Dolphin spotted cruising in Melbourne's Yarra River

Dolphin spotted in Melbourne's Yarra River probably hunting prey, researcher saysTopic:Animals2h ago2 hours agoTue 28 Apr 2026 at 2:12amLoading...In short:A dolphin has been spotted in the Yarra River as far up the waterway as Herring Island at South Yarra.Researchers say it appears to be an adult bottlenose dolphin in good health.People have been advised not to deliberately approach the dolphin if they're using the waterway.abc.net.au/news/vic-dolphin-in-the-yarra-river/106615262Link copiedShareShare articleA dolphin seen swimming in the Yarra River this week is most likely chasing prey and does not appear to be in distress, a dolphin expert says.Melburnians have reported seeing the dolphin in the river near the CBD and in the inner-east, with some posting videos to social media.David Donnelly from the Dolphin Research Institute said it appeared to be a single animal.Dolphins are more likely to venture up the river during the colder months, David Donnelly says. (ABC News: Nicole Asher)"We've seen some footage and agree that it is an adult bottlenose dolphin in very good condition by the looks and behaving normally so, I'd be more inclined to think that it's possibly followed some prey into the river," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.Loading..."We've had some rather large tides of late which may push the salt water further up the river than normal so perhaps that's one explanation of why this dolphin's here."But also, these animals do venture up the river from time to time particularly during the winter months."He said the presence of the animal was unlikely to be an indicator of water quality in the Yarra.'Quite a mystery' as whales spotted frolicking under West Gate BridgeTwo whales have been spotted swimming up the Yarra River and under the West Gate Bridge, in what experts describe as a "rare" occurrence.According to the Dolphin Research Institute, Port Phillip Bay was home to more than 120 bottlenose dolphins and more than 30 common dolphins which are known to occasionally venture up the river.The institute said people shouldn't deliberately approach dolphins closer than 100 metres in boats, 300 metres on jetskis or 30 metres for paddlers and swimmers.Melbourne resident Murray spotted the dolphin while he was rowing on the river yesterday close to Birrarung Marr."We saw a bit of a shape appear in front of us and it was a dolphin," he told ABC Radio Melbourne."Then we saw it breach again and purge its little blowpipe and cruise along."Port Phillip Bay is home to more than 120 bottlenose dolphins. (ABC News: Nicole Asher, file)The dolphin was also spotted near the Hoddle Bridge at Richmond and near Herring Island at South Yarra.Posted 2h ago2 hours agoTue 28 Apr 2026 at 2:12am, updated 39m ago39 minutes agoTue 28 Apr 2026 at 4:06amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)PromotionTop StoriesGirl's suspected abductor had been out of jail for just six days, police sayTopic:Missing PersonIran blames US for failed peace talks during visit to RussiaLIVEHow a $2.2 trillion dream city in the Saudi desert got wound backTopic:World PoliticsCoalition points to stealth bombers as potential AUKUS stop-gapTopic:Federal Government'System … is broken': Mounjaro won't be listed on PBS in 'stand-off' with US makerTopic:HealthRelated storiesScientists close to confirming Port Phillip Bay banjo shark breeding locationTopic:Marine BiologyRelated topicsAnimalsRiversVICTop StoriesGirl's suspected abductor had been out of jail for just six days,…

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