES ATTEND THE DOLPHIN PROGRAM?
   
   There are a variety of other marine creatures that can be seen at the dolphin-feeding program including sharks, rays, fish and squid. Warren, the Wobbegong shark, often makes an appearance at the night dolphin feeds. He and his Wobbegong friends live underneath the Tangalooma jetty. Wobbegongs are a bottom-dwelling shark and hence are beautifully camouflaged and have a ventrally oriented mouth designed for feeding on buried fish, molluscs and crustaceans. While they have quite big teeth, they are not an aggressive species like other predatory sharks, which feed on fast moving fish. They are seasonal but it’s great to be able to teach guests that they need not be afraid of all shark species.
   
   
5. WHAT DO YOU FEED THE DOLPHINS?
   
   The dolphins that visit us do not depend on us and we discourage them from becoming too tame. We have set procedures put in place to enforce this. One of them is making sure that the dolphins are provisioned only 10% to 25% of their daily food requirement. This means that the dolphins must still hunt for themselves in order to meet their food requirement. We feed the dolphins a varying diet of fish, although we mostly provision the dolphins on herring.
   
   
6. HOW DO YOU GET THE FISH FOR FEEDING TIME?
   
   The fish used in the program are bought from professional fisherman. We try to purchase fish that are caught within the Moreton Bay area and are of the highest quality.
   
   
7. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY INSTANCES OF THE DOLPHINS NOT TURNING UP FOR FEEDING TIME?
   
   Yes, there have been evenings when the dolphins are not present at the provisioning program. The dolphins are not called into the feeding area; the dolphins at Tangalooma are wild and come to visit us on their own accord.
   
   
8. WHY DON’T MORE DOLPHINS ATTEND THE PROGRAM?
   
   This is a bit of a mystery? While we occasionally do get more dolphins visiting the feeding program we do not feed them! Only the dolphins within Tinkerbell’s social group are fed at the provisioning program.
   
   
9. HOW MANY PEOPLE FEED THE DOLPHINS EACH NIGHT?
   
   Tangalooma is a great place to see dolphins in the wild and the dolphin program at Tangalooma is designed to allow interaction with wild dolphins whilst teaching people about their protection and conservation. The number of guests feeding and watching the dolphins varies from night to night, and of course we are busier in school holiday periods. The operation of the program allows each guest booked to feed the dolphins to enter the water on their own whilst being accompanied by a Dolphin Care Team member. Each day varies and we don’t know the exact figures until dolphin feeding starts.
   
   
10. IS IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THE DOLPHINS?
    
    Guests are permitted to take photos of the dolphins from the jetty area, however photography is not allowed on the beach or in the water. If each person were allowed to take a camera onto the beach, the dolphins would face a lot of flashing directed near their eyes. Dolphins have very advanced eyesight and are more sensitive to light change than ours. As these dolphins are wild, eyesight is an essential part of their day-to-day life. They rely on their sight for many activities such as hunting, socialising and predator avoidance. Therefore these rules are put in place to protect their eyesight. We do however have professional photographers that enter the water and stand several metres behind the dolphins and take photos by shooting backwards. These photos are then available for each guest to purchase the following day.
    
    
11. CAN I FEED THE DOLPHINS IF I AM CAMPING ON MORETON ISLAND?
    
    In order for you to be able to feed the dolphins, you have to be staying at the resort under a package that includes dolphin feeding. Enormous amounts of people wish to feed the dolphins but unfortunately, it's just not possible and as a result, we do have to limit numbers. You may, however, with management’s approval (as the resort is a closed resort after 6pm), be able to view the dolphin program and participate in the educational and environmental awareness program from the resort jetty.
    
    
12. How is Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort and the Marine Education Centre involved in Research?
    
    Scientific researchers often come and stay at Tangalooma Resort and make use of the resort’s unique location on the Moreton Island National Park and surrounding Marine Park of Moreton Bay. Many researchers are also financially supported through the Tangalooma Research Foundation. Data is also collected nightly at the dolphin-feeding program where we can obtain information about the behaviour, biology and ecology of bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay. For updated information on what research is currently been conducted visit: http://www.tangalooma.com/dolphinweb/research.asp
    
    
13. HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT RESEARCH GRANTS?
    
    For more information on a research grant, contact the Research Manager, Email: dolphins@tangalooma.com
    
    
14. HOW DO I GO ABOUT WORKING WITH DOLPHINS?
    
    Working with dolphins is definitely a difficult area of work to get into. You need to decide whether you want to carry out research on wild dolphins or work with dolphins in captivity. For research a science degree of some sort is a must. A recommended field is Marine Biology or Zoology. However, it does depend on the field of study involving dolphins you want to work in. For instance to study their life history or sonar capabilities a science degree is essential but for research on behavioural studies a psychology degree may appear more useful. To become a Marine Biologist, you must study science (chemistry, biology and possibly physics) at school. Math and English is also a must. Obviously grades have to be fairly high to gain entry in to university studies. From here grades are not as important as work experience in the field. Volunteer yourself for every opportunity. Let scientist in the field know that you’re willing to volunteer for any of their research projects.
    However, if you want to become a dolphin trainer working with captive dolphins in the tourism industry, a degree is not as essential as animal and people skills. Many dolphin trainers today have previously trained other domestic animals. Some have a psychology degree as well. Not many seem to be Marine Biologists. As this line of work involves being in front of the public eye, you must be fairly fit, and present yourself well. Confidence is also a must. To get your foot in the door can be extremely demanding and again our recommendations to you is to do as much work experience as possible!
    
    
15. WAS TANGALOOMA ORIGINALLY A WHALING STATION?
    
    Yes, Tangalooma was first established as a whaling station in 1952. The station operated until 1962 and during its operation Tangalooma was the largest shore-based whaling station in the southern hemisphere. With the demise of the whaling station, due to over hunting, Tangalooma was auctioned in 1963. The successful buyers then started a tourist resort. The Marine Education and Research Centre staff now have the opportunity to educate our guests on modern day whaling through the Tangalooma Whaling Station Tour and on the Whale Watch Cruise.
    
    
16. HOW MANY WHALES WERE CAUGHT AT TANGALOOMA WHALING STATION?
    
    6,277 Humpback Whales were caught at the Tangalooma Whaling Station in 10 years. One Blue Whale was also caught and the whaling station was subsequently fined heavily as the whaling permit only permitted Humpbacks to be caught and the Blue Whale was undersize.
    
    
17. WHEN ARE WHALE-WATCHING CHARTERS HELD?
    
    The Whale-watch season at Tangalooma begins in June each year with the winter migration of the Humpback Whale up the east coast and finishes in October/November. The Whale-Watching Cruise departs from the Tangalooma jetty daily during this migration period.
    
    
18. WHAT’S THE HISTORY BEHIND THE TANGALOOMA WRECKS?
    
    Two kilometres north of Tangalooma Resort are the Tangalooma Wrecks. The wrecks consist of 15 hulks, which were scuttled by the Department of Harbours and Marine to provide an anchorage haven. The first vessel was sunk in 1963 and the scuttling of dredges and barges continued until 1984. Today, the wrecks provide a great habitat for a diversity of marine life, making the Tangalooma Wrecks a great spot for snorkeling and SCUBA diving.