Common Bottlenose Dolphin

The common bottlenose dolphin is grey with a short, well-defined beak, a single blowhole and a hooked dorsal fin. Adults are 2–4 m long and 150–650 kg, and in most places 2.5–3.5 m and 200–500 kg. Some populations live close to shore and others further out to sea. It is one of three bottlenose dolphin species; the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, described separately, is more slender with a longer beak (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is very social and lives in pods that typically number about 15 but range from pairs to over 100, and occasionally over 1,000 for short periods. Groups include nursery groups, juvenile groups and groups of adult males. Male dolphins form pair bonds, the strongest of dolphin bonds, while females stay with their calves for 3–8 years. After a year-long gestation a female bears a single calf.