Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Bottlenose dolphins remain the iconic image of humanity’s ties to the ocean. Made famous by the TV show Flipper, the intelligence and curiosity of the bottlenose dolphin captures worldwide admiration. While many people who experience close-up encounters with the bottlenose do so at a marine park, these gregarious mammals are found in temperate coastal areas worldwide. In Baja, Mexico, the bottlenose dolphins are commonly found in and around Magdalena Bay (where the gray whales calve) and offer an exciting element to our whale watching tours in this area. Bottlenose dolphins also occasionally make their way up into the Sea of Cortez, usually in small groups of two to three members.

Bottlenose dolphin facts:

• For most people, the bottlenose represents the quintessential image of a dolphin: a sleek gray body with lighter shading along the sides and belly, with a short, round beak (nose) and characteristic “dolphin smile” formed by the curvature of the mouth. The mouth holds upper and lower sets of teeth - a sometimes unexpected surprise for fans of this cheerful-looking fellow! Males are much larger than females and can reach up to 13 feet in length and over 1400 pounds.

• The bottlenose propels itself in water with its extraordinarily powerful body and broad fluke. Like many dolphins, the bottlenose displays a wide variety of acrobatics. Leaps and tail slaps are common, as are the dolphin’s many vocalizations. Communicative clicks, squeaks, and whistles remain trademark behaviors of the bottlenose.

• Bottlenose dolphins often practice cooperative hunting. Pods will “herd” fish to shallow areas or into tight schools for easy feeding, even occasionally working right along with fisherman. While these dolphins are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, they sometimes face threats from tuna- or other commercial-fishing ventures as they feast on the same catch that the fisherman try to harvest.

Common Dolphin

Delphinus delphis

Dolphins are frequent companions on our kayak trips.  They often travel in pods of over 100 individuals engaging in exuberant displays of aerial acrobatics.  They are extremely active and fast moving. You can see dolphins anytime on our kayak tours in the Sea of Cortez.

Common Dolphin Facts

• Common dolphins can reach lengths of 8 feet (2.5 m) and weigh as much as 297 pounds (135 kg).  They have dark-colored skin on the back and light gray flanks forming an hourglass pattern.  The dorsal fin is triangular and slightly curved.

• Dolphins feed on squid and small schooling fish.  They have been seen working together to herd fish into tight balls.

• The common dolphin is found in all tropical and warm-temperate waters, often near the coast.  They are noted for riding bow and stern waves of fast moving boats and even large whales.

• In the past 20 years, hundreds of thousands of common dolphins have been taken incidentally in purse seine nets used during tuna fishing operations in the eastern tropical Pacific.  Some common dolphins are taken in Japan and Peru for human consumption.