The only dolphin in the North Pacific without a dorsal fin — giving it an unmistakably sleek, torpedo-like silhouette. Jet black on the entire upper body, with a brilliant white belly patch and white beak tip. The body is extremely streamlined, long, and slender.
Well-developed echolocation and hearing suited to deep offshore ocean.
Northern Right Whale Dolphins produce clicks and whistles, but are relatively quiet compared to other delphinids. They communicate through synchronized leaping and porpoising within pods.
Deep divers — feeding at night when mesopelagic fish and squid rise in the water column. Dive to depths of 600+ feet. Often hunt cooperatively within large pods.
Gestation
Approximately 12 months. Reproductive rate estimated at every 2–3 years.
Birth
Calves are estimated at approximately 35–40 inches long and 22 lbs at birth.
Calves
Nursing estimated at 18 months. Calves travel in the center of pods, protected by adults.
Estimated at 10+ years for both sexes.
Found in groups of 100–2,000+, often mixed with Pacific White-sided Dolphins and Risso's Dolphins. Among the most consistently large-group forming of all cetaceans.
Fast and graceful swimmers — reaching speeds of 25 mph in short bursts. They porpoise in long, low arcs just above the water surface.
The Southern Right Whale Dolphin is the only other finless dolphin species in the world — found in the Southern Ocean.
42+ years. Threats include bycatch in high-seas drift nets, squid trawls, and marine pollution.
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