List of Marine Mammal Research data sets from dedicated sites to opportunistic sighting from around Australasia.

Delphinidae              

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)    inshore     – year round

AT A GLANCE Tropical to temperate waters of Indo-Pacific • Small size • Moderately

robust body • Moderate-length, stubby beak • Ostensibly ‘smiling’ mouthline • Threetoned coloration (subtle to distinct) • May have dark flecking or spotting on underside • Usually in small- to medium-sized groups • Occasionally bow-rides

Location: Resident inshore bottlenose dolphins to Jervis Bay NSW. 

Other sightings data    @ Jervis Bay NSW.

                                    @ Eden NSW.

                                    @ Moreton Bay QLD.

                                    @ Kangaroo Island SA.

Current research Projects: 2025

Photo-identification, foraging strategies and prey. Jervis Bay NSW. 

Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)    offshore  – year round

AT A GLANCE Tropical to temperate waters worldwide • Small size • Criss-cross or

‘hourglass’ colour pattern on sides • Dark brownish-grey cape dips to ‘V’ under dorsal fin • Tan to pale yellow or ochre thoracic patch • Light to medium grey flank patch • White underside • Details of colour pattern highly variable • Tall, moderately falcate dorsal fin midway along back • Often in fast-moving, splashy groups.

Seen transiting offshore, and visiting within Jervis Bay.

Sightings data @ Jervis Bay NSW.

                        @ Eden NSW.

                        @ Sydney NSW.

                        @ VIC.

                        @ Kangaroo Island SA.

Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)      offshore  – year round

AT A GLANCE Tropical to temperate waters worldwide • Small size • Robust body •

Short, stubby beak • Archetypal dolphin • Ostensibly ‘smiling’ mouthline • Three-toned coloration (subtle to distinct) • Rarely has small dark flecks on underside • In coastal waters usually in small groups • Often bow-rides

Seen transiting offshore, and visiting within Jervis Bay.

Sightings data @ Jervis Bay NSW.

                        @ Eden NSW.

Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus)

AT A GLANCE Worldwide from tropics to cool temperate waters • Small size • Robust body • Squarish head (side view) with indistinct beak • Cleft melon • Extensive linear scarring • Highly variable coloration within single group • Older animals almost white • Appendages usually darker than rest of body • Very tall, erect dorsal fin.

Seen offshore, and visiting within Jervis Bay.

Sightings data @ Jervis Bay NSW.

Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) 

seen July to October Jervis Bay

AT A GLANCE Cold temperate southern hemisphere • Extra-large size • Extremely

stocky body • Predominantly black with variable white on underside • Smooth back

with no dorsal fin or ridge • No pleats or grooves on throat • Low body profile at

surface • Massive head covered in light coloured callosities • Very strongly arched

jawline • V-shaped blow • Frequently engages in active surface behaviour

Seen offshore, and visiting to rest within Jervis Bay.

Sightings data @ Jervis Bay NSW.

                        @ Eden NSW.

Current research projects: 

Photo-identification and abundance, behaviour, cow and calf development.

Mysticeti  (baleen whales)

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)  

Seen April to November (to late December) Jervis Bay. 

AT A GLANCE Worldwide distribution • Large size • Predominantly dark grey

to black upperside • Variable amount of white on underside • Stocky body • Small

dorsal fin sits on (variable) hump on back •Exceptionally long white (or black-and-white) flippers • Distinctive knobs on head • Strongly arches back when diving • Usually flukes on sounding dive • Variable (and individually distinctive) black-and-white pigmentation on underside of flukes.

Photo Identification and abundance, behaviour, cow and calf development, opportunistic foraging, ship-strike, entanglement, body scarring and markings.

Seen offshore, outside and visiting to rest within Jervis Bay.

Sightings data @ Jervis Bay NSW.

                        @ Eden NSW.

                        @ Sydney NSW.

                        @ Port Stephens NSW.

                        @ Offshore VIC.

                        @ Hervey Bay QLD.

                        @ Broome WA.

                        @ Tonga.

Current research Projects: 2025

Photo-identification, foraging strategies and prey. Jervis Bay NSW. 

