1. A ground-breaking study of wild dolphins in Singapore waters.
2. Exploring Singapore’s first ever dolphin-watching tours, providing an ethical alternative to seeing dolphins in captivity.
ACRES says: "Dolphins in Singapore waters have never been studied in detail before. We need to urgently find out more if we are to protect them in their natural habitat. It’s time we became aware of who they are, what they do and where they go, so that we can make sure they receive the protection they need to thrive and survive into the future."
Ground-breaking study to protect the dolphins
For the next two years, two full-time ACRES researchers (one with a Masters in Marine Biology and the other with a degree in Zoology and Conservation Biology) will be studying the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis). The study will be carried out in waters surrounding the Southern Islands and in Singapore’s first marine park – the Sister’s Island Marine Park. It will gather data on population numbers, distribution, home range and behaviours of the dolphins and seeks to understand the potential threats they face.
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
An alternative to the cruel captive dolphin industry
ACRES understands that people want to see dolphins, and seeing dolphins in the wild, displaying natural behaviours, can inspire people to think more about their actions and lifestyle and how they can reduce their negative impact in the oceans . As such, ACRES is exploring setting up Singapore’s first-ever wild dolphin watching tours. The tours will follow strict ethical guidelines to ensure that the welfare of the wild dolphins is not compromised.
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More about wild dolphins in Singapore on wildsingapore.
