The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) yesterday announced that it has carried out the first vessel-based survey of dolphins in the coastal waters of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, as part of its new Dolphin Conservation Programme. The programme aims to monitor the Emirate’s dolphins, study their biology, habitats and geographical distribution, ultimately supporting the long-term conservation of the species.
The Dolphin Conservation Programme’s survey, which was carried out by EAD’s marine species specialists, included a capacity building component for Emirati marine biologists, and involved volunteers from the Emirates Wildlife Society, in association with WWF, and the UAE Dolphin Project.
The 15-day survey was implemented using a custom-made 45-foot boat fitted with an observation platform, covering over 2,000 kilometres of Abu Dhabi’s coastal waters extending from the Sila Peninsula in the west to the border with Dubai in the east.
A ‘photo-identification’ technology relying on unique markings on the dolphins’ dorsal fins was used to identify individual animals and effectively act as a tracking system, enabling the team to determine movement patterns and estimate the dolphins’ population size. Once again, EAD used drones, equipped with high definition cameras, to confirm the number of animals observed during sightings.
The survey identified two different dolphin species in Abu Dhabi waters including the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) and the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa chinensis). 77 Bottlenose dolphins, of which 19 were calves, and 61 Humpback dolphins, of which 10 were claves, were recorded. EAD also spotted two new born calves, indicating that the dolphin calving season may occur in late spring/early summer in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The survey results also revealed a distinct regional difference in species composition with the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin being dominant around EAD’s Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, while Bottlenose dolphins were dominant from Al Dhabbaiya to Ras Ghanadah and between Al Sila and Sir Bani Yas Island.
PHOTO: Aerial view of dolphins using the drones