Blogs
Kayaking with Wild Dolphins
We were incredibly lucky to be given the opportunity in returning to the Port Adelaide region for another biology excursion. This time, we went kayaking along the channels and creeks of the Port River Estuary. It was a hugely enlightening experience as we received intimate, hands-on experience with experts on the important native marine life and ecosystems that live in the region that are a vital part of South Australia’s natural landscape. The day was spent kayaking along the river, exploring the tranquil mangrove creeks and swimming alongside wild dolphins.
One of the main focuses of the day was the extensive mangrove forest that grew around, within and alongside the estuary. Sadly, the mangroves explored represented only a small fraction of the ones that were originally there that used to spread along South Australian coasts. These mangroves are highly vital aquatic plants as they provide food in their communities, oxygenate the air, provide habitats and shelter to a variety of marine organisms and stabilize the muddy banks that we saw when going through the tidal creeks. Without the mangroves in this context, those banks would be susceptible to erosion as the mud would become loose and soft, and the estuary would cease to be. Marine plants like the investigated mangroves, are some of the most important plants on earth, as they produce 80% of the planets O2 supply. The decayed mangrove leaves provide many ecosystems with nutrients. Without mangroves, marine life such as fish would be deprived from food, and would die. Therefore, if there is less plant life, there is less photosynthesis turnover, and therefore increased carbon dioxide and decreased oxygen in the air. This would be incredibly harmful for humans. If greenhouse effects continue to worsen with increased carbon emissions, warmer temperatures would result in rising seas levels. Should this happen, mangroves, like the ones along the Port River Estuary would drown, and many of the coastal areas and infrastructure would be underwater. If this occurred ecosystems such as the dolphins would have to migrate and leave the area, seeking cooler water, and would therefore be susceptible to harsh/foreign/unprotected environments.
A power plant is in operation on one side of the estuary. Burning fossil fuels not only releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but the thermal pollution from hot water being pumped into the estuary can affect the many organisms. In the Port River Estuary, we saw that the dolphins and aquatic fauna such as the mangroves can be negatively impacted by thermal variance in the water temperature due to the power plant. Therefore, another focus point of the excursion was measuring the temperature of the water, to see if the temperature increased closer to the power plant, as we kayaked along the river. The temperature did increase, highlighting the effects of man-made climate change.
The region is lucky to have wild dolphin pods living within quite an industrial region in a city- a rarity that only occurs here in South Australia. We kayaked along these dolphins. Unfortunately we were told that many dolphins, especially babies, die due to dolphins being severely injured and harmed as a result of man-made machinery such as motor boat propellers.
We were privileged to have a knowledgeable marine biologist as our guide whilst kayaking. He is a specialist in studying the wild dolphins of the region. We were able to gain a highly comprehensive understanding of the plights of the region in sharing his knowledge and many years of first-hand experience. He was also able to give highly valid information on the ecosystems of the Port River. Furthermore, he provided insight and advice into the importance of everybody’s contribution to make a difference and save the environment, and our generation’s responsibility to help conquer climate change.
Therefore this excursion truly shed light on the importance of this region and the lives and ecosystems that we would save if we appealed to protect and conserve the area. It highlighted the personal privileged to have such amazing natural phenomena in our literal ‘back-yard’. A key point I took away from the excursion is that if we want future generations to be able to experience the natural luxury of our immediate world, action must be taken to start protecting and preserving it now.
