Dusky Dolphin

Dusky Dolphin Facts (Lagenorhynchus obscurus)

The dusky dolphin is a medium sized species and they vary in color from a dark gray to a shade of black. They also have white on their belly and under their head. They have a long body that is similar to that of a spindle. It also features a short nose and a high located dorsal fin. In the mouth they have about 36 sharp teeth.

The adults dusky dolphins can grow to be about 6 feet in length and weigh close to 300 pounds. They have a round body shape to them and the agility of their bodies comes from the unique design of it. They are considered to be more flexible and agile than any other species of dolphin out there.

Distribution

They are generally found along the Southern hemisphere. They tend to stick to the coastal waters. The majority of them are found around the waters of Peru. They are also found along Africa and New Zealand. Others have been identified around Tasmania and Argentina as well.

It isn’t known for sure how many dusky dolphins there are. It is hard to estimate their numbers due to the fact that they can live so deep under the water. They also have as diverse location of habitat which makes it even harder to get a good estimate. They also move a great deal due to their speed but it isn’t believed that this is done for migration purposes.

Behavior

The dusky dolphin is well known for the various jumps and acrobatics that it can complete. They form groups but mainly there are male groups and then the females with their offspring form groups. The males and females generally stay separate unless they are mating. They may form small groups of about 10 or large groups of 1,000 or more.

They will generally come to the surface every five minutes or so for air. They can dive deep in just a few seconds and it doesn’t take them long to get back to the surface at all. They are often seen intereacting with each other as well as with others species of dolphins and whales.

Diet /Feeding

The dusky dolphin has some eating habits that may surprise you. In addition to squid and various types of fish, they also consume anything that gets close to the water. That includes birds, cats and dogs, and even tomatoes. They also consume anchiovies and octopus.

The dusky dolphins often hunt in groups, using sonar abilities to gather schools of fish to a given area. They have been observed slamming htier bodies onto the water. This somehow attracts food to them so they don’t have to go out in search of it.

Reproduction

These dolphins become mature to mate when they are about 5 ½ feet in length. It can take 11 months for the offspring to be born. They will stay with their mother for the first three years of life. She will feed them milk for about the first year and then teach them how to hunt. After they are about three years old she will be ready to mate again. Male offspring will then go to join a group of males.

Human interaction

In Peru hundreds of these dolphins are killed annually for their meat. This is a primary source of food sold in that area. In many areas of New Zealand hundreds are killed due to getting caught up in nets that are out there for fishing. Others end up being hit by boats as they are amazingly fast swimmers. They aren’t protected at this time even though we aren’t sure how many of them still exist.