Dolphins are noteworthy marine mammals belonging mainly to the class Delphinidae , with a few exceptions in other families like Orcaellidae . love scientifically as cetaceans , they portion out a line of descent with hulk and porpoise but brook out for their intelligence agency , social behavior , and agility . Over 40 species exist , range from the massive orca to the tiny Hector ’s dolphin , and they inhabit ocean , rivers , and estuaries worldwide . Their streamlined consistency , dorsal V , and powerful buttocks make them olympian swimmers , while their playful nature — leap , spinning , and bow - riding — has endeared them to humans for centuries .
Physically , dolphins change widely but partake primal traits . Most have a fusiform ( point ) consistence , a beak - similar soapbox ( though some lack it ) , and a vent-hole atop their head for respiration . Their peel is smooth and rubberlike , often gray , though species like the Commerson ’s dolphin sport strike black-market - and - ashen patterns , and the Indo - Pacific humpbacked dolphinfish can seem pink . dolphin use echolocation — a sophisticated asdic organization — to navigate and hunt , emit clicks that rebound off objective . Their diet is carnivorous , typically fish , calamary , and crustaceans , with hunting strategies varying from solo pursuits to ordinate fuel pod efforts , as seen in orcas .
Socially , dolphins are among the most complex animals . They live in pods that can drift from a few mortal to century , look on the species and environment . These groups are often structured , with strong bonds between mothers and calf , and some species , like the short - fin airplane pilot whale , constitute matriarchal societies . communicating is rich , involving whistles , clicks , and eubstance language — each dolphin may even have a unique “ signature whistling ” akin to a name . This social word , paired with problem - solving skills ( like using sponge to protect their snouts while foraging ) , suggest a level of noesis rivaling primates .
dolphin face numerous challenges in the New public , despite their adaptability . Coastal species like the Guiana mahimahi suffer from habitat degradation due to pollution and development , while others , such as Hector ’s mahimahi , are threaten by sportfishing nets . mood change affects prey availableness , and human interactions — both positive ( tourism ) and damaging ( bycatch)—impact their populations . Yet , their resilience shines through , with some species thriving in protected areas . Dolphins remain a symbol of the ocean ’s wonder , blend grace , intellectual , and mystery in a path few creatures can fit .
Types of Dolphins
Bottlenose Dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus )
Perhaps the most famous dolphinfish , thanks to show like Flipper , bottlenose dolphin are large , gray-headed , and have a typical brusk , stubby beak . They ’re found in strong and temperate sea globally , often near slide . They ’re highly social , inhabit in pod , and known for their acrobatic leaping and complex vocalizations .
Common Dolphin ( Delphinus Delphi )
placeable by their hourglass pattern — yellowish - tan on the slope and dark gray on the back — these dolphins are fast swimmers . They dwell warm and tropical waters worldwide and are often go out in large groups , sometimes numbering in the century , bow - riding alongside boats .
Spinner Dolphin ( Stenella longirostris )
Named for their striking spinning saltation , thread maker dolphins are smaller and lissome , with a longsighted , flimsy beak . They ’re found in tropical oceans , often resting in shallow bay during the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. and feeding offshore at dark . Their aerobatics might serve as communicating or just pure play .
Pacific White - Sided Dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus obliquidens )
These dolphins have a striking black , white-hot , and gray coloring material strategy and a myopic schnozzle . They thrive in the cool weewee of the North Pacific , from Japan to North America . They ’re energetic , often pick up leap and somersault in fast - knit grouping .
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin ( Stenella frontalis )
Covered in spots that increase with old age , these dolphins begin life hoary and bit by bit become dotted . They ’re found in the ardent Atlantic , especially around the Gulf Stream . They ’re playful and often approach boats , making them a favorite for dolphin - watcher .
Risso ’s Dolphin ( Grampus griseus )
With a blunt head and no clear-cut beak , Risso ’s dolphins fend out due to their to a great extent scarred , gray - white bodies — scars often from squid They last in mysterious seaward waters worldwide . Their dieting includes squid , which might explain their preference for deep habitat .
Hector ’s Dolphin ( Cephalorhynchus hectori )
One of the smallest dolphins , Hector ’s is endemic to New Zealand ’s coastal waters . They ’re tiny ( about 4 - 5 feet foresightful ) with rounded dorsal cinque and a gray-haired - black - lily-white pattern . Sadly , they ’re endangered due to sportfishing net entanglements .
Orca ( Orcinus orca )
Technically the largest dolphin species , orcas ( killer whales ) are peak vulture with bold black - and - livid markings . Found in all oceans , they hunt everything from Pisces to seals in highly coordinated pods . Their intelligence and societal structure are fabled .
Striped Dolphin ( Stenella coeruleoalba )
These dolphins have blue and white stripes along their side , giving them a silken , paint look . They prefer deep , warm water far from shoring and are cognise for their nimbleness , often leaping high out of the water in tropical and subtropical regions .
Fraser ’s mahimahi ( Lagenodelphis hosei )
A lesser - known coinage , Fraser ’s dolphins have a stocky frame and a poor beak . They ’re found in recondite tropical waters , often in magnanimous groups . They ’re problematic , urinate sighting uncommon , but they ’re known to drown closely together in tight formations .
Dusky Dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus obscurus )
Native to the Southern Hemisphere , particularly around New Zealand and South America , dusky mahimahi are little and gloomy with a sloping os frontale . They ’re acrobatic , performing somersault and turn of events , possibly to herd fish or communicate .
Hourglass Dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus cruciger )
Named for the hourglass - shaped white patches on their sides , these uncommon dolphins live in the dusty waters of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica . They ’re diminished , riotous , and often seen riding waves near ship , though their removed habitat hold back them mysterious .
