Species profile

Name: bottlenose dolphins are the most common members of the oceanic dolphin family. There are three separate species: the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), and Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis).

Appearance: bottlenose dolphins are usually a dark grey colour on their backs and lighter grey on their sides. Older dolphins sometimes have spots. They get their names from their distinctively elongated jaws.

Size: they typically weigh around 300 kg and reach a length of just over 4 metres.

Diet: fish are the main items in their diets although they also eat shrimp, squid, molluscs, and cuttlefish. Bottlenose dolphins have a number of innovative ways of catching their prey. Some work in teams to herd shoals of fish towards the shore where they can’t escape. Others strike fish with their tails to knock them out of the water. Some trap fish in mini whirlpools by tightly circling their shoals. While others force fish onto mudflats before launching themselves onto land to grab anything that has washed up on shore!

Did you know: bottlenose dolphins are one of the most intelligent species on Earth. Numerous investigations of their intelligence have been conducted – examining their ability for mimicry, use of artificial language, object categorisation, and self-recognition. They can use tools and share cultural knowledge from generation to generation. They have even been trained to locate sea mines or detect enemy divers! In some areas, they work with local fishermen to drive fish into their nets and eat any that escape. 

Location: they can be found in warm and temperate seas worldwide, being found everywhere except for the Arctic and Antarctic Circle.

Where to see BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS

According to reports submitted to WildSide, you can see bottlenose dolphins in the following places:

Photo credit: janeb13 under a Creative Commons license from Pixabay