Bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
- Scientific name
- Tursiops truncatus
- Group
- Marine mammals
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Mediterranean, Caribbean & Tropical Atlantic
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Least concern
Did you know?
From a young age, the bottlenose dolphin develops its own unique signature whistle — essentially a sound-based "name" that lets other pod members recognize it. It often hunts in coordinated teams, herding schools of fish together.
What defines this group — Marine mammals
Warm-blooded, they nurse their young and breathe air — the group closest to us underwater.
- They breathe through a blowhole (whales, dolphins) or nostrils (seals, sea lions).
- A thick layer of blubber, rather than fur, insulates them from the cold.
- Many navigate and hunt by sound, using echolocation.