Universally loved, dolphins are our best-known animals. These large mammals are intelligent, playful, and full of their own individual personalities! Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s most famous dolphins, Winter and Hope, were featured in the major motion pictures Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2!
Where to See
Meet Our Resident Dolphins
Dolphin Species
Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
- Status
- Least Concern
- Average Size
- 7-12 ft
- Threats
- Whaling, entanglement, habitat loss
- Defining Characteristic
- Short rostrum (beak)
- Location
- Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of North America
- Two varieties/ecotypes of bottlenose dolphins: inshore and offshore
- Estimated lifespan of 35-50 years
- Age determined by examining growth rings in a tooth, just like a tree!
- Dolphins establish dominance with threatening postures and gestures
- Communicate through whistles and clicks
- Dolphins are a top predator in the ocean
Rough-Toothed Dolphin
Steno bredanensis
- Status
- Least Concern
- Average Size
- 6-9 ft
- Threats
- Hunting, entanglement, ocean noise
- Defining Characteristic
- Small head with long rostrum (beak)
- Location
- Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans from 40° north to 35° south
- Steno comes from the Greek word for narrow, referring to the dolphin’s rostrum (beak)
- Can remain underwater for 15 minutes
- Lifespan up to 36 years or more
- Have 19-28 roughened teeth in each quarter of the jaw
- Communicate through whistles and clicks
- Unlike Bottlenose dolphins, they have no demarcation between their melon (forehead) and beak
Did You Know…
Dolphins can dive to depths of nearly 1,000 feet.
Dolphins have three stomach chambers.
Dolphins never chew their food.
There are over 40 species of dolphins.
Killer Whales are a kind of dolphin!
