Welcome to
Wild Sydney Harbour.
A citizen science project designed to promote an understanding of wildlife in and around Sydney Harbour, Australia.
Working together with:
Report a sighting
Report a sighting
Why is it needed?
We are so lucky to have a diversity of wildlife in Sydney Harbour.
Some animals live here year-round such as penguins, sharks and dolphins, while others visit at certain times of the year, like humpback whales. Creating an understanding of the types of wildlife we encounter will enable us to better understand animal movements, habitat use and best inform how we protect these animals in our marine backyard.
Fur seal enjoys the Opera House steps. Photo: Dr Vanessa Pirotta
What does Wild Sydney Harbour document?
Life above and below the water.
Examples of wildlife include birds, fur seals, seahorses, dolphins, whales, penguins and sharks.
We’re currently focused on:
Occurrence and habitat use by fur seals and dolphins in Sydney Harbour.
Human interactions with wildlife in Sydney Harbour.
Report sightings here
There’s two ways to report wildlife sightings:
Via social media
2. Via our short survey
Social media
Tag and tell us using #wildsydneyharbour
We’re social:
Instagram: @wildsydneyharbour
Twitter: @wildsydharbour
Facebook: @wildsydneyharbour
For citizen scientists wanting to go the next step,
here’s our short survey:
Good news.
We have a dedicated fur seal and dolphin reporting survey.
And it’s short!
Click on the image to launch the survey.
What’s it used for?
Science!
We will be gathering information from social media and via our short survey to document wildlife sightings through citizen science.
This will compliment current scientific research conducted via the Marine Predator Research Group at Macquarie University.
Please keep our wildlife safe.
Rules for watching wildlife
There are rules in place to ensure your safety and the safety of our wildlife. Please remember to keep our wildlife safe when watching them. Be respectful and keep your distance. Never try to touch wildlife. This includes when watching from land, on or in the water or from the air via drone.
Media.
Whales out the front of the Opera House!
There’s a reason we have a whale in our logo! Yes, two whales made their way right into Sydney Harbour in September 2023. Click on the image to read the Sydney Morning Herald article.
The return of Sydney’s seals
Feature via The Sydney Morning Herald
ABC Radio Sydney
Dr Vanessa Pirotta spoke with Richard Glover about dolphin research in Sydney Harbour as part of Self Improvement Wednesdays. Click the image below.
The first study of dolphins in
Sydney Harbour
Feature via The Sydney Morning Herald
In the future.
A Wild Sydney Harbour App
We are currently developing an exciting app to streamline the data collection process. We hope to learn more about each sighting by collecting the following information:
Location
Time
Date
Animal
Behaviour- what was it doing?
Photo
Meet the team.
Dr Vanessa Pirotta
Wildlife scientist, founder and chief scientist of Wild Sydney Harbour.
Vanessa’s research uses innovative technologies for wildlife conservation. Vanessa works across both the marine and terrestrial environments. Most notable projects include drones to collect whale snot and use of computer algorithms for the detection of illegal wildlife trafficking. Vanessa completed her Masters and PhD in the Marine Predator Research Group at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, where her work focused on the conservation of whales and dolphins.
Vanessa continues her wildlife research working closely with the indigenous rangers, the Gamay Rangers and citizen scientists to help conserve and promote an understanding of science. She is passionate about inspiring the next generation of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) champions.
Captain Dean Cropp
Underwater cinematographer, boat captain and ocean adventurer.
Dean is our eyes and ears on the harbour. He is also the first person in the world to undertake a 24hr SCUBA dive cleaning up Sydney Harbour. Son of legendary explorer Ben Cropp, Dean follows his father’s passion for ocean conservation.
Professor Rob Harcourt
Professor of Marine Ecology
Rob leads the Marine Predator Research Group at Macquarie University & the Australian Integrated Marine Observing System Animal Tracking Facility
