Where do dolphins live?

Orcas and long-finned pilot whales can be found in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Their large size means that they have more protection against the harsh cold of the freezing seas. Several other species may also be encountered in colder waters, such as white-beaked dolphins (arctic) and hourglass dolphins (antarctic), but most dolphins prefer tropical and temperate waters as they are warm-blooded mammals and so it is easier for them to regulate their body temperature in these environments. Spinner dolphins and spotted dolphins are two such species that may be encountered in warm waters.

The unusual looking northern and southern right whale dolphins are examples of species that prefer to inhabit offshore waters.

Can dolphins live in fresh water?

River dolphins such as the Amazon River dolphin (boto) and the South Asian river dolphins only live in fresh water rivers and lakes. Some dolphin species have populations that live in fresh water, these include the tucuxi (or sotalia), Irrawaddy dolphin and finless porpoise.

Other species, such as common bottlenose dolphins, may visit or inhabit estuaries of large rivers. Sometimes this results in them living close to cities. A population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins live in the waters off Hong Kong while Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are resident in the waters of the Port River in Adelaide, Australia.