Dolphin Encountours Research Center

Name: Dolphin Encountours Research Center
Address: Beach Road, Ponta do Ouro, Zitundo, 1110, MZ
Telephone: +258843303859
Rating: 4.8

Página Inicial
Moçambique
Zitundo
Dolphin Encountours Research Center

- Born in the December of '94 -
Volunteer and Internships (year round)
Dolphin in-water Encountours (year round*)
Whale Encountours (July-Oct)
(66)

ons with this particular species, offering a sheltered, quite bay where dolphins were regularly observed. During 1999 Angie met Bo, a young female who took in-water encounters to the next level. So saw the birth of circle swimming and conscious interaction between dolphin and man in Ponta, with interactions sometimes lasting as long as an hour. High ethical practice together with scientifically beneficial baseline data collection was set as standard operating procedure as a means of creating a sustainable & educational program that contributed to research & conservation while facilitating in-water encounters. The project was supervised by Africa's leading whale & dolphins experts and created a consistent platform for data collection which resulted in the creation of the DolphinCare Data bank and Code of Conduct. The project has meticulously collected and stored data, imagery and in-water observations of the dolphins and other marine megafauna that frequent the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve with the aim of assessing population numbers, calf mortality rates, tourism impacts, conscious and inter-species interaction.

06/06/2024

Five years ago in June, we spotted Mindi with her baby bump! By December, we were on top of the world to see her with her new baby. 🐬 Since then she has calved once more and was last seen in the company of a juvenile male in February this year.

Mindi has a distinctive dorsal fin and really fused vernal freckles - great for the Dolphins of Ponta ID project...

To adopt a resident dolphin, be sure to reach out to - Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine e.V. (GRD)

04/06/2024

Check out this beautiful hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) we encountered on Saturday! This beauty was slowly cruising the reef, allowing our founder, Angie, to capture some close-ups.

Hawksbill turtles were nearly harvested to extinction and were sought after for their striking shells. Although they are protected by the CITES Convention, they are still illegally hunted in some areas around the globe.

❗️Never buy real tortoiseshell items!

01/06/2024

Get your dose of sunshine, dolphins, and the latest news in our Magical May newsletter! ✨🐬💙

One of the best times to visit our sunny shores - not too hot - not too cold; Spinner and Spotted Dolphins, Loggerhead and Green Turtles, a Nurse Shark, and a honeycomb moray eel - to name some of the magical creatures we spotted this month!

30/05/2024

In the News - Swimming with Dolphins in Mozambique

Ranked among the best things to do during a getaway in Mozambique, some travellers head to the country specifically to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience of swimming with dolphins. This dream is entertained by marine life enthusiasts worldwide, and it is a unique activity only accessible in certain destinations. Although the experience can be largely positive for both the tourists and the mammals, it is crucial to understand what types of behaviour are acceptable or harmful to the dolphins.

The Dolphin Encounters Research Center, situated in Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique, provides valuable insights on how to better facilitate this tourist activity without compromising the well-being of the mammals. It's important to note that the marine life encounters accessible in the country are not limited to dolphin interactions, as divers and snorkelers will come across countless other creatures during diving or snorkeling excursions.

You can read the full article here 👇👇👇

Mozambique is a destination where swimming with dolphins and other marine interactions are on offer. Tourists must follow these guidelines to ensure their marine encounters are ethical and environmentally sound. Image via Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort Swimming with Dolphins in Mozambique Ranked…

29/05/2024

We had our first whale sighting of the season a few days ago at Sapphire Sands! 🐋 While it wasn't quite a close encounter, we hope for a front-row seat on their next performance! 👀

27/05/2024

Gather your friends, gather your family and join us in Ponta do Ouro, southern Mozambique to explore the magical watery realm of wild dolphins and whales.

This special package finds you accommodated in Seaview lodging on a self catering bases at Mar e Sol and includes 3 sunrise boat tours to encounter dolphins and possibly whales!

Prior to your boat experiences you will receive a full briefing on behaviour and species likely to be observed together with our specially formulated code of conduct and a snorkelling workshop to prepare you for your in-water encounters.

Done miss out on this dolphin and whale adventure.

