The striped dolphin (aka the blue-white dolphin) can be found swimming throughout all of the worlds warm to tropical oceans.
They are a very social species often traveling in large pods of 25 – 100 or more and can easily number in the thousands.
These dolphins are also very acrobatic and may perform high jumps and frequently breach the water.
Currently this species is considered highly stable as there are estimated to be over 2 million striped dolphins in existence.
Physical Characteristics and Appearance
In terms of size these dolphins can grow to lengths of around 8 1/2 ft and weigh over 350 pounds.
They have a very distinct color patterns which appear very different from most species of dolphin.
The belly and rest of the lower portion of the dolphin is either white, pink or blue.
There are one or two black stripes that run from the eyes to the back and flippers and two more stripes that start from the back of the ears.
One stripe runs to the flipper and the other dips down to the belly.
All of their appendages are black.
They also have a large dorsal fin and prominent beak.
Diet and Hunting Methods
The main diet of striped dolphins consists of fish, squid, krill, cephalopods, crustaceans and octopus.
Their diet is also determined by the abundance of certain types prey in their region.
Social Structure and Communication
Striped dolphins have a very complex social structure which can be organized by age, sex and breeding status.
These dolphins communicate using a series of clicks and whistles, and by using body language such as breaching, jumping, roto tailing and spy hopping.
They rarely socialize or associate themselves with other species including other species of dolphin.
Large pods of 25 – 100 are common and at time these pods can congregate into larger groups of several thousand dolphins.
Mating, Reproduction and Lifespan
The gestation period (the period from conception to birth) lasts for 12 months.
Depending on location these dolphins are believed to reach sexual maturity between the ages of 7 – 12.
They bare a single offspring once every 3 – 4 years.
The average lifespan for striped dolphins is 50 – 60 years.
Habitat and Migration
The striped dolphin is found living in deep oceanic waters that have warm to tropical climates (52-84° F or 10-26° C) and carry an abundance of food.
They can be seen in locations such as (but not limited to) Argentina, South Africa, Argentina, Japan, North Europe and Greenland.
Some estimates state that there may be more than 2 million striped dolphins in existence today.
10 Surprising Striped Dolphin Facts
- The striped dolphin is a marine mammal which means it breathes air, is warm-blooded, produces milk to feed its children and gives birth to live dolphins (rather than laying eggs).
- When searching for food these marine mammals have been recorded diving to depths of over 2,200 ft. (670 m.)
- Although the striped dolphin is a protect species in the U.S. some countries can still be found hunting these marine mammals for food.
- Striped dolphins may occasionally face threats from attacks by natural predators such as killer whales and sharks.
- The scientific name for these marine mammals is, “Stenella coeruleoalba”.
- It has been estimated that over 20,000 striped dolphins may have been killed during the 20th century to be used for food and/or raw materials.
- These marine mammals are able to leap more than 20 ft. above the surface of the water when playing or swimming.
- Man-made sounds such as sonar, loud aircraft and explosions have been linked to dolphin strandings causing some species to beach themselves or avoid certain areas of the ocean, which is believed to be caused by interfering with the dolphins natural echolocation, sense of hearing and internal navigation.
- Striped dolphins are conscious breathers meaning they never fall completely asleep and are always partially aware of their surrounding; even when at rest. This allows these marine mammals to come up for air when necessary and maintain awareness of potential threats.
- There have been several attempts to keep stripped dolphins in captivity however these attempts have failed as these dolphins appear to be unable to survive outside of their natural habitat.