About

The Namibian Dolphin Project is a research and conservation project working in Walvis Bay and Luderitz, Namibia which was started in 2008 and has grown from strength to strength since then. Our core focus is research on coastal dolphins and whales in Namibian waters with the ultimate aim of generating high quality data that is useful to both science and management. We work closely with local NGO’s, including the Namibian Chamber of Environment who host us officially, the Namibian Nature Foundation, especially their Albatross Task Force and local seal disentangling heroes Ocean Conservation Namibia. We also work closely with the marine tourism industry and the Namibian government to ensure that our results get to the right people and make an impact in real world scenarios.

Our mission is primarily to research Namibia’s cetaceans to generate data on these populations that can be used for their conservation through management. Additionally, we are increasingly working with the community through our outreach programme to increase awareness of the Namibia’s marine life. As lovers of nature, we are concerned with the increasing number of human impacts that are threatening the Namibian environment, as scientists, we hope we can do something about it.

The Namibian Dolphin Project team is led by PIs Dr Simon Elwen and Dr Tess Gridley. The field office in Walvis Bay is currently being run by Dani Conry and Frikkie van der Vyver. We usually take on additional African and International long-term volunteers to help run the station and research year round. We always have data and projects in mind – but we rarely have bursary money for students. If you’re interested in being involved – get in touch by email.