Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncates

The Atlantic bottlenose dolphin is a small, toothed marine mammal that is grayish in color on the back and slightly paler on the sides and belly. Adults have:

• A short, beak-like snout with a lower jaw that is slightly longer than the upper.
• A slender, streamlined body.
• A blowhole on the top of the head.

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins can grow to about 12 feet and usually weigh between 300 and 400 pounds.

Where does the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin live?

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins can be found in the Bay in summer. Small schools, called "pods," are often seen in the saltier waters of the lower Bay, near Cape Charles and the James and Elizabeth rivers. Pods will also venture as far north in the Bay as Annapolis, Baltimore and the Chester River.

What does the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin eat?

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins feed on many species of fish and shellfish, including eels, catfish, menhaden, crabs and shrimp. Dolphins use their teeth to grasp, rather than bite, their prey.

When does the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin breed?

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins mate throughout the year. Females reach sexual maturity between the ages of five and 12 years, while males mature between 10 and 12 years old.

• After conception, the gestation period is about 12 months.
• Dolphin calves are born in the water. During the birth, an assisting dolphin, which may be either male or female, remains close to the mother and is often the only other dolphin allowed near the newborn calf.
• Dolphin calves nurse within several hours of their birth, and feed on fish after about three to four months.

Other facts about the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin:

• The Atlantic bottlenose dolphin is the most common dolphin found along the Atlantic coast.
• Dolphins make puffing and hissing sounds as they exhale through their blowholes.
• Dolphins spend about one-third of each day sleeping, usually just below the surface of calm waters.
• Atlantic bottlenose dolphins usually live about 20 to 25 years, but some may live longer than 40 years.