Spinner dolphin

Common card · No. 288138

The spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which it rotates around its longitudinal axis as it leaps through the air. It is a member of the family Delphinidae of toothed whales. The distribution of the spinner dolphin extends across the tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans. Spinner dolphins exhibit a diurnal schedule characterised by predictable daily geographic migrations, spending mornings resting and socialising in shallow coastal waters before travelling offshore to forage at night. Concerns have been raised regarding the effects of anthropogenic activities on the species. Tourist vessels used for dolphin watching may disrupt normal behaviour, particularly when vessel numbers are high or when vessels approach dolphins more closely than permitted by local guidelines.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0