One of the most common dolphins in the world is the bottlenose dolphin. These mammals are very distinguishable with their robust body and their short thick beak. Most recognize the bottlenose dolphins by their grey colouring but they can range from light grey to black with a pale colouring on their belly. However, depending on whether they are inshore mammals or swim mostly offshore they can vary in both size and colour. The bottlenose dolphins that are mainly close to shore tend to be smaller and lighter in colour, whereas the ones found deep in the ocean are larger and have darker colours as well as small flippers that you don’t normally see on the inshore bottlenose dolphins.
Usually found within a group of 2 to 15 bottlenose dolphins, they are amazing creatures. With a body size of 1.8 to 3.8 metres and a weight off 136 to 635 kg, they are large and impressive to say the least. Most male bottlenose dolphins live between 40 and 45 years whereas female dolphins live more than 50 years. In the deep of the ocean you can find hundreds of bottlenose dolphins within the herd which can be so exciting if you get the chance to see them up close.
Bottlenose dolphins tend to feed on prey animals such as fish, squid, and other invertebrates that they can easily catch. They have a multiple arsenal of feeding strategies but the most entertaining to watch is when they strike a fish so that it flies out of the water before they jump up to catch them. They do this a lot when they are younger. Maturity tends to come between 5 and 13 for a female whereas males mature between 9 and 14. After maturity they start to reproduce at a rate of once every 3 to 6 years. The babies are called calves and they are born after 12 months of gestation. They stay with the mother until they are about 18 to 20 months when they are finally weaned off and ready to go explore on their own.
Most of the bottlenose dolphins in the world are found in tropical waters, usually within coastal populations that work their way into bays and river mouths. The offshore bottlenose dolphins can be found along the continental shelf mostly. They are truly found all over the world in many different countries, although the population varies considerably depending on the region in which they are in. For example, there is more than 25,000 bottlenose dolphins found in the Gulf of Mexico Continental Shelf, but only about 350 off the coast of California. It is hard to tell at what rate they are populating but it is known that the population in general is increasing and currently stands at about 125,000 in total and growing.
Although they are not endangered they are considered vulnerable to the many accidental injuries and death that they face each year. This is primarily caused by fishing gear, both recreational and commercial, as well pollutants in the water. Bottlenose dolphin conservation is extremely important to making sure that these fantastic animals stay in our waters for a long time to come.
