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| 50 Owen St, Huskisson NSW 2540, Australia. Ph: 02 4441 6311 Fax 02 4441 5885
Email:
cruises@dolphinwatch.com.au
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Jervis Bay Image Gallery
Scroll down to see just some of the reasons why Dolphin Watch Cruises is the most awarded dolphin and whale cruise on the south coast.......
Click here for Cruise Times and Information
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NSW Tourism - finalist 2005, 2006 and 2007
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Jervis Bay's Best Tour
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UNFORTUNATELY WHALE SEASON HAS COME TO AN END.
The good news is that we saw more whales this year than we have in any previous year.
Make sure you join us in 2008 on the Spirit of Jervis Bay.
<CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR WHALE SIGHTINGS FOR 2007>
Jervis Bay is fast becoming known as NSW's best whale watcing destination
and Jervis Bay Whales is the best cruise company to take you to see these magnificent creatures.
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Dolphin Watch Cruises Jervis Bay - the original Jervis Bay cruise company
Dolphin Watch Cruises - Jervis Bay conducts the largest dolphin and whale watching cruises on Jervis Bay. Dolphin Watch Cruises is the original cruising company of Jervis Bay and has been conducting cruises on Jervis Bay out of Huskisson for over 15 years. Dolphin Watch Cruises commenced operation in 1990 and since that time we have conducted over 7,000 dolphin watching and whale watching cruises, with over 400,000 satisfied customers.
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Whale Watching on Jervis Bay - NSW's premiere whale watching
Jervis Bay provides some of the best whale watching along the east coast of Australia. Last years season (May to Nov) was our best ever in terms of whale sightings and we expect this year to be even better. Ask us how to maximise the chances of you getting the best opportunity to see the whales.
During the southern migration, often mothers, but more particularly calves, need to take time out to rest on the journey, and Jervis Bay has proven to be a favourite "rest stop". This has provided us with some of our most spectacular whale watching right here in Jervis Bay as we switch off the engines and watch as whales swim up to the boat to investigate what all the fuss is about. You sometimes wonder who is watching whom ? Visit our dedicated Jervis Bay whale watching site www.jervisbaywhales.com.au.
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Tekin III - The Spirit of Jervis Bay
Our vessel, The Spirit of Jervis Bay, is a 17m triple-deck catamaran, which has been specifically designed for dolphin
and whale watching on Jervis Bay. "The Spirit" has the advantage of being the largest whale watching and dolphin watching vessel in Jervis Bay and this means that whatever the conditions, you know you will be comfortable, dry and most importantly, safe. The Spirit of Jervis Bay has capacity to take up to 140 people on its cruises so you know that you will never be crowded. We have a fully licensed bar on board and we serve complimentary morning or afternoon tea on every cruise.
We have four observation decks from which to view the whales and dolphins of Jervis Bay and a fully enclosed dining area. The first deck is on the bow of the boat (front deck) and allows guests to view the dolphins at close range if they choose to "bow ride" off the front of the boat, always a crowd favourite. The second deck is at the stern of the boat and provices great viewing for the whales when they get up close and personal.
The third observation deck provides covered seating on our main deck with open air viewing of the whales and dolphins for those preferring to avoid the elements.
The fourth observation deck is The Spirit's crowning glory. It sits atop the vessel and allows 360 degree views of Jervis Bay. It is unique in that it sits some 20 feet above the surface of the water and allows for maximum viewing angle to the dolphins and whales swimming in the water below.
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The Most Awarded Cruise on the South Coast
Dolphin Watch Cruises - Jervis Bay is a 5 times NSW Tourism Award Winner and an 13 times South Coast Region Tourism award winner. Dolphin Watch Cruises was recently awarded the prize for best tour operator in the South Coast Region for 2004, 2005 and again in 2006. We have been finalists in the NSW tourism awards in the last two years.
We have been one of the leading tourist attractions in the Jervis Bay area for over 15 years. The high level of customer service that we demand from both ourselves and our crew ensures that our passengers enjoy the best possible dolphin
and whale watching experience on Jervis Bay. It is the reason behind our continued award winning success.
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Jervis Bay Marine Park - Eco-tourism at its Best
Dolphin Watch Cruises operates on the pristine waters of the Jervis
Bay Marine Park. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty with white sandy beaches, towering sandstone cliffs and sparkling blue waters. Jervis Bay itself is only two
and a half hours south of Sydney and three hours from Canberra. Jervis
Bay Marine Park features an abundance of wildlife including dolphins, seals, whales (May to November) sea eagles, penguins and gannets to name a few, all of which can be seen on a normal cruise around the bay.
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The Dolphin Watch Team
Matt and Lisa Cross operate Dolphin Watch Cruises out of their offices at 50 Owen Street, Huskisson (look
for the two life sized dolphins) with their experienced team of skippers and crew. They would like to welcome you on board Tekin III and hope that you enjoy
your experience as they "show off" the pristine beauty that has become synonymous with Jervis Bay. Feel free to drop into the office to view our spectacular whale and dolphin footage on video or to ask Matt and Lisa and the crew a few questions and learn about Jervis Bay and its surrounding area.
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Accommodation - let the staff at Dolphin Watch Cruises help you
The staff at Jervis Bay Whales are happy to help you choose the most suitable accomodation for your stay in the Shoalhaven. We have affiliatioins with many of the accommodation providers in and around Jervis Bay. Just tell us what you're looking for and we can help you find it.
