As both their common and Latin names suggest they live in coastal and estuarine waters around the northern coast of Australia, and are also found further north to the southern waters of the island of New Guinea, or more correctly, along the Sahul shelf. Newborn calves are about 1m in length and grow to around 2.7m. The clue is in their name. Australian humpbacks lack the hump present in other species of Sousa and their dorsal fin is low and triangular. Where do Australian humpback dolphins live? This species of humpback dolphin lacks the prominent hump found in other species of Sousa, and their dorsal fin is lower and more triangular.They have grey bodies with a lighter belly, separated by a darker, diagonal “cape”. Australian humpbacks are mostly grey with a lighter belly Australian Humpback dolphins are more leisurely swimmers than some other dolphin species and do not as a rule surf bow waves. The Australian humpback dolphin becomes the fourth recognized humpback dolphin species. The study appears online today in the journal Marine … Each pod is lead by an alpha male, or, on occasion, an alpha female.
Australian humpback dolphin jumping out of the water. VULNERABLE Dolphin Humpback Distribution & Habitat • Humpback dolphins live close to the coast within the tropical waters of Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are slate-grey in colour and relatively slender, with a long cylindrical beak. Unlike other ‘humpback’ dolphins (Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific), and contrary to their name, the Australian humpback dolphin doesn’t have a distinct hump at all. The Australian humpback dolphin (Sousa sahulensis) was recently described as separate species.
Males will have raking marks on their bodies from fights with other males over territory, and/or female members of its pod. The Australian Humpback Dolphin is listed as vulnerable in Queensland (Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Queensland): August 2015 list as Sousa sahulensis) due to habitat destruction which has been caused by development, tourism, and incidental capture from shark control programs and fisheries. The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin has been split into three different species: Sousa plumbea (the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin), Sousa chinensis (the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Chinese white dolphin, or Taiwanese white dolphin), and Sousa sahulensis (the Australian humpback dolphin). What do Australian humpback dolphins look like? They swim in small pods of around five or so dolphins. Reproduction & Breeding • Gestation period of 10-12 months. They typically are found in small groups near estuaries, deep channels, rocky reefs, in sheltered bays, open ocean and occasionally in surf zones.