27/05/2024

Dolphin Diary 260524 - great to see big mixed pod in Ponta Bay today. Although most of the group were resting - teenage females Shira and Wave however were up for a bout of conscious interaction and circle swimming.

Thank you to our guests who joined us on the dolphin boat this morning. Please do check the full album in our archive which can be found on our website.

https://dolphin-diary-0524.dolphinencountours.org/

23/05/2024

Throwback Thursday this World Turtle Day!

Today - this time last year we worked with the rehabilitation of a green turtle back into the wild!

It’s an exciting day in the bustling little seaside town of Ponto do Ouro, Mozambique, as a sick female green turtle who has been under the care of the team ...

23/05/2024

The perks of venturing out on a gloomy day: you just might find a rainbow waiting for you. 🌈

22/05/2024

Breaching refers to the spectacular jumping action of whales. This leap requires maximum strength: they leap out of tPontodoOuro high speed, often vertically, to land on their side, back, or belly, the latter fall being called a "bellyflop".

Young whales may jump to play or strengthen their muscles.

Adults do it for a variety of reasons: to transmit a message to other groups that may be at least 4 kilometers away. Indeed, in the presence of high background noise, the acoustic signal of jumping propagates better than vocalizations. Whales also jump to demonstrate their strength, which requires great power. Males often use this behaviour to attract females or to show their aggressiveness in the face of a rival. Breaching can also be used to capture prey by frightening or stunning it, to get rid of external parasites, or to breathe in high waves.

22/05/2024

Magical May - one of the best times to visit our sunny shores - not too hot - not too cold; Spinner and Spotted Dolphins, Loggerhead and Green Turtles and a Nurse Shark!

Be sure to visit our website for the full album.

21/05/2024

It’s always exciting when a turtle decides to join the snorkeling party over the reef!

Check out this loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) cruising above the reef in the coastal shallows of Mozambique.

Fun fact - Loggerheads are slow-growing, taking up to 39 years to reach maturity, and can live up to 70 years or more in the wild!

17/05/2024

Sooo interesting...Over the past couple of years we have noticed humpback whales popping us close to the boat when we play back recordings to our guests on board. We figured the whales were hearing the whale acoustics through the hull of our boat Avalon.

We will defiantly be taking note of this during the coming season.

Can't wait for the whales to arrive.

It’s certainly an exciting time to study communication in whales and dolphins.

17/05/2024

Not all heroes wear capes, some wear flippers! 😎

Shoutout to all the heroes for saving the day! Hats off to Gawane for standing in for Angie this while she was away at an inspiring convention in Tanzania this week! 👏

16/05/2024

Magical May Dolphin Dairy can be found here. Check out our epic encounters with the resident dolphins and the many peeps who have joined us on board the dolphin boat.

Dolphin Diary 05/24. Dolphin Diary 05/24 on Archive Images and video.

10/05/2024

In April, our boat tours achieved a phenomenal 94.1% success rate, with 21 sightings! Leading the way were Ponta do Ouro's resident bottlenose dolphins, making up 19 of these encounters. We also saw mums and calves, spinner and spotted dolphins, a manta ray, and even a humpback dolphin! 🐬

07/05/2024

The devil firefish is a striking species found in the waters of the Indian Ocean! Its scientific name, "Pterois miles," translates to "winged soldier." Interestingly, within the species Pterois miles, there are two distinct subspecies: the devil firefish, which is red, and the lionfish, which is white.

The notable spines serve as a means of protection from predators that eat this fish. These spines contain potent venom so it’s best to admire them from afar.

That said, this fish is non-aggressive and nocturnal, typically burying itself in the seabed during the day!

07/05/2024

03/05/2024

It's , and we're shining a spotlight on Bo, a cherished member of the Ponta do Ouro dolphin pod who shares a longstanding and special bond with Angie! 💙

The photo of her fin, captured in 2016, captured a heartwarming moment as she introduced us to her new calf which she had recently welcomed to the world. Fast forward 8 years later, the slight bulge marks her adding another chapter to her story! 🐬

Since then, Bo's story has grown even richer, welcoming SIX more calves into the pod: Rocha, Bella, Blu, Bojangles, Billy, and Bekka.

