Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Delphinidae
- Genus
- Lagenorhynchus
Habitat
White-beaked dolphins inhabit cold temperate to subarctic waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, from the coasts of Norway and Iceland south to the Bay of Biscay and east to the Barents Sea. They prefer deep offshore waters but can also be found near continental shelves where prey is abundant.
Diet
They primarily feed on fish such as herring, mackerel, and capelin, as well as squid and occasionally shrimp. White-beaked dolphins hunt in groups using echolocation, often diving to depths of 200-300 meters during the day when prey is most active.
Behavior
White-beaked dolphins are highly social, living in pods of 5 to 50 individuals that travel and hunt together. They are active swimmers, often leaping out of the water or bow-riding boats, and exhibit playful behaviors like surfing waves, though they are not territorial and migrate seasonally based on food availability.
Conservation Status
The IUCN status of the white-beaked dolphin is Least Concern, with a stable population trend, but they face threats from bycatch in fishing nets and marine pollution.