Atlantic White-sided Dolphin

Fascinating facts about the Atlantic White-sided Dolphin

• Atlantic white-sided dolphins usually travel in groups of about fifty individuals, but they are capable of forming much larger aggregations. In some locations the pods swell to several hundred members, especially when abundant prey is present. Near the Newfoundland coastline researchers have recorded groups averaging sixty dolphins, while groups further east, near Iceland, tend to be a little smaller.
• Although Atlantic white-sided dolphins are generally gentle and often associate peacefully with other cetaceans, they have been observed turning violent toward harbour porpoises. In such encounters the dolphins attack the smaller animals repeatedly until the porpoises die, a pattern of behaviour that mirrors that seen in bottlenose dolphins.
• In 2002 a single hunt claimed 773 Atlantic white-sided dolphins, and 488 were killed in 2017. These numbers represent notable peaks in whaling catches.
• In September 2021 a massive pod of 1,428 Atlantic white-sided dolphins was herded into Skálafjördur and killed, illustrating the scale of historic drive hunts. Such large-scale killings have largely ceased, but smaller drives still occur in the Faroe Islands where the meat and blubber are prized. Historically the species was also hunted from Norway and Newfoundland, showing a long record of exploitation across its range.
• The dolphin's most striking mark is a white to pale-yellow patch behind each dorsal fin, a colour pattern unique among pelagic cetaceans. This patch sits on both sides of the body and is bordered by a dark-grey to black back, flippers and dorsal fin, while the chin, throat and belly remain white.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Atlantic White-sided Dolphin

In the dark, mysterious waters of the North Atlantic, the Atlantic White-sided Dolphin dances with effortless elegance, its sleek, silvery form weaving through the waves with a fluidity that belies its remarkable agility. As it moves, its white-striped sides seem to flash like beacons, illuminating the ocean's depths and drawing us into the secret world of this charismatic creature. With a social nature that binds it to its pod, the Atlantic White-sided Dolphin navigates the vast, unpredictable expanse of the open sea with a confidence and joy that is a wonder to behold.

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