Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

The common bottlenose dolphin, or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, is one of three bottlenose species in the genus Tursiops. The name "bottlenose dolphin" was once used for this animal alone but now refers to the whole genus. Because the species shows considerable genetic variation, even between neighbouring populations, many researchers expect that further species will eventually be split out.

Family

Delphinidae

Avg Size

250-380 cm

Habitat

While dolphins as a group occur in every ocean and even in some rivers, the common bottlenose dolphin keeps to warmer waters, inhabiting temperate, subtropical and tropical seas worldwide, with a global population estimated at around 600,000. Some populations live close to shore and others well out to sea; the offshore animals are generally larger and darker with proportionally shorter fins and beaks. Offshore groups may migrate up to 4,200 km (2,600 mi) in a season, whereas inshore groups roam much less.

Behaviour

A highly social species, it lives in groups called pods that average about 15 animals but can range from pairs up to more than 100, and occasionally over 1,000 for brief periods. Group makeup depends on the age and sex of its members and can shift over time, while geographic range shapes much of the dolphins' behaviour, including how densely they travel. Pods take several forms, including nursery groups, juvenile groups and bands of adult males.

Where & When to See It

Amphoras

Dolphin

Where & When to See It

More Marine Mammals