As anyone who has been to the seaside lately knows there are still humpback whales heading north.

On any day we have been able to enjoy the company of a pod or two during our whale-watching tours.

What may not be as obvious to the casual observer is the presence of other species that are around at this time of year.

As the temperature drops, we are fortunate to have the normally deep sea “common dolphin” grace our waters. I mean it when I say grace because this species has the power and speed to make everything they do seem effortless. These dolphins are the hyper cousins. Fast to join a boat, ride the bow, peel away to ride the wake, then off to do the next thing.

They are distinguished from other local species by their brown, more than grey, colouring, with a pale beige colour below and brown above. “Common dolphin” is actually a misnomer because they are around usually in the colder months and then move back out to sea as it warms up.

The picture shows the commons off Tallows beach. You can see them for a few more months, either at sea or from a headland.

Other seasonal species that we may see are the Bryde’s whale, Antarctic minke, false killer whale and a fairly regular appearance by a returning couple of southern right whales.

There are two main resident dolphin species, the inshore bottlenose and the offshore bottlenose. The dolphins we enjoy watching around the breakwalls, beaches and headlands are usually the inshore bottlenose. Thanks to the work and commitment of Liz Hawkins from Southern Cross University, we now know these dolphins are a resident population.

The offshore bottlenose tends to be a mile or two off the coast and is distinguished from the inshore by size and markings.

Increasingly the offshores have a behavioural difference that changes their markings. By frequently crossing over each other’s backs behind the dorsal fin, the offshores’ colour in that region fades to near white. The older the animal, the paler the back. They also grow up to 20 per cent bigger than the inshores.

Looking out to sea it can seem like there’s not much change out there but it’s my experience that the more you look, the more you see.