01/05/2024

Honouring the dedication and achievements of workers everywhere. Happy International Workers' Day! 💪

"One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it." - Stephen Hawking

24/04/2024

Whale season is approaching fast and furiously and our eyes just can’t stop gazing out at the horizon in anticipation of that first sighting of the season. Check out today's ocean as seen from Sands - just spectacular! With around two months to go, we are counting down the weeks.

Last year it was on the 25th of June that we first laid eyes on the migrating leviathans - but one never knows what nature will offer up.

Want to contribute to whale conservation? Submit your whale encounter photos to HappyWhale (https://happywhale.com/) to help scientists identify and protect these incredible creatures! 🐋

22/04/2024

WORLD EARTH DAY - Planet vs. Plastic
The 2024 slogan, “Planet vs Plastics” highlights the need for collaborative efforts to restore ecosystems, address climate change, and safeguard biodiversity.

22/04/2024

🌊 Celebrating

“Planet vs Plastics”

Here we see the stark reality - plastic pollution invading even the most pristine beaches…

HOWEVER, during 2023, 13 beach clean-ups were undertaken collecting a total of 4837 items off the beaches! Since 2009, 67 beach clean-ups have been conducted.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our donors and partners, including DPWorld Maputo, Parque Nacional de Maputo, Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine e.V. (GRD) (Germany), World Cetacean Alliance, Bwild.org, together with the local community, business owners, volunteers, students, and guests who assisted and helped fund the clean-ups!

Special thanks to Compal, Sapphire Sands, and Florestina for providing meals and beverages, as well as PlasticsSA for the bags.

Together, we can make a difference! 🙏🌍

20/04/2024

17-04-24

Earlier this week we caught up with a large pod of socialising dolfriends. One of which was BF Bo. Just look at that swelling belly.

You can check out the full archive on our website under the April Dolphin Diary!

18/04/2024

"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen

Endereço

Beach Road, Ponta Do Ouro
Zitundo
1110

Telefone

+258843303859

Website

http://www.dolphinencountours.org/

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Vídeos

It’s always exciting when a turtle decides to join the snorkeling party over the reef! Check out this loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) cruising above the reef in the coastal shallows of Mozambique. Fun fact - Loggerheads are slow-growing, taking up to 39 years to reach maturity, and can live up to 70 years or more in the wild! #TurtleTuesday #MarineLife #Mozambique #PontodoOuro #SustainableTourism #Conversation #NationalPark

Happy Birthday, Dolphin Care Africa! 🐬💙 Celebrating 25 years, founded on this day in 1998, Dolphin Care Africa continues its mission to protect and care for these extraordinary creatures. 🌊✨ #DolphinCareAfrica #25YearsOfDolphinLove #MarineConservation #DolphinProtection #DolphinsOfPonta

A heartfelt thank you to our returning volunteer and ocean enthusiast @laurettearoundtheplanet / @bwild_org for capturing such mesmerising footage of our beloved dolfriends! 🐬 Laure is a global explorer, remote worker, and travelling volunteer who is dedicated to the animal cause! She is the co-founder of @bwild_org. Follow their journey of making a positive impact around the world on Instagram! 🌟 #mozambique #pontadoouro #outdoorenthusiast #globalexplorer #volunteerwithus

Dolphin Adventures with Luca and Melua from Kids Safari! 🐬🌊 Join them on an epic journey as they ventured into the realm of dolphins with our founder, Angie Gullan - the ultimate dolphin guru! 🐳✨ With 28 years of ethical wild dolphin encounters, Angie has brought the magic alive in Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique. 🏝️🐬 Dive into their full experience at www.lionmountain.tv or download their app from the iStore or Google Play.📱🌐 #Mozambique #pontadouro #kidssafari #ethicalencounters #sustainabletourism

Dolphin Diary 211022 @ 09h45

Female Bottlenose dolphins Sabby, Switch and Reeva stay for a bout of conscious interaction while some adult males pass through.

Dolphin Diary 170922

Featuring the Dolphins of Ponta in Mozambique.

