Dolphin Dynasty (ATOM Study Guide)

Dolphin Dynasty follows the secret lives of groups of dolphins that reside in Shark Bay on the Western Australian coast. This film shows intimate details of behaviours of the dolphins of Shark Bay, some of which have never been seen before.

The film's focus is the complex social behaviours of family groups, including passing on skills from generation to generation. A year of filming is used to tell the story that marine scientists have put together of the secret lives of this much-loved species. Based on close observations over time, the filming employs infrared camera filming techniques, documenting behaviour never before seen at night, along with the complexities of interactions in developing social cultures. Dolphin culture is shown to be handed on from one generation to the next, with different groups being observed in Dolphin Dynasty employing their own complex hunting strategies in order to keep up food intake through the seasons in their own specific niche.

Curriculum links:

• Science (biology, structure/function, feeding and social interrelationships, life cycles, animal behaviour, conservation, endangered species)