Bottlenose Dolphin Facts
SPECIES:
| BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) |
STATUS:
| ENDANGERED |
DISTRIBUTION:
| Found in both Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. |
FOOD:
| Mostly fish and squid. |
SIZE:
| 3.1 - 3.7m (10 - 12ft); 200 - 272kg (440 to 600lb) |
MATURITY:
| 10 years |
BREEDING:
| 1 calf born every 2 - 3 years |
LIFE SPAN:
| 25 years |
THREATS:
| People use areas near the shore for fishing, recreation, shipping and other activity.They cause pollution from sewage, poisons and oil spills. Noise occurs from boats, construction, dredging, oil and gas drilling and explosions. This affects the environments that marine mammals need for hunting prey and feeding, resting, breeding and socialising. Whales, dolphins and other marine mammals may avoid these areas and may have to use areas where there is less food. As boat traffic in the oceans increases, so do the threats to marine mammals.
In 1990, a program to label tuna cans "Dolphin Safe" (certifying that no dolphins were encircled to catch tuna) began, reducing dolphin deaths in tuna nets by 97 percent. |
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Dolphins
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Four Dolphins
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Dolphin
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