Spinner Dolphin

Spinner Dolphin Facts (Stenella longirostris)

The Spinner Dolphin is one of the smallest of all species out there. It features a coloring that is dark gray but with patches of white on the belly. They have fins that are much longer than other species of dolphins. They only weigh about 200 pounds when they are fully mature. They can grow as long as 7 feet. They feature a dorsal fin that is curved at the end.

Many people love the great look of them and the fact that they seem to do very well around people. They are often seen as fun and caring animals and that is part of their charm. Many people try to identify them when they travel to particular locations for vacation. In fact, some people travel with the sole purpose of being able to see these Spinner Dolphins in action.

Anatomy

The body design of this particular dolphin is really quite interesting. They are well known for their ability to spin around very rapidly. They have a very long snout which is a distinguishing feature of these dolphins. They have anywhere from 45 to 65 teeth in their mouth which are very sharp. However, they don’t use them to chew their food but to grab it.

Like all dolphins, the spinner species has a blowhole where it takes in air. It is believed that they sleep with only half of their brain at a time. This way they can get the rest they need buy still make it back to the surface when necessary in order to take in more air. They have very good vision but they mainly are relying upon their sonar to be able to detect movements in the water.

Behavior

In addition to their spinning, they are also well known for their giant leaps in the air. Of all the dolphins they are the one with the ability to be the most flexible. That means they have the record for the most types of acrobatics. The most interesting of them being that they can spin in a fashion that is similar to a top. The most spins ever recorded at once by a Spinner Dolphin is 7.

Like all dolphins they use a type of clicking to communicate with each other. They also use whistling and it is still very difficult for researchers to fully understand what all of their efforts mean. They seem to be highly intelligent though and to form very strong relationships with each other. There can be from 5 to 200 of them in a single pod.

The live in small groups known as pods and they have behaviors in it that also indicate communication such as touching and slapping the water with their fins or tails. There is still a great deal of information that we don’t fully understand though about this particular species of dolphin. Yet the fact that they are so physical in touch with each other is fascinating to watch. The young thrive from the touching of their mothers and this type of behavior is found in the entire pod.

From observing them though we also know that they get along quite well with other species of dolphins. They have been seen swimming with them and there aren’t any conflicts. Many researchers are very interested in how they seem to be able to communicate with these other species.

The Spinner Dolphin is very protective of the young offspring in the pod. They will keep them to the innermost areas of it. The females be on the outside of them with the males further out. They all move in very close when it is time for resting. This offers them security from predators.

They seem to do very well in the wild, living up to 40 years. They also can thrive in captivity as long as there are several of them in one location so that their need for socializing isn’t hindered. They can live up to 60 years in captivity.

Habitat/Distribution

You will find these dolphins in the warmer water regions. They are found in all three of the oceans out there. Many people have been able to successfully view them in their natural habitat around the islands of Hawaii. Japan and Mexico are also other prime locations where these dolphins have been spotted.

They mainly stay close to the shore during the daylight hours. Then at night they disappear as that is when they will be very busy looking for food. They seem to have a very good sense of their location and they are able to determine where they should hunt for food. They can travel great distances as a group in order to be able to meet the needs of the pod.

Diet/Feeding Habits

The Spinner Dolphin is a night time hunter and they can go about 3,000 feet into the water in order to find food. They consume a variety of food sources including squid, jellyfish, fish, shrimp, and snails. They consume food that is small enough for them to swallow instead of using their teeth to chew them up.

They are very good hunters as they rely upon sound waves that they give out in order to find their prey. This is a remarkable feature as with it they are able to find out where the prey is, the direction it is traveling, and even the size of it.

Reproduction

It is believed that the spinning process I mentioned before is more likely to occur from the males than the females. They use this as a method of attracting females to them for mating purposes. Males are ready to mate when they are about 10 years old. For females it is sooner, around 7 years of age. The males will do all that they can in order to get the females to mate. They have a wonderful courtship that also includes lots of physical touching.

After successfully mating it will take 10 months before she gives birth to a live pup. They are born tail first and they will swim close to the face of their mother for several months. Then they will slowly start to move back to where they are next to her dorsal fin. The mother will nurse the young for about 2 years.

Predators

The biggest predator of this dolphin are various types of sharks. Killer Whales have become a problem for them as well. Generally these predators will try to get those that are alone. They won’t attack with a full pod of them around but a hungry predator will do all it can to get one separated from the rest of the group.

More than two million of them are believed to have been killed in the past 60 years. This is mainly due to the demand for tuna. It isn’t known how many Spinner Dolphins are in the world. They are hard to count due to the way in which their population is so diversified and spread out.

However, they are classified as being endangered and that is something that people need to realize. There is a good chance these dolphins won’t be around in the future if we don’t take some serious action now.