Wildlife photographers captured remarkable images of two rarely seen dolphin species off Port Macquarie, New South Wales, giving scientists valuable data to better understand and protect these deepwater creatures, per the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Jodie Lowe, who regularly photographs marine wildlife, traveled beyond the typical whale watching routes in January aboard a specialized bird observation vessel. The expedition traveled into waters over 1,000 meters deep, where she encountered multiple groups of Risso's dolphins, including one swimming alongside pantropical spotted dolphins.
"I've never seen Risso's dolphins during a whale watching tour. Simply because they are deep-ocean dolphins, they don't venture close into shore," Lowe said.
Whale watching operations usually stay in water no deeper than 80 meters, making encounters with open-ocean animals uncommon. The photographers documented two Risso's groups, both migrating northward.
"We just don't have too much information, so any sighting is a positive one for the science world," added Vanessa Pirotta, a Macquarie University wildlife scientist, per the news outlet.
Adult Risso's dolphins measure up to 12 feet in length and can weigh half a ton. Pantropical spotted dolphins are smaller, at around 8.5 feet. Capturing the species in photographs can help researchers monitor population health and document the creatures in places where direct observation is difficult.
"I will definitely keep this on record for the diversity of cetaceans or marine mammals that we have here in Australian waters," Pirotta explained. "All this information is really helpful to building our knowledge on these species in our waters, which at present remains very little."
She added, "These animals are very family-based and can live in pods of … 50 to over 100."
Recording where these animals appear, along with their physical condition and behavioral patterns, helps build data that can inform conservation strategies.
Understanding deepwater species can help safeguard the interconnected systems that these animals — along with coastal communities and global food security — depend on.
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