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The Boat House - Luxury Accommodation on Jervis Bay
Brand new Luxury Accommodation on the water at Jervis Bay
contact the staff at Dolphin Watch Cruises for availability and rates
(Ask about our opening season special rates)
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Huskisson Beach Tourist Resort - For the ultimate family holiday accommodation, romantic getaway, or just plain R&R our Jervis Bay accommodation here at Huskisson Beach Tourist Resort offers it all. Enjoy a relaxing break away from the everyday lifestyle in one of our luxury Jervis Bay accommodation cabins with gorgeous views of Jervis Bay and surrounding areas
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At Jervis Bay Getaways we offer a quality award winning selection of beach bungalows sea shacks lake huts country houses eco stays or romantic cottages ideal for couples groups and families to meet different tastes and budgets. Choose from a unique collection of owner hosted privately located self contained properties all with gas or wood log fires spa baths and local hand crafted furniture.
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Dolphin and Whale Photography
We are very fortunate to have a friend in Rudi Vavra, a professional photographer who shares our delight in the majesty of these creatures. Rudi is a regular on our whale cruises and has very graciously allowed us to reproduce some of his images on our website. For a more detialed look at some of Rudi's work, please visit www.rudiphoto.net and don't forget to check out our sister website at www.jervisbaywhales.com.au
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| "Free return cruise if no
dolphins are sighted on a dolphin cruise" |
| www.jervisbaydolphins.com.au |
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Tekin III - The Spirit of Jervis Bay is specially designed for all weather cruising.
Of course, we cruise only when the conditions allow, but the odd spot of rain will not spoil your day. In fact, some of the best viewing conditions occur when the sky is overcast with no breeze. This allows for less glare and less reflection off the surface of the water, giving you greater viewing through the water to see our dolphins and whales.
To help you plan your cruise dates, we have added our local weather conditions, for your convenience.
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The Spirit of Jervis Bay provides safe, comfortable viewing, in all weather conditions.
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| Email:
cruises@dolphinwatch.com.au |
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| www.jervisbaywhales.com.au |
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| Macquarie University has been conducting
research on dolphins in Jervis Bay since the early 1990's, including
investigations into distribution, abundance, social organisation,
genetic relationships & acoustic behaviour. Current research
on their distribution is being undertaken in conjunction with
Jervis Bay Marine Park & Dolphin Watch Cruises. |
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Where are bottlenose dolphins found?
Bottlenose dolphins are only one of the 35species of marine mammals that live in Australian waters. There are a total of 70 species of dolphins & whales worldwide. They are found from cooler temperate to tropical waters & while they are often seen frolicking in bays & lagoons just like Jervis Bay, they are also sighted quite a distance offshore. |
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What are their feeding habits?
Bottlenose dolphins are skilled hunters that eat a variety of foods, including fish, squid,
octopus & eels. They may consume about 8 kg of food a day. Dolphins do not chew their prey, they generally eat it head first & whole. |
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What is their breeding cycle?
Female dolphins generally begin to breed when they are between 8 & 14 years of age, In males, sexual maturity is reached by the age of 10 years-. Gestation takes about 12 months, & a single calf is born, usually in the warmer months. |
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Mammals or fish?
Dolphins & whales (scientific name: cetacea) are all warm blooded, air breathing, give birth to live young, suckle their young with milk & have hair follicles! Yes, believe it or not, when dolphins are born they have hair follicles on either side of their rostrums (or beak). It is thought that the hair assists the calves with feeding. |
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How do we recognise the dolphins in Jervis Bay?
Dolphins can be individually recognised by unique features on their dorsal fins such as nicks &
scars. These scars may arise through fighting & at times, sharks & close encounters with boats! Researchers are able to recognise individual dolphins by photographing their dorsal fins, which is similar to our fingerprint. |
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What is the size, shape & family history of the Jervis Bay dolphins?
Just like people, dolphins vary in size, shape & colour between individuals & geographic location. At birth, dolphins are usually less than 1 m in length & weigh only about 10kg. Adult male dolphins can grow to about 2.5 metres & up to 200 kg, while the females are slightly smaller in both length & weight.
Dr. Luciana Moller from the Macquarie University Marine Mammal Research Group has used molecular methods to show that the dolphins in Jervis Bay belong to the inshore species of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). Tursiops aduncus is generally smaller in size than the offshore bottlenose dolphin of television fame Flipper, which is the closely related Tursiops truncatus. |
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How many dolphins live in Jervis Bay?
Based on photo-identification research by Dr. Luciana Moller, it has been determined that around 80 dolphins regularly reside in Jervis Bay, with occasional visits from dolphin groups from outside Jervis Bay. |
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Do dolphins sleep?
Dolphins don't actually sleep as we do, but have ‘cat naps' where they rest one half of their brain
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How can I be careful when watching dolphins by boat?
Watching dolphins in their natural environment is exciting & enjoyable. However, without due care watching dolphins may disturb or harm dolphins by introducing underwater noise, pollution or even causing physical injury. Undue stress to the dolphins can result in disruptions to their behavioural patterns. Dolphin watching in Jervis Bay follows Guidelines developed by the Australian & New Zealand Environment Conservation Council. These guidelines describe a cautious way to watch dolphins without disturbing them.
When on the water, please observe the following:
- Only approach dolphins from the side.
- Stay at least 50m away.
- Don't approach if there are any small calves.
- If the dolphins are showing any sign of disturbance, then move away slowly.
- Minimise changing gears & reversing.
- & finally... enjoy & learn!
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Where do they live in Jervis Bay?
Resident Jervis Bay dolphins generally inhabit areas where the water depths are less than 20 metres & primarily close to shore. They are found in a variety of habitats that include sea grass meadows, soft sediments & around rocky outcrops. |
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By Michelle Lemon & Luciana Molle, Marine Mammal Research Group
Macquarie University Sydney Australia |
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