Rough - Toothed Dolphin ( Steno bredanensis )
Named for the insidious ridges on their teeth , these dolphins have a long , lissom snout and a slightly reptilian look . They ’re recover in deep , warm piss worldwide , often in small groups . They ’re known to eat big fish and even mahi - mahi , showing their lastingness despite a lean physical body .
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin ( Stenella attenuata )
standardised to the Atlantic spotted dolphinfish but slender , these dolphins break spots with years and live in tropical waters across all major ocean . They ’re social and often mingle with other mintage like spinner dolphins , imprint monumental interracial pods .
Clymene Dolphin ( Stenella clymene )
A loanblend - looking coinage ( sometimes called a “ little - snouted thread maker ” ) , Clymene dolphins have a premix of gray look and a short beak . Found in the Atlantic ’s warm waters , they ’re acknowledge for spinning , though less dramatically than their spinster cousin-german .
White - Beaked Dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus albirostris)With a white or wan schnoz and robust trunk , these dolphins inhabit the insensate North Atlantic , from Canada to Norway . They ’re substantial swimmer , often encounter in diminished groups , and feed on Pisces like cod and herring in chilly waters .
Peale ’s Dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus australis )
Also call the total darkness - chinned dolphin , Peale ’s has a coloured cheek and white patches on its sides . They ’re rule in the coastal waters of southerly South America , specially around the Falkland Islands , where they voyage kelp woods with comfort .
Northern Right Whale Dolphin ( Lissodelphis borealis )
unparalleled for miss a dorsal fin , this sleek , black - and - livid dolphinfish lives in the North Pacific ’s recondite , coolheaded waters . Their streamlined cast assist them glide effortlessly , and they ’re often seen in orotund , synchronized chemical group .
southerly Right Whale Dolphin ( Lissodelphis peronii )
The southern counterpart to the northern species , these finless dolphins roam the Southern Ocean ’s cold electric current . They ’re similarly slender and black - and - white-hot , with a elegant , almost whale - like appearance , and prefer open seas .
Irrawaddy Dolphin ( Orcaella brevirostris )
Not a true oceanic dolphin ( it ’s in the family Orcaellidae ) , this species has a rounded head , no beak , and a minor dorsal V . Found in Southeast Asian rivers , estuaries , and coastal waters , they ’re diffident and get it on for spit water , maybe to herd Pisces the Fishes .
Australian Snubfin Dolphin ( Orcaella heinsohni )
Closely related to the Irrawaddy , this species has a blunt head and be in northern Australia ’s shallow coastal waters . Discovered as a distinguishable species in 2005 , they ’re rare and problematical , with a stubby dorsal fin and a preference for murky habitats .
Commerson ’s Dolphin ( Cephalorhynchus commersonii )
Nicknamed the “ panda dolphin ” for its bold black - and - ashen pattern , this small species has a rounded body and no schnoz . They live in two population : one off South America and another near the Kerguelen Islands in the Indian Ocean , thriving in cold-blooded , shallow body of water .
Chilean Dolphin ( Cephalorhynchus eutropia )
Another small , coastal species , Chilean mahimahi are gray with insidious markings and a rounded dorsal fin . find only along Chile ’s rugged sea-coast , they ’re secretive and often drown in modest groups near kelp layer , make them hard to spot .
Long - Finned Pilot Whale ( Globicephala melas )
Though called a whale , this is a large mahimahi species with a bulbous os frontale and long , reap hook - shaped fin . They inhabit cold and temperate water , like the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean , exist in tight - knit pods and hunt calamari in deep honkytonk .
unforesightful - Finned Pilot Whale ( Globicephala macrorhynchus )
standardized to its long - fin cousin , this big dolphinfish has a bellied head and a stocky body , but with shorter flippers . Found in warm and temperate amniotic fluid worldwide , they take shape stable , matriarchal fuel pod and diva deep for squid , often resting in a “ logging ” position at the surface .
False Killer Whale ( Pseudorca crassidens )
Despite its name , this is a dolphin , not a whale , with a sleek , It ’s large , sinister , and slender , resembling an orca but slimmer . institute in tropical and subtropical oceans , they ’re social , hunting fish and squid in matching groups , and occasionally interact with humans in the wild .
Melon - head Whale ( Peponocephala electra )
Another mahimahi misnamed as a whale , this species has a rounded head and a dark grey soundbox . They live in deep tropical and subtropical waters , often in huge groups of hundreds , and are cognise for their fast swimming and tight - knit social bonds .
Pygmy Killer Whale ( Feresa attenuata )
Small but fierce , this dolphin has a rich build and crude head . witness in warm offshore water system , they ’re shy but fast-growing hunters , taking down fish and even other mahimahi . Their name comes from their orca - like behavior , not their size .
Guiana Dolphin ( Sotalia guianensis )
Also called the costero , this small , gray dolphinfish lives in South American coastal waters and estuaries , from Brazil to Honduras . They ’re adaptable , thriving in both seawater and freshwater , and often locomote in small , quiet group .
Tucuxi ( Sotalia fluviatilis )
tight related to the Guiana dolphin , the tucuxi is a fresh water species found in the Amazon River basin . They ’re modest , gray , and miss a marked beak , resembling a mini bottlenose whale . They navigate murky river with echolocation , give on fish .
Indo - Pacific Humpbacked Dolphin ( Sousa chinensis )
cognise for their small dorsal hump , these mahimahi change in color — pinkish - white in some region , gray in others . They inhabit coastal waters from South Africa to Australia , often near mangrove or reefs , and are vulnerable to habitat expiration .
Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin ( Sousa teuszii )
Similar to its Indo - Pacific kin but found along West Africa ’s coast , this mahimahi has a classifiable jut and a grayish hue . They prefer shallow waters near estuaries and are elusive , with population peril by sportfishing and pollution .
