DolphinsDolphins are one of the most popular groups of animals. All of the whale and dolphin species belong to the order Cetacea. This order is split into two groups. The dolphins belong to the 'toothed whale' group, which also includes the porpoises and some of the 'whales' such as orca and sperm whale. (The other group are the baleen whales, and include most - but not all - of the classic large whales.)
The toothed whales, including the dolphins, have (as the name suggests), rows of teeth, and generally use these to catch and eat prey, such as fish and sometimes mammals. The size varies considerably; the largest in the family is the Orca, and the smallest is the Hectors, at about a metre in length. Most are generally sleek and torpedo in shape. They usually have obvious dorsal fins and tail flukes, and usually a prominent snout, or at the very least a head that tapers to a point. Most are grey in colour, but many species have bolder patterns of black and white, and this is an important way to identify species. Within this suborder the main family is the Delphinidae. This group has 36 species and includes most of the classic and most familiar species. Some species, such the Bottlenose and the Common, are found all over the world. Other species are more specialized and found in relatively specific regions, such as Hectors Dolphin around New Zealand.
They are very social animals, and some of their pods grow to hundreds of individual animals. The most commmonly seen species in the open waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific would probably be the Spinner (pictured below)
types of dolphins and where to see them...bottlenose dolphinsThe most popular of the dolphin species is the Bottlenose. Of all the dolphins, the bottlenose dolphin is probably the best known. They are the most commonly seen species in many open water and harbour areas around both Australia and the rest of the world. There is usually considered to be 2 different species; The ‘Oceanic Bottlenose’ is the classic bottlenose. It is fairly plain grey, slightly paler underneath if seen. It is about 3 metres long and larger than the other species. They are famous for being playful and may feed around boats, rides bow waves of boats. The ‘Long-beaked Bottlenose Dolphin’, is also called the ‘Indo-Pacific' or ‘Inshore’, and is smaller than the oceanic, at about 2 metres long. It is found more in inshore warmer waters around coastal Australasia, eastern Polynesia, south-east Asia, and Africa. These are dolphins that come into Monkey Mia, West Australia.
spinner dolphinsThe most common dolphin in tropical waters is the 'spinner dolphin'. Spinner dolphins can be seen in tropical waters, around the Great Barrier Reef, New Guinea and Hawaii.
Hectors DolphinHectors dolphins are the smallest of all dolphins. They have a very distinctive dorsal fin, which is black contrasting with the grey body and is curved, and looks a bit like Mickey Mouse's ear.
They are pretty much confined to New Zealand, so that is where you have to go to see them. They live mainly in fairly murky coastal waters. They are most famously seen in Akaroa Harbour. Here, you can do 'swimming with the dolphin' tours. Be warned, it is cold! When you are in the water with them, they move fast, and you won't get a great look at them, so best to get photos before you get in the water. I gave also seen Hectors Dolphins in the waters of Lyttleton Harbour, the port to Christchurch.
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