Striped Dolphin

Striped Dolphin Facts (Stenella coeruleoalba)

There is no mistaking the striped dolphin for any other type of species out there. They have a unique look to them that is very interesting. They feature long strips of dark blue on their lighter colored blue bodies. There are plenty of different colors too including shades of gray and brown. These are absolutely gorgeous dolphins that people love to look at.

They also have stripes of either pink or white on their belly. The males and females are fairly the same size at about 8 ½ feet in length. They average a weight of 350 pounds as well. The size of them though often depends on where they live. For example those that live in the Atlantic Ocean are heavier than those living in the Pacific Ocean.
 
Distribution

It is estimated that there are more than two million striped dolphins out there in the world at this time. They live in all of the different oceans out there where the water is warm. They don’t like the cooler temperatures and they really love the tropical waters. They are found both in the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. They move constantly so they can be miles from their natural home just as part of their daily adventures.

Behavior

The striped dolphin is often seen living side by side with many other types of dolphins. They do tend to stand out though due to the unique physical characteristics that they display. They live in groups that have at least 100 in them, and often many more. The types of groups are very distinct. For example there are those with females and their offspring as well as other males. These are known as the breeding groups.

There are groups of older striped dolphins that are no longer going to be breeding. You also have the juvenile groups which include those that have been weaned but are not yet mature enough for the mating process. They are known to perform a variety of jumps and twists while they are out of the water. These are extremely active dolphins so they are fun to watch.

Diet /Feeding

The main food sources for the striped dolphin include squid and a variety of small fish. They tend to hunt in groups and also at night time.

Reproduction

The striped dolphin will reproduce at about 12 years of age. Some people think that is a long time. However, in the wild they have a life span of about 60 years so there is plenty of time for mating to occur. After mating, the female will carry the young for about 12 months before giving birth. She will care for the offspring until they are about three years of age.

Conservation

Do to the abundance of striped dolphins in the world; there aren’t any real efforts to conserve them. However, there have been efforts to reduce the needless killing of them. Other efforts have been in place to help keep the waters where they live free of pollution as well.

In Japan thousands of these dolphins used to be killed for food and for sport annually. However, the high numbers were alarming and so limits were put into place in the late 1980’s. Now no more than 1,000 of them can be killed annually.

Human interaction

This is a very curious species of dolphin. They are often comfortable coming into close range with people in boats or along the shore. This particular species of dolphin doesn’t do well in captivity at all. None have survived for more than a few weeks because they refuse to eat when they are removed from their natural habitat.