Dolphins in S'pore waters: Acres to conduct study & explore dolphin watching tours
Did you know it is possible to spot wild dolphins in Singapore waters like the Southern Islands and St John's Island?
They have been spotted several times.
Now, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) is launching a study of these wild dolphins in Singapore waters, and will also explore running dolphin watching tours.
Isabelle Tan, a dolphin researcher at Acres, said:
"Not many Singaporeans may know that there are dolphins in our waters, but recently several sightings have been reported and shared on social media.
"We hope that through this study, we can further increase awareness and understanding of these species. The data collected will also be vital in developing conservation strategies to protect these dolphins," said Ms Tan.
Two full-time researchers will be studying the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and Indo-pacific humpback dolphins over two years.
The team, which will include volunteers, will go to the Southern Islands and the waters surrounding Sisters' Island's Marine Park at least three times a week.
"They will be there from dusk to dawn to find out how we can better protect these dolphins in their natural habitat," said Acres' chief executive Louis Ng.
The team will gather data on population numbers, distribution, home range and behaviours of the dolphins and seeks to understand the potential threats they face.
Tours
The tours will bring people to see dolphins in the wild, displaying natural behaviours.
“We are confident that if people learn about and see dolphins living freely in the wild, they will never want to see them in captivity," said Mr Ng.
Besides looking for volunteers, Acres is also setting up a crowdfunding page to help raise funds for this project here.
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