Dusky Dolphin: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Dolphins and Otters · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Dusky dolphins perform acrobatic leaps: head-over-tail flips, somersaults and spins.
2. Noisy leaps finish with a big splash. The dolphin lands on its back, head, side, tail or belly.
3. Dusky dolphins have been recorded swimming at 10 m per second, about 36 km/h.
4. Off Kaikōura, dusky dolphin groups can swell to a thousand. In Admiralty Bay they shrink to about fifty.
5. Dusky dolphins herd fish into bait balls by day and feed on scattered layers of prey at night.

The quiz

1. Which move is an acrobatic leap for a dusky dolphin?

• A belly flop
• A head-over-tail flip (correct)
• A back slap
• A tail slap

Acrobatic leaps include head-over-tail flips, somersaults and spins.

2. What do noisy leaps end in?

• Silent dives
• Spins
• Splashes (correct)
• Long glides

Noisy leaps finish with a big splash.

3. How fast have dusky dolphins been recorded swimming?

• 10 m per second (36 km/h) (correct)
• 2 m per second (7 km/h)
• 30 m per second (108 km/h)
• 50 m per second (180 km/h)

They have been recorded swimming at 10 m per second, about 36 km/h.

4. How big can dusky dolphin groups get off Kaikōura?

• About fifty
• About ten
• About five hundred thousand
• A thousand (correct)

Groups swell to a thousand off Kaikōura.

5. What do dusky dolphins do by day?

• Hunt only alone
• Herd fish into bait balls (correct)
• Dive to the seabed
• Rest at the surface

They herd fish into bait balls by day.

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