A PLAYFUL, mysterious and photogenic dolphin in the bay finally has a name. The Dolphin Research Institute announced that dolphin #89, a flippered local of Port Phillip Bay’s unique community of common dolphins, will be named Nellie following a community “name the dolphin” competition.
Nellie made waves after being spotted in 2022, stealing hearts and even seen babysitting another dolphin’s young calf. Researchers didn’t know whether Nellie was male or female just yet – as it’s quite hard to tell – and the name needed to take this into account.
The institute said there were “many lovely and a few wacky suggestions” and thanked all contributions.
After much consideration, the judges chose “Nellie”. The submission read: “I was visiting my youngest granddaughter, who lives in Rosebud. I live in Central Victoria, and the Mornington Peninsula is home to six of my family. “She was wearing a jumper with a dolphin on the front as we walked around the streets of Mornington. I passed a lady handing out the “name the dolphin” flyers, and my gorgeous little Nellie carried that flyer for the rest of the day. “Her favourite cuddly toy is Ollie the octopus, and she has a strong connection to the sea, as her dad buys and catches food from the area.”
First published in the Mornington News – 5 August 2025
