Atlantic Bottle Nosed Dolphin

Atlantic Bottle Nosed Dolphin © Captain John Rothchild

Such a magnificent, social mammal the Atlantic Bottle Nosed Dolphin is or otherwise known as Tursiops turcatus. They can be found in warm, shallow, inland temperate and tropical oceans or seas. This type of dolphin would be the largest of the beaked dolphins, with males being considerably larger.

In the wild, these dolphins eat squid, shrimp, eels, and varieties of fish and can swim up to 12mph. As social animals they hunt in teams and work in groups as many as a dozen. They don't migrate but travel widely to locate food or even seek out preferred water temperatures.

Males fight viciously to breed with females. Gestation period is 12 months and offspring in European waters are born in mid summer while by Florida, offspring are born between February and May. Lactation last 12-18 months, but young begin eating solid foods at less than 6 months old. Mother and calf remain close until the calf reaches 4 or 5 years of age, but until then, the bond is inseparable.

• National Aquarium in Baltimore. "Animals Index: Atlantic bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncates."
• http://www.aqua.org/animals_atlanticbottlenosedolphin.html
• Ballenger, L. and T. Lindsley. 2003. "Species: Tursiops truncatus bottlenosed dolphin." University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Animal Diversity Web.
• http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Tursiops_truncatus.html
• Sea World. "Animal Bytes: Bottlenose Dolphin."
• http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/Animal-bytes/animalia/eumetazoa/coelomates/deuterostomes/chordata/craniata/mammalia/cetacea/bottlenose-dolphin.htm