Dusky Dolphins are found in coastal waters of South Africa, New Zealand and South America. They are small and compact, with a short dark beak and gently sloping forehead. The dorsal cape is dark grey or blue-black, with a crescent of light grey on the rear half on the fin. The flippers are also dark, as are the flukes and underside of the keel. A small dark patch encircles each eye. tHere are between 48 and 72 teeth per jaw. Adults can reach up to 2.1m in length.
Dusky Dolphins prefer inshore, coastal waters. They eat a wide variety of midwater fish and squid. They are normally found in small units of 6 - 15 but larger groups of 20 - 500 or massive aggregation of over 1000 are also common. They are highly social acrobatic, they leap, spin, somersault and bowride, and often associate with ither cetaceans, such as Common Dolphins and Southern Right Whales. |