|
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
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
|
