Pacific White-sided Dolphin

The Pacific white-sided dolphin is a compact, strongly patterned oceanic dolphin. It has a dark back, pale belly, grey flanks and a light stripe that sweeps from the eye toward the tail. The tall hooked dorsal fin is dark in front and paler behind. Adults measure approximately 1.7–2.5m and can weigh around 180kg (Wikipedia, general species account). The narrow tail stock leads to pointed flukes.

Across the temperate North Pacific, these dolphins feed on squid and schooling fish such as anchovies, herring and hake. They are fast, acrobatic swimmers that often bow-ride, leap clear of the water and travel in groups ranging from a few animals to several hundred. Mixed groups with northern right-whale dolphins and other cetaceans are regularly reported (Wikipedia, general species account).