9 Incredible Types of dolphins in Mexico
The Mexican Caribbean Sea is filled with spectacular life. Everyone’s favorite? The dolphin! Why? Because they’re smart, friendly, and social. They even seem to enjoy our company as well. There are even stories of dolphins rescuing people from shark attacks!
But there isn’t just one kind of dolphin. There are many types of dolphins. Each species is unique its own way.
Let’s examine, dolphin by dolphin, each of the 9 dolphin types that live in Mexico.
Together, we’ll learn about their:
Here are 9 incredible types of dolphins in Mexico:
This is the most commonly known dolphin. If you ever go on a dolphin swim in Cancun, this would be the dolphin you’d meet.
Behavior:
These guys are strong swimmers. They even like to jump out of the water (sometimes several yards high). Depending on the climate, they may stay in the same area for a while. They’ve even been known to cooperate with local fisherman. When they dive—it’s rarely for longer than a few minutes. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a bottlenose dolphin to approach a small boat.
Location:
Of course, they are found in the Mexican Caribbean. However, there also located in the Mediterranean, Black, and Red Sea. It’s rare you’ll see them north of the United Kingdom.
Diet:
Mainly fish and squid. Like all dolphins, they not only eat food, but they ‘eat’ they’re hydration as well. All of their water comes from their diet.
Adult Size:
Adults vary from 6 to 12 feet in length. They weigh from 330 – 1,435 lbs.
Latin Name:
Tursiops (meaning ‘looks like a dolphin’) truncates (shortened)
9 Incredible types of dolphins in Mexico Clymene
This dolphin is known for having black ‘lips’. It is actually a hybrid between the spinner and striped dolphin.
Behavior:
Recent observations suggest they enjoy breaching the water and landing on their back or sides. They are also known to approach small boats. They are nocturnal hunters.
Location:
The location of these dolphins is poorly known. It has been seen throughout the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of Africa, and North and South America. New Jersey is the farthest north they’ve been seen.
Diet:
Fish, squid and octopus.
Adult Size:
From 5-6 feet and 110-200 lbs.
Latin Name:
Stenella clymene
Derived from Greek Mythology.
9 Incredible types of dolphins in mexico Atlantic Spotted
Behavior:
They are known to ‘bow-ride’ in front of boats. They’ve been spotted frequently with bottlenose dolphins which has caused some confusion.
Location:
During the summer, they tend to be near the shore. Found both in the north and south Atlantic Ocean.
Diet:
Fish, squid, octopus
Adult Size:
From 5-7 feet and 220-330 lbs.
Latin Name:
Stenella frontalis
Stenella derived from Greek Mythology and frontalis means ‘forehead’ in Latin.
9 Incredible types of dolphins in mexico Fraser’s Dolphin
Behavior:
This dolphin is a deep diver. They are known to hunt at depths of 820-1,640 ft. Unlike a lot of other dolphins, the Fraser’s dolphin mostly stays away from boats.
Location:
With the exception of the Gulf of Mexico, this dolphin stays mainly in the Pacific and Indian oceans. They also are rarely seen inshore, preferring to stay farther out.
Diet:
Fish, squid, octopus
Adult Size:
6-8 feet and 350-460 lbs.
Latin Name:
Lagenodelphis hosei
Means ‘toothed whale’ in Latin
9 Incredible types of dolphins in Mexico Pantropical Spotted Dolphin
Behavior:
This is a very active dolphin. So much so, that can be sighted from afar, simply from the froth they produce from frequent breaches. They are known to have impressive hang time.
Location:
These dolphins are found mainly where the water temperature is above 77 F (particularly in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean.
Diet:
Fish, squid, octopus, and occasionally krill.
Adult Size:
5-8 ft. and 200-255 lbs.
Latin Name:
Stenella attenuate
(means ‘narrow & tapered’ in Latin)
9 Incredible types of dolphins in mexico Risso’s Dolphin
Behavior:
Only adolescents perform full breaches out of the water. Adults jump out halfway, and slap the side of their heads against the water. They can stay underwater for 30 minutes. Only in rare instances have they been observed bow-riding.
Location:
These dolphins tend to be found within 7 miles off the coast. They enjoy warm water, but will actually travel to cooler waters during the summer.
Diet:
Mainly squid and octopus with occasional fish.
Adult Size:
8-12 feet and 660-1,100 lbs.
Latin Name:
Grampus griseus
(originally meaning ‘fat fish’ in Latin)
9 Incredible types of dolphins in mexico Rough-toothed Dolphin
Behavior:
These dolphins are rarely observed as they tend to spend a lot of time underwater (up to 15 minutes). When they breach the water, it is only done half-heartedly. They will bow-ride, but much less frequently than other dolphins.
Location:
They tend to avoid colder waters. There exists a permanent population in the Mediterranean Sea. In recent years, many have been spotted off the coast of Hawaii and Brazil.
Diet:
Fish, squid or octopus
Adult Size:
7-8 feet and 220-230 lbs.
Latin Name:
Steno bredanensis
(Steno means “narrow” in Greek and Bredanesis was named after a researcher whose last name was “Von Breda”)
9 Incredible types of dolphins in mexico Spinner Dolphin
Behavior:
The spinner dolphin may be the best breaching dolphin in the world. They are known to breach up to 3 yards in breach. The coolest part? They spin on a longitudinal axis up SEVEN times in on breach. Hence, the name ‘spinner’.
Location:
The spinner dolphin has a very broad range. They tend to be found far out to sea, but at times close to shore. They prefer tropical climates.
Diet:
Squid, octopus or fish.
Adult Size:
4-7 feet and 100-165 lbs.
Latin Name:
Stenella longirostris
(Steno means “narrow” in Greek, while ‘longirostris’ means ‘long snout’ in Latin)
9 Incredible types of dolphins in mexico Striped Dolphin
Behavior:
Like the Spinner dolphin above, the striped dolphin is capable of incredible acrobatics. They have been observed breaching an eye-popping 15 feet out of the air. That’s not all. They can do back-flips, tail-spins and jump in and out of the water repeated—upside down!
They can also dive up to 655 feet deep when hunting.
Location:
These dolphins are found in clusters all over the world. They have been spotted off the coast of Japan, China, and Mexico among other warm, temperate areas.
Diet:
Fish, octopus, or squid.
Adult Size:
6-8 feet and 200-300 lbs.
Latin Name:
Stenella coeruleoalba
(Steno means ‘narrow’ in Greek, while coeruleoalba means ‘blue white’ in Latin)
There you have it folks. That was our guide to the 9 incredible types of dolphins in Mexico. So, let’s hear it: Which Mexican dolphin is your favorite?
Post by Dolphinaris Blog
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