Oceans Month is a time to celebrate the beauty and importance of our marine life, and few sights capture this better than dolphins surfing the waves along South Africa’s coastline, bringing joy and excitement to all who see them.

Several dolphin species inhabit our coastal waters, but the bottlenose, common and humpback dolphins are the ones most often spotted near shore. Known for their intelligence and strong social bonds, dolphins play a vital role as top predators in maintaining balance within marine ecosystems. They are also important indicators of ocean health, as their sensitivity to environmental changes means that declines in their populations can signal serious concerns such as pollution or dwindling fish stocks.

During Oceans Month, it is important to highlight that while the humpback dolphin is listed as endangered in South Africa, all marine dolphin species face significant threats. These include pollution, habitat degradation, and bycatch—where dolphins are accidentally caught in fishing gear due to non-selective fishing practices and shark nets.

What is WWF doing?

WWF SA, together with WWF-SASSI (Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative), works with a wide range of stakeholders—from large fishing companies to subsistence fishers, as well as scientists, government, retailers, restaurants and consumers—to promote more sustainable fishing practices and sustainable seafood options.

This raises awareness of seafood that is associated with destructive fishing practices and promotes sustainable seafood caught in ways that cause minimal harm to our dolphins and oceans at large.

Protecting dolphins during Oceans Month means safeguarding the future of our oceans and all life that depends on them.

How does the symbolic adoption work?

By choosing a symbolic adoption, you’re making a meaningful decision to support the protection of our natural world. Your contribution helps conserve the beautiful—yet often fragile—environments that both people and wildlife depend on.

This makes a thoughtful and impactful gift for animal lovers, environmental champions, or anyone who cares deeply about the planet.

What you get

Certificate

A digital symbolic adoption certificate.

Photograph

A beautiful digital photograph.

Cuddly toy

An optional soft toy to love forever. *Toy may vary from image shown.

Regular updates

We'll keep you updated on how you're supporting our vital work including sending you adoption updates two to three times a year.

Did you know?

Dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals known for their problem-solving skills, communication abilities, and strong social bonds.

They use a special technique called echolocation, sending out sound waves to navigate, hunt, and “see” underwater even in dark or murky conditions.

Dolphins are very social and often live in groups called pods, which can range from a few individuals to hundreds, working together to find food and protect each other.

They can swim at speeds of up to around 30 km/h and are known for riding waves and bow riding alongside boats and larger marine animals.