As a boat full of tourists sets off to see dolphins in Victor Harbor early on Saturday morning, they are joined on board by a group of citizen scientists. They head out regularly, collecting samples, data and observations that have proven to be invaluable for research into South Australia's harmful algal bloom. Now, while continuing to monitor the water, they are also watching the wildlife for signs of bird flu, after the first Australian case in a dolphin identified locally at Goolwa Beach, which was followed by a new suspected case in a sea lion at Victor Harbor. High alert for 'beloved' dolphins Nedra Haines has been monitoring her beloved dolphins for 14 years, as part of the Victor Harbor Dolphin Watch Group. She has helped to compile their catalogue of 140 bottlenose dolphins and 50 common dolphins, identifying them through the shape and markings of their dorsal fins. Information collected on each dolphin and their environment is fed into the state government's biological database of South Australia. The dolphin watchers were, without realising it at the time, some of the first to see the very early signs of the algal bloom before it blew up spectacularly on local beaches...

Australia spent decades as the only landmass that the H5 strain of bird flu did not touch, the same strain that caused mayhem among wildlife and poultry around the world. That era is over, as the virus has shown up this year, spreading from migratory seabirds into Australian mammals, like a red fox near Adelaide, fur seals in South Australia, and now it’s spread to a dolphin, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The dolphin was found dead near Goolwa, south of Adelaide, with high levels of the virus found in its brain. Not surprising, as Dolphins sometimes follow seabirds around since the birds can spot fish from above. This clever hunting hack gives the virus the opportunity to hitch a ride on a whole new species. Australia Just Confirmed Its First Known Dolphin Death From H5 Bird Flu Australia has now recorded 413 confirmed H5 bird flu infections in wildlife, with no confirmed cases in poultry or agricultural livestock, leading officials to say that the risk to humans remains low, for now. There is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission. The bigger concern is where the virus can jump next, as seals and sea lions often gather in densely...

Australia spent years preparing for the highly contagious H5N1 to arrive. The virus mainly affects birds, causing a type of influenza that is extremely fatal. That moment finally came in June, when migratory seabirds along the country’s southern coast tested positive for the virus. In a little more than two months, H5N1 has already moved beyond birds, infecting fur seals, a fox, and now a dolphin. The common dolphin was found dead near Goolwa, about 70 kilometers south of Adelaide. Tests confirmed H5N1, making it Australia’s first documented case in a dolphin. The discovery is yet another warning that an outbreak that began in birds is becoming a broader wildlife problem. Australia confirmed its first case of the globally circulating H5 strain in June 2026, in a migratory brown skua in Western Australia. By September 1st, the country had recorded 446 positive wildlife events, according to the federal government’s latest H5 bird flu data. An “event” can involve one or more animals. H5N1 has still not been detected in Australian poultry or other livestock, and officials say the risk to people remains low. “To have one here so soon is very shocking for me and very worrying,” Mike Bossley, a...

A dead dolphin found at Goolwa on South Australia's (SA) Fleurieu Peninsula has returned a positive test result for H5N1 bird flu, according to state authorities.

SYDNEY, Aug 28 — H5N1 bird flu has been detected in a dead dolphin in South Australia, officials in the state said Friday, the first case of its kind in the country. The cetacean was found dead in Goolwa, just over 60 kilometres (37 miles) south of Adelaide, the state’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions said. “While the detection in the common dolphin is a new development in Australia, there is evidence of dolphins and porpoises catching H5 bird flu overseas,” the department said. “Dolphins would not commonly eat birds but it is not unusual for them to sometimes interact.” Australia was for years the only continental landmass free of the H5 strain, which has caused severe disease and death in poultry and wild birds worldwide. There have been no cases detected in poultry or in the country’s agriculture production. South Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer Skye Fruean told media that the dolphin is believed to have “eaten a bird or interacted closely with a wild bird”. “We know that dolphins are highly susceptible,” she said. Officials also confirmed Friday that the highly contagious influenza had been detected in a red fox near Adelaide. It is the first case detected...

SYDNEY: H5N1 bird flu has been detected in a dead dolphin in South Australia, officials in the state said Friday (Aug 28), the first case of its kind in the country. The cetacean was found dead in Goolwa, just over 60km south of Adelaide, the state's Department of Primary Industries and Regions said. "While the detection in the common dolphin is a new development in Australia, there is evidence of dolphins and porpoises catching H5 bird flu overseas," the department said. "Dolphins would not commonly eat birds but it is not unusual for them to sometimes interact." Australia was for years the only continental landmass free of the H5 strain, which has caused severe disease and death in poultry and wild birds worldwide. There have been no cases detected in poultry or in the country's agriculture production. South Australia's Chief Veterinary Officer Skye Fruean told media that the dolphin is believed to have "eaten a bird or interacted closely with a wild bird". "We know that dolphins are highly susceptible," she said. Officials also confirmed Friday that the highly contagious influenza had been detected in a red fox near Adelaide. It is the first case detected in a land mammal...

A dolphin has died from H5 bird flu in South Australia, marking the second native mammal species known to have contracted the virus. It comes as the federal government announced it would withdraw researchers from the subantarctic Macquarie Island research station due to the “psychosocial risk” of witnessing potential mass seal deaths from H5N1 during the upcoming seal breeding season. The common dolphin was found recently deceased near Goolwa on the SA’s Fleurieu Peninsula. State tests confirmed the animal was positive for H5N1, with samples sent to the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness for further analysis. It follows two earlier detections in long-nosed fur seals in SA at Beachport and the Pages Islands and a case in a red fox – a feral pest species – near Port Adelaide. The federal government’s risk assessment rated common dolphins at high risk from bird flu, meaning they potentially face severe population declines where the virus takes hold. “While the detection in the common dolphin is a new development in Australia, there is evidence of dolphins and porpoises catching H5 bird flu overseas,” a spokesperson for SA’s department of primary industries and regions said. “Dolphins would not commonly eat birds but it is...

South Australian authorities confirm the country's first H5N1 bird flu in a common dolphin, which was found dead on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

South Australian authorities confirm the country's first H5N1 bird flu in a common dolphin, which was found dead on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Australia’s first H5 bird flu detection in a dolphin has been recorded at Goolwa, as South Australia confirms 46 additional events under a new testing approach.

South Australian authorities have detected H5N1 bird flu in a common dolphin on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Advocates for Goolwa's eateries and heritage attractions say the site of a former automotive repair business has been targeted for the town's first fast food outlet.

Advocates for Goolwa's eateries and heritage attractions say the site of a former automotive repair business has been targeted for the town's first fast-food outlet.

Advocates for Goolwa's eateries and heritage attractions say the site of a former automotive repair business has been targeted for the town's first fast-food outlet. 

Around 8:10 am, CFS firefighters responded to a fire at a single-storey house at Goolwa on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Around 25 CFS firefighters on 9 trucks attended, supported by SA Police, SA Ambulance Service and South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus worked to control the fire and prevent it from spreading to neighbouring properties. Damage is estimated at approximately $500,000. Fire Investigators will attend.