Spinner dolphins are a non monogamous species and female dolphins may end up mating with multiple males over the course of several months.įemale dolphins may bear a single offspring once every 2 – 4 years and are known to develop close bonds with their children. The average gestation period for the spinner dolphin is estimated to be around 10 – 11 months. In some cases a dozen or so males may choose to bond together and form a temporary pod where they’ll forage and hang out with one another. These dolphins communicate using a combination of clicks and whistles, and each dolphin has a unique frequency that allows them to determine which one is speaking when in a large group. Mother dolphins often form close bonds with their calves and may continue to feed and nurture their young for up to 2 years. They are also non monogamous creatures and may be found changing mating partners every couple of weeks or so. ![]() Spinner dolphins are known to form loose bonds with one another and may be seen interacting with different groups at different times. While these dolphins may eat at any time of the day they tend to prefer hunting at night when their prey moves towards the surface of the water, which makes it easier for the dolphins to find abundant supplies of food and minimize their diving efforts.ĭuring deep dives the spinner dolphin may dive to depth of nearly 1,000 ft and it is estimated that this species of dolphin can hold its breath for up to 5 – 10 minutes. Hunting may occur in groups where one group of dolphins will swim around their prey herding them into a small dense ball while one or two other dolphins swim through the densely compacted group of fish and take turns consuming the scared and paralyzed fish. The typical diet for the spinner dolphin includes a variety of fish, shrimp and squid. Most dolphins have a skin tone that fades from dark to light gray starting around the dorsal fin area which is a dark gray that fades to a light gray around the sides of their body and to a lighter gray or white under-body or belly. In terms of size the spinner dolphin is one of the smallest species of dolphin measuring in at around 4 1/2 – 8 feet in length and weighing between 50 – 175 pounds when fully matured. ![]() These dolphins have a streamlined body with a protruding but narrow snout and a triangular-shaped dorsal fin. This dolphin has four subspecies of spinner dolphins known as the central american spinner dolphin, eastern spinner dolphin, Hawaiian spinner dolphin and dwarf spinner dolphin.Īll species are part of the cetacean family and belong to the toothed whale suborder. The spinner dolphin (aka the long-snouted dolphin) is well-known for its acrobatic stunts and its ability to spin as it leaps out of the water, which is where the name spinner comes from.
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