The Spinner

​General description

The spinner dolphin is a small, slender cetacean with a fusiform body. Its rostrum is long and well defined, with a slightly rounded melon. Its dorsal fin, located in the middle of the body, is high, sickle-shaped in the female and triangular in the male. Its pigmentation is organized into three parts: it has a dark gray dorsal cape, gray sides and a whitish ventral side. The jaws have a contrast between the dark upper part and the light lower part.
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Habitat

Espèce cosmopolite, le dauphin à long bec fréquente les eaux tropicales et subtropicales, généralement en pleine mer. On l’observe cependant souvent près des côtes. Excellent plongeur, il descend généralement entre 200 et 300 mètres, bien qu'il puisse atteindre 600 mètres.

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Diet

Mainly nocturnal, the spinner dolphin hunts fish and cephalopods, such as squid, in deep waters.

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Behavior

Gregarious, this dolphin lives in groups of tens to hundreds of individuals. Very playful, he often approaches ships and has fun in their wake. His acrobatic movements, such as somersaults or spins, are characteristic. This dolphin swims in a zigzag pattern, which appears to be a social signal to coordinate group movements toward feeding areas. It is also known to associate with other species, such as the pantropical spotted dolphin or the humpback whale.