The Age June 29, 2009

Melburnians have been treated to the unusual sight of four dolphins taking a dip in the Yarra River.

The bottle-nosed dolphins are believed to have swum into the Maribyrnong River from Port Phillip Bay yesterday in search of a feed.

Dolphin Research Institute executive director Jeff Weir said it was likely the group was hunting bream and had headed from the Maribyrnong River to the Yarra where fishermen had reported large numbers of the fish.

Mr Weir said there were about 100 dolphins living in the bay and about six times a year some would venture into Melbourne's rivers.

He hoped to identify the dolphins from their dorsal fins and asked anyone who had taken photographs to contact the institute.

Mr Weir reminded people that, no matter how tempting, trying to approach dolphins was illegal under the wildlife act.

He said people in boats and swimmers game enough to brave the chilly water should not get closer than 30 metres to the dolphins.

Jessica Turner was taking a breather from a bicycle ride at a riverside cafe, near Como Park, in South Yarra, about 9.30am when other patrons called out: ``Dolphins!''

The 19-year-old physiotherapy student jumped on her bike and followed the pod as it dipped and dived in the river.

"I was riding next to them for a good couple of hours, watching them swim around the bend. It was amazing, they looked so beautiful,'' she said.

Ms Turner said the group appeared to be made up of three adults and a younger dolphin and swam in a pattern as if hunting fish.

She said the dolphins at times appeared to abandon their chase to splash around in the winter sun, stopping walkers and joggers in their tracks.

Ms Turner, who lives in South Yarra and often walks and rides on the river bank,  said she had never before seen dolphins.

"They were so graceful and it was such a sunny day, the light was reflecting off them,'' she said.

"It was such an unusual thing to see the freeway behind them and four dolphins synchronised swimming.''