Dolphins being watched

A pod of inshore bottlenose dolphins is unwilling to leave Cudgen Creek. They have been there since Monday.

Crystal Spencer

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Dolphins in Cudgen Creek

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A POD of bottlenose dolphins unwilling to leave Cudgen Creek for almost a week has attracted the watchful eye of marine authorities concerned about their welfare.

The three dolphins, including a nine-month-old calf, were first spotted about a kilometre inland in Cudgen Creek on Monday.

An attempt to lead the inshore bottlenose dolphins back out to the river mouth by authorities from Sea World, NSW National Park and Wildlife Service, NSW Maritime, Marine Parks, Sea Bird Rescue and NSW Fisheries proved unsuccessful yesterday afternoon.

National Parks and Wildlife Service manager Lance Tarvey said while it was not unusual to spot dolphins in Tweed creeks, it was a concern to see them stay around for so long.

“We’re concerned over their welfare. We were trying to give them some gentle encouragement to head back out to sea. There was no guarantee it was going to work,” Mr Tarvey said.

“We lined up the kayaks and boats to make as much noise as we could to get them to move along but the wind kept pushing us back into the creek.”

A fourth dolphin originally spotted on Monday had already made its way back out to sea, he said.

Representatives from all groups will keep a close eye over the pod until Australia Day before going back to the drawing board.

“We’re mostly concerned about their food supplies. They eat about 10 kilograms of fish a day each so they can’t stay in the same area for too long,” Mr Tarvey said.

“They will be monitored every day over the long weekend and check on their welfare.”

Mr Tarvey said it was believed the dolphins made their way into the river while tracking fish.

“We think the reason they are still here is because of the calf. It would be too timid to swim over the shallow parts of water along the creek,” he said.

Mr Tarvey also warned those interested in watching the dolphins to keep their distance.

“Legally people aren’t allowed within 50 metres of them, we’ve set up buoys in the water to establish that,” he said.

Mr Tarvey said he was already disappointed with the lack of consideration some had shown.

“We had a bunch of kids jumping off the nearby bridge when the dolphins were just metres away. Interfering with them like that can cause them a lot of stress,” he said.

“We’ve got a big weekend coming up with Australia Day so we’re encouraging everyone to keep their distance if they are around.”

Kingscliff teenager Rachel Drew was among the crowd about 50 yesterday afternoon which gathered to watch the dolphins.

“We’ve seen them here almost all week,” Miss Drew said.

“I’ve never seen them in the creek before. The crowd just kept getting bigger and bigger because everyone driving by stopped to see what was going on.”

Watersport Guru director Tim Adams said he was called upon by Sea World to help.

“We were out there for about 40 minutes in the kayaks and boats just making as much of a racket as we could to try get them to move along,” Mr Adams said.

“It seems they are either too scared to move or don’t know the way out. We’re waiting for a king high tide (today) to help us out.”

Mr Adams said the condition of the dolphins at the weekend had changed considerably.

“On Monday we noticed they seemed pretty playful but now they’re appearing agitated and not coming up to breathe as much,” he said.

“I really encourage people to keep their distance while the dolphins are in the creek.”