Arabic version: مشاهدة دلافين غرب جسر ميناء سيدني

According to ABC News, early-morning kayakers spotted a pod of about 10 dolphins in Sydney Harbour west of the bridge on Monday. The animals were seen in waters off Birchgrove, while another kayak tour reported dolphins off Blues Point.

Tim Griffiths, who runs Cockatoo Kayak Tours, said he had never encountered a dolphin on that side of the bridge. He said the pod was swimming up the Parramatta River towards Cockatoo Island when he saw it, describing a group that far up the harbour as unusual.

Macquarie University marine scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta said dolphins were more frequently reported east of the bridge and had likely entered the harbour to find food. She said sightings west of the bridge were rare, although dolphins had previously been reported as far up the Parramatta River as Breakfast Point.

Dr Pirotta said the presence of dolphins and other marine creatures highlighted Sydney Harbour’s biodiversity and the health of its marine environment. She runs Wild Sydney Harbour, a citizen science project encouraging people to report sightings of seals, dolphins and whales through social media.

Working with the Botany Bay-based Gamay Rangers, the project identified the same dolphin revisiting Sydney’s waterways four years apart. Dr Pirotta said that repeat sighting suggested dolphins could be returning visitors to the area.