{"id":2585,"date":"2020-07-30T08:02:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T09:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whalewatchingazores.com\/blog\/2007\/07\/30\/bottlenose-dolphin\/"},"modified":"2020-09-01T12:51:46","modified_gmt":"2020-09-01T13:51:46","slug":"bottlenose-dolphin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whalewatchingazores.com\/blog\/bottlenose-dolphin\/","title":{"rendered":"Bottlenose dolphin fact sheet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The bottlenose dolphin is the most well-known of all the dolphins, especially when it achieved worldwide exposure on the tv series and also film called \u201cFlipper\u201d and as the main attraction of many oceanariums (Reeves et al., 2002). Bottlenose dolphins are extremely social and often inquisitive animals, they can often be seen lobtailing, breaching, bowriding, and playing with fish, seaweed or other objects. Because of their social behaviour and adaptability, they are often kept in captivity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Their distribution encompasses the coastal and continental shelf waters in tropical and temperate zones (Leatherwood & Reeves 1983; Forcada et al.,<\/em> 2004; Silva et al.,<\/em> 2007).\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are currently three recognised species: common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus<\/em>), Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (T. aduncus<\/em>) and Burrunan bottlenose dolphins (T. australis<\/em>). In the areas where the common bottlenose dolphin inhabits, studies performed have recognized the existence of two different ecotypes, the inshore (coastal) and the offshore and they seem to differ in their morphology, being the offshore form larger-bodied and darker in colour and with smaller flippers (Hersh & Duffield, 1990; Reeves et al., 2002).<\/p>\n

In the Azores, common bottlenose dolphins can be seen year-round in the continental shelf waters they usually form small groups of fewer than 20 individuals and can sometimes be seen with other species (Silva, 2007). The composition and stability of these groups also varies, females can stick together for many years, during which time they are visited briefly and occasionally by adult males (Reeves et al., 2002). Contrary to their image as friendly animals, bottlenose dolphins can act aggressively towards other cetaceans (Wedekin et al., 2004). These dolphins are sadly still being hunted and caught to be removed from the wild and into captivity for shows and the entertainment of humans (Reeves et al., 2002).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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