Meet Jupiter; an adult male bottlenose showing off his catch of the day, a sizable cuttlefish! He will remove the cuttlefish spine by rubbing and dragging it on the sandy bottom! This moment showcases the beauty and harmony of marine life in our pristine waters. 🌊💙 #dolphinencounter #dolphinsofponta #underwatermagic #oceanlife #mozambique

When dolphins reveal their powerful jaws, we take this behaviour as a threat and as an assertion of their dominance. So far in Ponta do Ouro we have only seen male dolphins do this! We understand the significance of this behavior, respecting the dolphins' boundaries and acknowledging their request not to be followed. It's a reminder that we are privileged guests in their realm, and it is our responsibility to observe and protect their natural habitat! 🐬💙 #pontadoouro #mozambique #sustainabletourism #dolphintours #oceanlife

Dolphin Stranding in Ponta do Ouro - Mozambique On the evening of the 220123 at around 8pm I received a call regarding a dead dolphin washed up on the main beach in Ponta. The following morning at 8am the Maputo National Park Rangers delivered the large marine mammal for me to have a look at. The healthy looking female Fraser's dolphin looked to be in good health and measured a total of 1,98m in length. After taking the required measurements and blubber samples, I then decided to open her up and found some parasites that were situated around her genital area - possible cause of death? The last time I had seen such parasites was interestingly enough with a Fraser's dolphin we worked with in 1997! Said samples have been bagged and will make their way to Dr Almeida at the Natural History Museum in Maputo. #dolphinstranding #pontadoouro #maputonationalpark #citizenscience #dolphiinresearch #mozabique

Dolphin School Tour AISM Dec 22

The tour started off with a bout of conscious interaction with female bottlenose dolphins Di and Daisy who were in the company of mature males. The 1st of December found us enjoying the company of adult male Chucky who has not been seen for some time - looks like he was as happy to us as us him! Female Jagger offered up a whistley belly up circle swim before being whisked off by some males, leaving an engaging Chucky behind.

18/05/22 - Dolphin Diary by 🐬 Volunteer Alenka!

16/05/22 - Dolphin Diary by 🐬 Volunteer Alenka

14/05/22 - Dolphin Diary by 🐬 Volunteer Alenka

13/05/22 - Dolphin Diary by volunteer @Alenka!

Atalhos

Categoria

Agência de ecoturismo

Our Story

DolphinCareAfrica t/a Dolphin Encountours Research Center is an Association that was established in 1998 to fund the longterm monitoring of cetaceans in through educational and ethical marine mammal edu-tourism that funds research & conservation within the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve. Dolphin Center [Research]™ is the legal entity in Mozambique that trades under Dolphin Encountours Research Center. We celebrate two decades of working with the wild Dolphins of Ponta™.

Structured wild dolphin swim programs were initiated in PDO by Dolphin Encountours during the mid 90‘s after regular visits by founder Angie Gullan confirmed the residency of bottlenose dolphins in the four lower bays of Mozambique. Following her love for the dolphins, the global trend of ‘swimming with dolphins’ & SA’s ban of the activity, PDO was earmarked as a prime location to establish relations with this particular species, offering a sheltered, quite bay where dolphins were regularly observed. During 1999 Angie met Bo, a young female who took in-water encounters to the next level. So saw the birth of circle swimming and conscious interaction between dolphin and man in Ponta, with interactions sometimes lasting as long as an hour. High ethical practice together with scientifically beneficial baseline data collection was set as standard operating procedure as a means of creating a sustainable & educational program that contributed to research & conservation while facilitating in-water encounters. The project was supervised by Africa's leading whale & dolphins experts and created a consistent platform for data collection which resulted in the creation of the DolphinCare Data bank and Code of Conduct. The project has meticulously collected and stored data, imagery and in-water observations of the dolphins and other marine megafauna that frequent the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve with the aim of assessing population numbers, calf mortality rates, tourism impacts, conscious and inter-species interaction. In 2010 the project suffered a major loss with a fire that destroyed the Dolphin Center and Base Camp. Dolphin has however continued to operate against all odds - For the Love of Dolphins! Angie Gullan +258 84 330 3859

Avalon Gullan +27 79 528 8400