Home | Site Map  
About Dolphins

About Dolphins

White-Beaked Dolphin

White-Beaked Dolphins are aquatic mammals.

White-Beaked Dolphin Classification:

Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Family: Delphinidae
Genus: Lagenorhynchus
Species: Albirostris

Other Names: White-Nosed Dolphin, Squidhound, White-beaked Porpoise

Size: An White-Beaked Dolphins measures 8-10 feet in length and weigh 395-770 lbs. Male White-Beaked Dolphins are typically slightly larger than their female counterparts.

Habitat: White-Beaked Dolphins prefers cool waters. They are found in temperate and sub-arctic waters of the Northern Atlantic as far north as the White Sea and occasionally as far south as the Spanish coast. White-Beaked Dolphins are common off the Norwegian coast, the North Sea and they are also found in the Baltic Sea. They are also found in the Northwest Atlantic off Labrador and they are found as far south as Cape Cod.

White Beaked Dolphin Photo
White-Beaked Dolphin


White Beaked Dolphin Information

Status: Not Endangered
Classified: Least Concern


Diet:
White-Beaked dolphins are predators and eat fishes, squids, and crustaceans. Their diets can vary based on their environment and the available food sources.

Senses: White-Beaked Dolphins have acute vision both in and out of the water. Their sense of touch is well developed. White-Beaked Dolphins have a limited sense of smell. White-Beaked Dolphins use echolocation for navigation.

Description: White-Beaked dolphins have a stocky thick build and short thick beak. The color of the beak can vary from a creamy white to black. Typically White-Beaked Dolphins found in the eastern part of their range have lighter beaks, while those in the west Atlantic have darker beaks. The White-Beaked Dolphins have a white stripe on each side, and their under side is typically a lighter color than their dorsal side.

Communication: White-Beaked Dolphins, like other dolphin species use a series of sounds and whistles to communicate.

Did You Know?


A White-Beaked Dolphin's beak may not be white at all? The color can vary from creamy white to black.

Hunting:
White-Beaked Dolphins will often herd a school of fish, working together as a pod.

Gestation: White-Beaked Dolphins carry their young for 10-11 months.

Birth: White-Beaked Dolphin calves are born tail first. They are 3-4 feet long and weigh about 85 lbs.

Sexual Maturity: White-Beaked Dolphins are sexually mature when they reach the length of 8 feet.

Life Span: The average life span of the White-Beaked Dolphin is unknown. White-Beaked Dolphins are often trapped in fishing nets. They have been directly hunted and killed for food and oil in waters off of Canada as well as in Greenland, Iceland, and Norway. This species is also commonly entrapped in ice off the coast of Newfoundland. Strandings of White-Beaked Dolphins are also not uncommon.

Social Structure: White-Beaked Dolphins are highly social and they travel in large groups called pods. A White-Beaked Dolphin pod typically consists of 5-50 dolphins; a typical pod consists of less than 30 dolphins. Occasionally the pods will join together to form a super-pod with as many as 1500 dolphins. They are also occasionally seen in mixed species pods and traveling with fin and humpback whales.

Athleticism: White-Beaked Dolphins are strong powerful swimmers and prone to acrobatics. They are frequently seen "bowriding".

Unusual: Other names for a White-Beaked Dolphin include: White-Nosed Dolphin, Squidhound, White-Beaked Porpoise

Gifts from Dolphin Store

See more from the Dolphin Store


Copyright © 2011-2020 DR Management
All rights reserved
Marine Animals | About Whales | Dolphin Stock Photos