Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary: Susanna Parkinson shows us through this facility on the Adelaide Coast region of South Australia
Susanna Parkinson: Think of mangroves and you probably think mosquitoes, swamps, marshes or crocodile infested waters in the Northern Territory. But you don't have to go that far. Literally twenty minutes from the CBD of Adelaide, we have mainland Australia's southernmost stand of mangroves. And they're not all about mud and mosquitoes.
The first settlers might have called Port Adelaide Port Misery when they arrived more than a century and a half ago but since then, the mangroves have undergone a much needed image change.
They are now the centrepiece of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, which covers one hundred and 18-square kilometres from North Haven to Port Gawler including the Port River and Barker Inlet.
We caught up with the new sanctuary's Ranger, Rob Laver. His beat includes the jungle of Grey Mangrove which line a complex network of interconnected tidal creeks, channels and mud flats. In here, it's easy to lose yourself and is hard to believe we're only a stone's throw from a city of a million people.
Rob Laver: "We're just out of the main channel of the Barker Inlet and we've just come into the mangrove area which is a great nursery and habitat for lots of species whether they be bird, marine or reptile."
The mangroves have adapted well to their unique marine environment - they've had to. What other plant can survive being drowned twice a day when the tide comes in?
Rod: "Because they get flooded a couple of times a day hey have roots that poke up from the mud. They are pneumatophores that allow them to breathe - they almost act like snorkels."
The mangroves have also developed a unique survival mechanism to cope with the high concentration of salt in the water. Glands on the back of the thick, waxy leaves concentrate the salt and allow it to evaporate. The glands are much more efficient at removing salt than human sweat glands.
Of course, we can't explore the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary without seeing any dolphins and it doesn't take long before the stars of the show appear. The Bottlenose Dolphins are the very reason the sanctuary was declared in 2005. About thirty are permanent residents and another 300 or so are transient visitors.
Rob: "They are very inquisitive. Especially the younger calves which are like children because they'll come up and have a look and see what's happening and to suss it all out.
"I think they know what's happening - they like to interact, they are very social and they have some sort of connection with everybody. But they are still a wild animal and we have to treat them as a wild animal."
Rob says the dolphins are closely monitored because their health is a good indicator of the general health of the whole area. The dolphins are regular visitors to the Port River and Barker Inlet. For more information on the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary contact the Department for Environment and Heritage. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary
Dept for Environment & Heritage
Ph 8440 2454Published 30th March 2008
