Common bottlenose dolphin

What do bottlenose dolphins look like?

If you imagine a dolphin, it’s likely you are picturing a common bottlenose dolphin. Because of films and TV shows like Flipper and decades of exploitation for human amusement, bottlenose dolphins are the most recognisable of all dolphin species. They are generally relatively large, chunky individuals with a dark grey back and paler belly. They have a short, stubby beak and that endearing mouth shape that makes them look as though they are smiling – an unfortunate feature if you think about how attractive that ‘smile’ has made them to the ‘entertainment’ industry. Individuals can be recognised by distinct notches and markings on their dorsal fin, as unique as our fingerprints.

What’s life like for a bottlenose dolphin?

If you are a bottlenose dolphin, your family and friends are vital. You rely on them for companionship and fun, and they also help you to find and catch food. They babysit your kids when you need to scope out new hunting grounds, and they will rally round when you are sick. Although some individuals choose to live alone, by far the majority are highly social and will also associate with other species of dolphins, whales and even sharks and turtles. Some even cooperate with humans to catch fish.

What do they eat?

What a bottlenose dolphin eats will depends on where they live. For the most northerly resident population of common bottlenose dolphins in Scotland’s Moray Firth, there’s nothing better than a plump tasty salmon. For others it’s squid and crustaceans. They swallow their food whole and if you watch a dolphin hunting fish, you will often see them tossing it into the air to get a better angle so that it slides down their throat more easily. Mothers will spend years teaching their calves the best places to go to find food, and passing on tips and tricks for successful hunting.

Where do they live?

These dolphins make their homes all over the world. The only areas they don’t live – understandably – are the very cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic circles. Some groups choose to stay in one place all their lives while others are more transitory. They live in many different environments including coastal areas, in harbours, bays, lagoons and semi-enclosed seas such as the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Although globally they are numerous compared to many species of whales and dolphins, some populations are small and isolated, and especially vulnerable to human activities like hunting, noise pollution or fishing. There is only one resident population left in the North Sea. Two subspecies are currently recognised, the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin and Lahille's bottlenose dolphin (South America).