Sighting

Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis)

It is not difficult to deduce where this dolphin gets its name from. As can be seen, it has a large number of spots all along its body, being light in the dark areas and dark in the light areas.

Thanks to this colouring it is easily identifiable, however these spots appear as they grow, and the youngest ones lack them, which is why it can sometimes be confused with the bottlenose dolphin.

With a size between 1.8 and 2.3 metres and a weight of around 130 kg. we can say that it belongs to the group of small dolphins. The females are slightly smaller than the males and the calves measure around 80 cm. at birth.

They are very curious and active dolphins. They often approach the bow of boats and it is not uncommon to see them jumping.

It lives in temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic and feeds mainly on small fish and squid.

It is a protected species. Apart from man, only sharks and killer whales pose a threat to this species.

They can be seen in relatively large groups and sometimes in very large herds.