Overview

The bottlenose dolphin is the world's most familiar cetacean: grey, curved-mouthed, and endlessly playful. Pods hunt cooperatively, strand-feeding fish onto mud banks in some populations, and ride the pressure waves in front of boats for fun.

Each dolphin develops a unique signature whistle — effectively a name that others use to call them. They live in complex social groups with long-term bonds, tool use in some populations, and problem-solving abilities that rival great apes.

Habitat

Warm and temperate coastal waters worldwide hold bottlenose dolphins — estuaries, bays, and open coast from Florida and California to Cardigan Bay in Wales. Some populations are resident; others roam over hundreds of kilometres.

Countries found

Interesting facts

01
Dolphins call each other by individual signature whistles — like names.
02
They sleep with one half of their brain awake so they can keep breathing.
03
Some populations use sponges to protect their beaks while foraging on the seafloor.

Conservation status

LC — Least Concern

Bottlenose dolphins are Least Concern globally, though coastal populations face threats from pollution, fishing gear, and habitat degradation. Some inshore groups are small and vulnerable.