Hi everyone,
This week we have noticed the group of dolphins including the mothers and newborns returning to the harbour. If you are still in the area, this is a great time to see dolphins and their young up close! At least 8 dolphins were seen in the bay; among these dolphins were Berry with her newborn, Smoothy and another calf. Daphna, our monitoring officer here in New Quay, along with members of the public enjoying the sun watched Berry and her newborn right by the pier where she appeared to be feeding. Another mum and newborn joined them for a while before heading back out to the rest of the group at the Cardinal buoy which were busy socialising.
You can see in the pictures below that the newborns lift their heads right out of the water when they surface to breathe, sometimes resulting in a ‘chin-slap’. This is because they are still learning where their blowhole is located and lift their heads much higher than necessary. You can also see the foetal folds on the newborn (vertical lines up the body). These are creases in the skin caused by the way they were curled up in the womb and can be seen for about 6 weeks after they are born.
Keep watching this page for more updates on the dolphins here in Cardigan Bay!
