Dolphin Research Institute

What Dolphin Research Institute does

Dolphin Research Institute (DRI) is an Australian not-for-profit marine conservation organization founded in 1991 and headquartered at Western Port Marina, Hastings, Victoria. It conducts long-term research on cetaceans in Victorian waters, with a particular scientific focus on the Port Phillip Bay common dolphin community — the only known resident common dolphin population in a bay anywhere in the world — as well as humpback, southern right, and killer whales tracked through the Two Bays Whale Project and Killer Whales Australia programs. Its technology stack consists of citizen-science reporting portals and the PodWatch mobile application feeding long-term photo-identification catalogues (dorsal fin, humpback fluke, killer whale), which are updated across multiple editions.

DRI's program portfolio spans research, education, and community engagement. Education is delivered through the 'i sea, i care' Ambassador Program, school incursions, and curriculum-aligned resources across Victorian regions. Conservation behavior-change programs include Dolphin Distancing and Whale Distancing commitments. The organization maintains operational partnerships with Parks Victoria, the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), whale-watching tour operators, citizen scientists, and Fathom Pacific (for aerial surveys informing Bass Strait windfarm decisions).

DRI's revenue is generated through tax-deductible donations of $2 or more, the $98-per-year Adopt-A-Dolphin membership (comprising a $10 fee and $88 tax-deductible gift), $45 mailed adoption merchandise packs, the Impact Supporter business partnership program, and grants. It serves individual supporters and adopters (~1000+ supporters, 400+ paid members), Victorian schools, citizen scientists, and local businesses, with no disclosed revenue figures or external funding rounds in the source material.

Name

Dolphin Research Institute

Legal name

Dolphin Research Institute

Website

https://dolphinresearch.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dolphin Research Institute is a Victorian, Australia-based not-for-profit founded in 1991 that conducts long-term cetacean research, runs citizen-science sighting platforms, and delivers marine education programs to individual supporters, schools, businesses, and volunteers across Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Research

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine mammal research
• Citizen science platforms
• Marine conservation education
• Dolphin adoption programs
• Whale monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Hastings

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Adoption Program Memberships: Annual membership at $98 comprising $10 membership fee and $88 tax-deductible gift, offering dolphin adoption certificates, Snapshot newsletters, information materials, and stickers
2. Direct Donations: Tax-deductible donations of $2 or more supporting research, education, and leadership programs. Includes regular giving and Future Generations Tax Appeal
3. Merchandise Sales: Mailed adoption packs at $45 including identification guides, caps/beanies, dolphin money boxes, and distancing stickers; shop and auction items
4. Business Support: Impact Supporter program for businesses supporting marine conservation with various partnership levels

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dolphin Research Institute (DRI) is a not-for-profit marine conservation organization that conducts long-term research on dolphins and whales in Victoria's Port Phillip and Western Port bays, operating citizen science reporting platforms, school education programs, and supporter membership/donation programs. Its core work combines field research using dorsal fin photo-identification, multigenerational cetacean population catalogues, and public engagement through mobile apps and trained volunteer networks.

Product overview

Dolphin Research Institute operates as a marine conservation organization offering a suite of interconnected research, citizen science, and education programs rather than a single product. The core research portfolio includes the Two Bays Whale Project, Port Phillip Common Dolphin Project, and Killer Whales Australia, which generate scientific data on cetaceans in Victorian waters. Supporting these are citizen science tools—Two Bays Whale Tracker, Port Phillip Pod Surveyor, Western Port Pod Surveyor, and PodWatch mobile app—that enable community reporting of sightings. Research outputs are published through identification catalogues (Victorian Humpback Whale Fluke Catalogue, Killer Whales Eastern Catalogue). Conservation programs include the Dolphin Distancing initiative, while education offerings encompass the 'i sea, i care' Communities, Ambassador Program, and school-based Education Programs. The Adopt-A-Dolphin membership program provides supporter engagement with a $98 annual option. Internal operations use BCapture integrated with Salesforce for business data management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• i sea, i care: Community leadership and behaviour change program working with young ambassadors to deliver environmental messages for partners and wider community
• Two Bays Whale Project
• Port Phillip Common Dolphin Project
• Killer Whales Australia
• Dolphin Distancing
• Adopt-A-Dolphin
• PodWatch
• Victorian Humpback Whale Fluke Identification Catalogue
• Killer Whales of Australia – Eastern Catalogue