Antarctic minke whale (B. bonaerensis) 

AT A GLANCE Tropics to poles in southern

hemisphere • Medium size • Dark grey, brownish-grey or blackish upperside, pale

underside • Variable undulating swathes of lighter grey on sides and back • May

be blotchy ochre with diatoms • Sharply pointed rostrum breaks surface first • Single

longitudinal ridge on rostrum • Tall, falcate dorsal fin two-thirds of the way along back

• Light grey chevron across back (at level of flippers) • Often has light grey pigmentation trailing from blowholes • Pale grey flippers (no white band) • Distinct blow in high latitudes.

Seen April to November Jervis Bay

Sightings data @ Jervis Bay NSW.

                        @ Eden NSW.

Dwarf minke whale (B. acutorostrata) 

AT A GLANCE Tropics to poles worldwide • Medium size • Dark grey, brownish-grey

or blackish upper side, white underside • Variable swathes of lighter grey on sides and back • Sharply pointed rostrum breaks surface first • Single longitudinal ridge on rostrum • Relatively tall, falcate dorsal fin two-thirds of the way along back • Unique, bright white flipper bands •Indistinct or invisible blow.

Seen April to November Jervis Bay

Sightings data @ Jervis Bay NSW.

Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni)

AT A GLANCE Tropical to warm temperate waters worldwide • Large size • Sleek,

streamlined body • Uniform dark grey upper side, lighter underside • Throat

sometimes pinkish • Three parallel longitudinal ridges on rostrum • Tall, strongly

falcate dorsal fin two-thirds to three quarters of the way along back • Dorsal fin

usually visible after blowholes submerged • Symmetrical lower ‘lip’ coloration • Typically arches back and tailstock on diving.

Sightings data @ Jervis Bay NSW.

                        @ Eden NSW.

Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) 

AT A GLANCE Warm waters worldwide • Medium size • Black, blackish or brownish

• Rounded, bulbous melon • Indistinct beak • Broad-based, backswept dorsal fin far

forward • Small to large groups.

Sightings data @ Sydney NSW.

                        @ offshore WA.

False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) 

AT A GLANCE Warm (mainly offshore) waters worldwide • Medium size • Dark grey to black • Long, slender body • Relatively narrow-based, falcate dorsal fin • Small,

conical head with no beak • Distinct bulge on leading edge of flippers • Small, often

exuberant groups.

Seen offshore, and visiting within Jervis Bay.

Sightings data @ Jervis Bay NSW.

                        @ offshore WA.

                        @ QLD.

Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)

AT A GLANCE Deep, ice-free oceanic waters worldwide • Large to extra-large size •

Primarily dark grey • Huge squarish head • Thick, low, rounded dorsal fin • ‘Knuckles’

from dorsal fin to flukes • Wrinkly, prune-like skin • Bushy blow directed forwards and to left • Often motionless (or swims leisurely) at surface • Flukes usually raised on diving.

Sightings data @ Jervis Bay NSW.

                        @ Eden NSW.

                        @ Bremer Bay WA.

                        @ offshore SA.

Gray's beaked whale (Mesoplodon grayi)

AT A GLANCE Temperate waters of southern hemisphere • Medium size • Spindle-shaped body • Relatively small head • Long, slender white to light grey beak • Beak appears at 45° angle above water on surfacing • Small triangular teeth in middle of each side of lower jaw • Possibly in small groups.

Sightings data    @ Bremer Bay WA.

Shepherd's beaked whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi)

AT A GLANCE Cool temperate deep waters of southern hemisphere • Medium size (larger than mesoplodonts) • Pale bulbous melon with steep forehead • Contrasting dark brownish-grey cape and much paler tailstock • Dark mask-like feature over eyes • Top of pale ‘shoulder blaze’ often visible on surfacing • Dorsal fin often bicoloured (darker in front, lighter behind) • Mainly small, close-knit groups.

Sightings data    @ offshore SA.

New Zealand fur seal, (Arctocephalus forsteri)

Sightings data    @ Jervis Bay NSW.

                            @ offshore VIC.