DOLPHIN INTERACTION AREA

This is the area on the beach where the dolphins are fed. Feeding takes place under the responsibility of the center's volunteers, three times between 7.45 a.m. and 12 p.m., if the dolphins don't leave before the end of the time slot! Seven to eight dolphins regularly visit the beach. The volunteers choose a few members of the public to come and feed the dolphins. So it's best to get there early if you want to be sure of being at the front of the line.

These are bottlenose dolphins, which have always frequented the waters of Shark Bay. They first came into contact with humans in the early 1960s. Back then, they would follow fishing boats back to port and catch the fish the fishermen threw out. In 1964, Ninnie Watts, a fisherman's wife, began feeding the dolphins every day. With a little perseverance, she got a dolphin used to taking fish from her hand, and named him Charlie, not knowing whether it was a male or a female. Since 1990, with the creation of the Monkey Mia Marine Park, rangers have been hired to protect these semi-tame dolphins and give advice to the growing number of tourists who come to see them. Around twenty dolphins have been recorded, and some of them come close to the beach. However, measures have been taken to prevent them from becoming totally dependent on these meals. They therefore only receive around 2 kg each, a third of their daily ration.