Products and services

• Two Bays Whale Project Long-term monitoring program for large whales in Victoria's Port Phillip and Western Port bays, tracking whale populations, migrations, and behaviours through citizen science reports and validated annual outputs.
• Port Phillip Common Dolphin Project Research initiative studying the unique year-round community of common dolphins in Port Phillip Bay, the only bay in the world where this open-ocean species resides.
• Killer Whales Australia Research program documenting and cataloguing killer whales (orcas) in Australian waters, maintaining the Eastern Catalogue for individual animal identification.
• Two Bays Whale Tracker Web-based reporting portal for citizen scientists to report sightings of dolphins and large whales (humpback, southern right, killer whales), with data entered into the Two Bays Whale Project database and validated by researchers.
• Port Phillip Pod Surveyor Long-term independent portal for trained citizen scientists to report dolphin sightings in the Port Phillip region, capturing detailed behavioural and environmental data to understand spatial and temporal patterns of resident common and bottlenose dolphins.
• Western Port Pod Surveyor Secure reporting tool for trained citizen scientists to document dolphin sightings in Western Port, contributing to understanding of resident common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins in the Mornington region.
• PodWatch Mobile Application Mobile application (iOS/Android) enabling easy reporting of dolphin and large whale sightings by citizen scientists to contribute to marine conservation monitoring.
• Victorian Humpback Whale Fluke Identification Catalogue First and only identification catalogue for humpback whales in Victorian waters, produced through collaboration with tour operators, Parks Victoria, DELWP, scientists, and citizen scientists.
• Killer Whales of Australia – Eastern Catalogue (Third Edition) Third edition identification catalogue for killer whales in Eastern Australia, the only current catalogue for the region, considered a living document updated as new animals are identified.
• Dolphin Distancing Program Voluntary commitment program encouraging boat owners and water users to maintain safe distances from dolphins (30m swimmers, 100m boats, 300m PWCs), supported by vessel stickers and community engagement.
• 'i sea, i care' Ambassador Program Youth leadership program working with young ambassadors to deliver environmental messages about marine conservation to schools and the wider community.
• Education Programs (School Incursions) School-based marine education including incursions, curriculum-aligned programs, and workshops covering marine species, pollution, and environmental stewardship for Victorian schools.
• Adopt-A-Dolphin Membership $98 annual membership supporting DRI's research, education and leadership programs. Includes certificate, dolphin information, Snapshots newsletter, and Dolphin Distancing sticker; members become associate members of DRI.

Quantifiable outcome

• 165+ common dolphins catalogued and monitored in Port Phillip
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fathom PacificcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization conducting aerial surveys for whales to inform decision-making about windfarms in Bass Strait. DRI's Research Officer David Donnelly works with Fathom Pacific while maintaining his role at DRI. Ella Hutchinson also assists with their aerial surveys.
• Parks VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the Two Bays Whale Project and creation of the Victorian Humpback Whale Fluke Identification Catalogue. Parks Victoria contributes to the healthy collaboration that produces cetacean identification resources.
• Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner collaborating on the Two Bays Whale Project and cetacean research initiatives in Victoria.
• Tour OperatorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhale and dolphin watching tour operators contribute imagery and sightings data to the Two Bays Whale Project, enabling the creation and maintenance of identification catalogues.
• Citizen ScientistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of enthusiastic community members who share digital images and sightings data, crucial for killer whale and humpback whale research and catalogue maintenance.
• Central Coastal BoardminorOthersMembership in Central Coastal Board for coastal management and environmental leadership.
• Western Port BiosphereminorOthersMembership in Western Port Biosphere initiative for regional environmental collaboration.
• Western Port Catchment CommitteeminorOthersMembership in Western Port Catchment Committee for catchment and marine environment coordination.
• National Whales RoundtableminorOthersMembership in National Whales Roundtable for national whale conservation and policy input.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WWF-Australia: Australia branch of a global conservation organization with marine programs including cetacean protection. Comparable to DRI as a conservation nonprofit with donor base, government engagement, and citizen science, but operates at national scale across many species and ecosystems rather than DRI's Victorian cetacean specialization.
• The Nature Conservancy Australia: Australia arm of a global environmental nonprofit working on marine and coastal conservation. Comparable as a science-driven Australian conservation organization with government partnerships, but broader in scope (terrestrial and marine) and more corporate-funded than DRI.
• Ocean Conservancy: US-based marine conservation nonprofit focused on ocean health, science, and policy. Comparable to DRI in mission (marine conservation), reliance on supporters and citizen engagement, and policy advocacy, though operates at international scale and is less cetacean-specialized.

Direct peers

• Pacific Whale Foundation: Research, education, and conservation nonprofit focused on whales and dolphins in the Pacific. Closely comparable to DRI in cetacean-specific research, photo-identification catalogues, citizen science, and education programs, though operating in Hawaiian waters rather than southern Australia.
• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia's largest marine conservation nonprofit, focused on protecting ocean wildlife and habitats. Highly comparable to DRI as a national-scale marine advocacy and science organization with citizen science and policy engagement, though broader in geographic scope and species coverage than DRI's cetacean focus.
• Reef Check Australia: Australian marine citizen science nonprofit engaging volunteers in reef and marine ecosystem monitoring. Comparable to DRI as an Australian marine nonprofit built around volunteer-collected data feeding scientific outputs, though focused on reef ecosystems rather than cetaceans.
• Sea Shepherd Australia: Australian marine conservation organization focused on direct-action protection of marine wildlife. Comparable to DRI as a marine nonprofit operating in Australian waters with volunteer engagement and public-facing campaigns, though Sea Shepherd's model is enforcement-led rather than research-led.

Regional players

• Dolphin Research Center: Florida-based nonprofit focused on dolphin research, education, and conservation. Comparable to DRI in dolphin-specific research, public education programs, and supporter engagement, though operates in a different geography (Florida Keys) and combines research with interactive public programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/driface
• Instagraminstagram.com/dolphinresearch/?msclkid=eb649f9cae3811ec9da31862f6f07c29
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dolphin-research-institute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dolphin Research Institute