Dolphins
Indian Ocean humpback dolphin
See all species In almost all countries’ coasts where they occur, Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, are either hunted or accidentally caught and kept and used for food. Unfortunately, living so close to lots of people has led to the species becoming endangered and increasingly vulnerable. Male Female Calf Maximum length 2.8m 2.6m 1.0m Maximum weight…
Read MoreSpinner dolphin
See all species Spinner dolphins are instantly recognisable due to their incredible multi-rotational aerial spinning behaviour. Spinner dolphins create huge splashes when they land back in the water. Spinner dolphins are champion spinners and well-known as skilled acrobats of the dolphin-world (other dolphins may occasionally spin but only with a couple of revolutions). They’ve been…
Read MoreBaiji
See all species The Chinese river dolphin, or baiji, holds the unenviable record of being the first dolphin species driven to extinction by human beings. The mighty Yangtze River in China was the baiji’s home for 20 million years. It took less than 50 years for humans to wipe them out. Baiji numbers crashed dramatically…
Read MoreAtlantic spotted dolphin
See all species Atlantic spotted dolphins are fast swimmers and are active at the surface, often performing acrobatics and surfing in the waves created by boats. They live only in warm and tropical water areas of the Atlantic Ocean. They usually form groups of five to 50 individuals but sometimes travel in groups of up…
Read MoreAmazon River dolphin
See all species Amazon River dolphins, popularly called ‘botos,’ are freshwater dolphins living in the rainforest rivers of South America Quite the charmers, male botos sometimes try and win over females by pulling some particularly alluring techniques out of the bag. Wooing their ladies with clever tricks, male botos pick up floating plants or pieces…
Read MoreHector’s dolphin
See all species The North Island subpopulation of Hector’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) was recently recognized as a subspecies: the Māui dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) Fishing nets are pushing these dolphins to extinction. Hector’s dolphins have been reduced to less than 25% of their numbers in the 1970s and there are fewer than 60 Māui dolphins).…
Read MoreStriped dolphin
See all species Striped dolphins come together in spectacular groups of hundreds or thousands of animals. Striped dolphins are extremely active and fast and spend a lot of time at the surface. At top speed, up to one third of a pod can be above the surface at any one time and they can leap…
Read MoreRisso’s dolphin
See all species Risso’s dolphins have a distinctive grey body which over time becomes covered in scars. Risso’s dolphins are predominantly deep water lovers and are therefore relatively unstudied, however in several places around the world they can be found within only metres of the coast enabling researchers to learn so much more about them. Other…
Read MoreIndo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin
See all species Graceful, dynamic and highly intelligent, the majestic Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins have fallen prey to human recklessness and greed. Strikingly similar to their common bottlenose cousins, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins have only been recognised as a separate species in recent decades. Other name: Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin Male Female Calf Maximum length 2.7m 2.6m…
Read MoreFalse killer whale
See all species False killer whales are so sociable they’ve even been known to offer food to human divers. Playful and social, these dolphins enjoy hanging out with other species, including bottlenose dolphins. They are prone to beaching in large groups – perhaps because the noise we humans make underwater messes with their navigation. Other…
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