A Lovely Bottlenose Dolphin

Image from Different Types of Dolphins

Bottlenose Dolphin

Bottlenose dolphins are well known around the world. These dolphins are found anywhere on earth in warm and tropical waters, around the middle of the ocean. They have all different sizes, depending on where they live. Bottlenose dolphins can grow from a minimum of 2 meters to a maximum of 4 meters long. Their average size is about 3 meters. Most bottlenose dolphins are medium to dark gray on top, which fades into a pinkish white belly.

A Leaping Dusky Dolphin

Image from Dolphin Watch Marlborough Photo Gallery

Dusky Dolphin

Dusky dolphins are found in the southern hemisphere. They stay in medium temperature water. Dusky dolphins are not very big, which you can tell since their maximum length is only 2.1 meters while their average size is from 1.6 meters to 1.8 meters. Dusky dolphins have a short beak and unique colors.

A Graceful Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin

Image from Hand-In-Hand, Save the Whales and Dolphins

Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin

Indo-pacific humpback dolphins have a crooked humped dorsal fin, which makes the “humpback” part in this dolphins’ name. Their maximum length is 3 meters. They are grayish, whitish, or spotted. Colors differ depending on the place they live or their age.

A Fascinating Common Dolphin

Image from Hand-In-Hand, Save the Whales and Dolphins

Common Dolphins

Common dolphins are found all over the world in tropical and medium temperature waters. They are one of the world’s most plentiful dolphin type. This species of dolphins have a dark stripe around their eyes. Their flanks are ochre and gray. Calves are born with the same pattern, but they are lighter in color. Common dolphins have pointed flippers, a triangular shaped dorsal fin, and slender streamlined bodies. An adult female would be about 2.4 meters and a male dolphin would be about 2.6 meters.

An Amazing Spinner Dolphin

Image from Marine Megastars

Spinner Dolphins

Spinner dolphins are found in tropical and warm temperature oceans in the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean. They are named for their ability to leap out of the water and do 14 spins in a row before diving back into the sea and do somersaults. Spinner dolphins have narrow bodies and long beaks. Adult spinners are about 2 meters long.

A Leaping Pilot Whale

Image from Whale Watch

Pilot Whales

Although its name has “whale” in it, a pilot whale is actually a dolphin. Pilot whales, also called long-fin pilot whales, are mostly black except for a pale gray to whitish anchor-shaped patch on their bellies. Their foreheads are high and bulging and their long, sickle-shaped flippers are up to about 20% of their total body length. Long-fin pilot whales grow from 5.5 meters to 7 meters or more.

A Flipping Orca

Image from Animal Images

Orcas

Orcas are the largest type of dolphins, around 2.4 meters long when born and growing up to about 9.4 meters. They are colored a shiny black and white. Orcas have a round head, paddle-like flippers, and have no actual beak.