Welcome to PADPIC

A collaborative initiative between the snubfin (PIDU) project and northern Australian Indigenous ranger groups, the Papua New Guinea & Australian Dolphin Photo-Identification Catalogue (PADPIC) is an online platform developed to share images and sightings of inshore dolphins: the Australian snubfin dolphin (Orcaella heinsohni), Australian humpback dolphin (Sousa sahulensis) and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus).

There is very little known about inshore dolphins in northern Australian and Papua New Guinea waters. These species can be evasive and difficult to study, so collaborative efforts are required to understand distribution and movements.

Australian snubfin and humpback dolphins are listed as ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are listed as ‘Data Deficient’. Threats such as habitat degradation and loss, coastal development and bycatch in fisheries and the Queensland Shark Control Program are ongoing issues threatening the survival of these species.

Individual inshore dolphins can be recognised by distinctive nicks and notches on their dorsal fin, often in association with other marks and scars (i.e. such as from shark bites) on other parts of their body.

Data submitted to PADPIC will provide valuable information about the distribution, movements, status and longevity of these species, which will inform conservation management and assess the current status of inshore dolphin populations.

The general public can browse this catalogue, look for dolphins in a particular place or time, or try to match their own photographs of inshore dolphins to one in the catalogue. Researchers and regular contributors can submit data and identify matches within the catalogue, as well as export data for further analysis.

The general public can browse this catalogue, look for dolphins in particular place or time, or try to match their own photographs of inshore dolphins to one in the catalogue. Researchers and regular contributors can submit data and identify matches within the catalogue, as well as export data for further analysis (see About PADPIC).

Members of the public are encouraged to contribute photographs and sighting information about dolphins or any other marine mammal via https://data.marinemammals.gov.au/report/sighting

PADPIC’s development was based on the Australasian Right Whale Photo-Identification Catalogue (ARWPIC): https://data.marinemammals.gov.au/arwpic/.

PADPIC is hosted and maintained by the Australian Marine Mammal Centre and Australian Antarctic Data Centre of the Australian Antarctic Division (Department of Environment and Energy).