Who are we?
Dauphins de Rangiroa, in a nutshell
Dauphins de Rangiroa (DDR) is a French non-profit association working on scientific research and citizen science, conservation, outreach and the sharing of information about bottlenose dolphins of Rangiroa atoll, in the Tuamotu archipelago of French Polynesia. For about twenty years now, these cetaceans have indeed been the target of sustained, intrusive tourism activities. DDR draws on nearly twenty years of experience and scientific monitoring of bottlenose dolphins in Rangiroa, and more than ten years of experience working with eco-volunteers from all backgrounds.
Areas of focus and partnerships
We focus our research on:
Demographic monitoring of the bottlenose dolphin community in the Tiputa area, in the north of Rangiroa atoll.
Monitoring of the behaviors and risks observed in connection with their interactions with tourism activities.
Outreach to promote ethical and sustainable cetacean-watching practices.
We focus on the history and personality of each dolphin in the Tiputa community, and we benefit from the support of:

Pamela Carzon
President of the DDR association, Pamela has been monitoring the bottlenose dolphins of the Tiputa area for nearly twenty years. In 2017, she earned her EPHE MSc degree on the demographic parameters and social organization of this cetacean community. In 2024, she defended her PhD thesis in ethology at EPHE-PSL on the behavioral changes observed in these dolphins in relation to their interactions with scuba diving tourism, and the risks associated with repeated close interactions between humans and dolphins in the wild.
Published research
The association moves forward thanks to its members and supporters
Become a member →Latest news

Thank you to Jérôme and Isabelle for their precious sharing! 🙏
Thanks to the generosity of Jérôme 📸, who brought us photos, and Isabelle 🎥, who shared videos of the Tiputa dolphins dating from the late 1990s and e…
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Moana the dolphin: the collection is coming to an end, your support matters more than ever!
A few weeks ago, we announced the launch of a donation collection on the Anāvai Foundation platform, to co-fund the creation of an awareness comic boo…
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⚠️ Call for vigilance in the Tiputa area…
A new little dolphin has joined the bottlenose dolphin community!🐬🌊
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In July: encounters, project, and astonishing underwater observation!
Encounters and exchanges This month of July has been very busy for Dauphins de Rangiroa.
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The Anavai Foundation launches a fundraiser to help the dolphins of Rangiroa!
Over the past fifteen years, more than one in five dolphins has disappeared from the Tiputa area in Rangiroa.
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In June, 'Dauphins de Rangiroa' takes part in a shoot for France 2
Ten days of shooting were necessary to collect the images that will be used to produce a 26-minute report broadcast at the end of 2026 on the program …
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