BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN

WHAT A BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN LOOKS LIKE

The bottlenose dolphin can look very different depending upon where it is seen around the world.

Also inshore dolphins can appear different to the larger "offshore" bottlenose dolphins

The size of the average bottlenose dolphin is 2.5 to 3 meters Males are a little longer than females.

Their average weight is around 200 kg but large males can grow up to 650 kg

These sleek streamlined dolphins general colour is dark - medium grey on their backs fading to a light grey, white on the belly and on their bottom jaw

So when looking from above the dark colours blend in with the sea floor or dark deeper water, and when viewed from below the lighter colour blends in with the sky or lighter coloured surface water.

Bottlenose dolphins look like they are smiling, and there is a "sharp" crease between their snout and the top of their head, as well as other lines around the face region They have a single blow hole at the top of their head.

WHERE THEY LIVE

Bottlenose dolphins are very sociably creatures living in a group known as a pod.

The number of dolphins to a pod varies significantly.

Inshore populations in southern Australian waters generally range from 5 to 20 with offshore groups being much larger, up to 60

Within the pod there is a strong sense of unity or bonding, with lots of interaction (touching, chasing, noises etc) between members happening constantly.

FOOD CHAIN

HOW DO THEY BREED

Dolphins can live over 30 years (up to 50 years has been recorded)

They start to breed around the age of 10

Bottlenose dolphins can breed at any time of the year.

A female is pregnant for a year, the calf is then born in the water, the young then suckles for about 1 1/2 years and the young stays with the mother for a further 4 years

At birth the calf can be anything from 0.7 meter to 1.3 in length and up to 30 kg

DO THEY TRAVEL

While bottlenose dolphins do not migrate in summer, they tend to move locations due to the water temperatures.

In summer bottlenose dolphins do not have a specific place to go, they tend to travel and move around for food back and forth.

However, it is important to mention that dolphins travel around a lot, covering sometimes more than 4,000 km in a month.

THREATS

Accidental capture in fishing nets, (trawling, drift and gill nets)

Destruction and/or degradation (Pollution and rubbish) of habitat

Over fishing is reducing feed for the dolphins Over zealous tourist activities

Diseases and parasites

Predators such as killer whales and sharks such as tiger and dusky sharks

Human hunting for their oils, skins

WHAT IS HAPPENING BECAUSE OF THIS CHANGE

The screams of dolphins in agony fill the air while the sea is crimson with blood.

This is the barbaric scene as Japanese fishermen slaughter the trusting creatures so their flesh can be tinned and sold in supermarkets.

The dolphins are speared in the head, in a ritualised massacre that brings a slow and desperate death.

What makes it even more shocking is that experts are convinced these friendly and lovable mammals are aware they are being murdered.

"Dolphins, like humans and gorillas, are self-aware," said Rick O'Barry, a member of the anti-whaling group who secretly videoed the scene this month in the small fishing town of Taiji on Japan's south coast.

"They can look in the mirror and are aware what they are looking at. They are incredibly intelligent and will know exactly what is happening to them."

Hunting dolphins is forbidden by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, of which Japan is a member.

Yet the striped dolphins in these pictures are among 60 already caught in Taiji this year. The season started at the beginning of this month and runs until April.

Fishermen in 13 boats line up and start pounding the water with iron poles. The noise confuses the soundsensitive dolphins, they lose their sense of direction and are herded into coves where a net locks them in.

After a day, when they are suitably disorientated, the fishermen drive spiked and hooked poles into their heads, hold them in the water as the blood pours out, then heave them into the boat. The creatures take an average of six minutes to die.

If you are concerned about the dolphin slaughter write to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, PO

WHAT WE CAN DO

Your class can get stuck into other activities, such as beach

clean-ups, to help improve the marine environment. See

further resources at the back for contact details of MCS and

Project AWARE, two organisations which run events like this.

Introduce this section

with the impact of fishing

discussion card called

‘The downside of fishing’.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING