Bottlenose Dolphin

Bottlenose Dolphin 

Fast Facts:

Type: Mammal

Diet: Carnivore

Average life span in captivity: 45 to 50 years

Sizes: 10 to 14 ft (3 to 4.2 m)

Weight: 1,100 lbs (500 kg)

Group Name: Pod

Did you know?  Bottlenose dolphins have been, observed to breach up to 16 feet (4.9 meters) out of the water, landing with a splash on their back or side.

Size relative to a 6-ft (2 m) man:


Bottlenose dolphins are well known as the intelligent and charismatic stars of many aquarium shows. Their curved mouths give the appearance of a friendly, permanent smile, and complex tricks.

In the wild, these sleek swimmers can reach speeds of over 18 miles (30 kilometers) an hour. They surface often to breathe, doing so two or three times a minute.

Bottlenose dolphins travel in social groups and communicate with each other by a complex  system of squeaks  and whistles. 

Bottlenose dolphins trick their prey through the expert use of echolocation. They can make up to 1,000 clicking noises per seconds. These sounds travel underwater until they encounter objects, then bounce back to their dolphin senders, revealing their location, size, and  shape of their target. 

When dolphins are feeding, that target is often a bottom-dwelling fish, though they also eat shrimp and squid.
These clever animals are also sometimes of dining on leftovers.

Bottlenose dolphins are found in tropical oceans and other warm waters around the globe. They were once widely hunted for meat and oil (used for lamps and cooking) but today only limited dolphin fishing occurs. However, dolphins are threatened by commercial fishing for other species, like tuna, and can become mortally entangled in nest and other fishing equipment.