PHOTOS and video footage of a rare species of dolphin could be a thorn in the side of developers proposing a $1.4 billion resort and residential hub for Ella Bay.
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins have been photographed playing in the ocean within 50m of the shoreline at Ella Bay, near Innisfail, and a conservationist has appealed to Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett to step in.
Bramston Beach’s Russell Constable has enjoyed watching the dolphins splashing and leaping out of the ocean at Ella Bay five times in the past month.
"It’s been awesome to see them – you can tell they’re not your usual bottle-nosed dolphins because they have a broad triangular fin and a much larger snout," Mr Constable said.
His sightings have been confirmed by dolphin experts.
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins are listed as rare under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act.
They are known to be in northern Australian waters, to live in shallow near-shore areas often near river mouths and to be susceptible to impacts from coastal development and agriculture.
Mr Constable, who also campaigned against the Ella Bay development proposal after discovering endangered marine turtles nesting on the beach, said marine migratory species had not been considered in Ella Bay’s environmental impact assessment.
Ella Bay chief executive officer Rod Lamb has not commented on the sightings.
Developers want to build four five-star resorts, an 18-hole golf course, 540 houses, a village precinct and an international school on land above the beach which is bordered by World Heritage rainforest.
The final proposal documents are expected to be with the Federal Government by the end of this month.
