Marine-life experts have come to the conclusion that Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins have taken permanent residence in Kagoshima Bay, Kagoshima Prefecture.
After several years of annual field studies, experts at Kagoshima City Aquarium now believe two schools of some 50 dolphins are residing in the bay. Each school includes young dolphins, they said, and they are probably reproducing in the bay.
Aquarium official Nobutaka Kubo said it is rare for dolphins to be observable year round so close to a city. The rich marine resources in the bay provide the perfect environment for dolphins, he said.