Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Fascinating facts about the Common Bottlenose Dolphin

• A common bottlenose dolphin can stretch up to 4 m (13.1 ft) long and tip the scales at 650 kg (1,430 lb), yet most adults hover between 2.5 m and 3.5 m (8.2-11.5 ft) and weigh 200-500 kg (440-1,100 lb). Males grow larger, with adult males often reaching 244-381 cm and about 500 kg, while females stay smaller.
• Pods of common bottlenose dolphins usually number about 15 members, but the social fabric can swell to over 100 and, on rare occasions, exceed 1,000 individuals for short bursts. Even the more modest groups still span "a few individuals to over 100."
• When a dolphin clicks its melon, the echo returns to the brain at 120 kHz, letting the animal sketch the shape, size and location of objects around it. This high-frequency sonar powers everything from hunting schools of fish to spotting lurking sharks, and even helps dolphins stay oriented in murky waters where vision fails.
• In the wild, common bottlenose dolphins live at least 40 years and can reach 60 years, with females usually outliving males. Males typically hit 40-45 years, while females often surpass 50 years, one documented female lived to 53. Captive individuals have been recorded up to 51 years.
• A bottlenose dolphin can gulp 10-20 % of its own body weight each day. Lactating females eat even more, and daily intake can range from 4.5 kg to 16 kg depending on size and reproductive state.

Sources

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

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Few animals match the bottlenose dolphin's combination of intelligence, playfulness, and social sophistication. They surf bow waves for fun, teach their young to use tools, and maintain lifelong friendships in pods that have their own cultural traditions. Beneath the waves, a world of echolocating clicks and signature whistles reveals a society rich with communication and meaning.

Common Bottlenose Dolphin photographed on Feravox

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