Bottlenose Dolphin

(tursiops truncatus)

Bottlenose Dolphins are friendly, playful and highly intelligent, dolphins can often be seen surfing the waves, jumping and even doing summersaults. Bottlenose Dolphins are found along the entire coastline of Australia, populations are secure. Bottlenose Dolphins usually surface every twenty seconds, but can stay underwater for several minutes.

Communication is a combination of squarks, whistles, clicks and squeaks. Like whales, dolphins do not sleep. Their brains are divided into two halves, one side awake while the other side sleeps.

Individual ranges are about fifteen to forty square kilometres. Fish, squid and crustaceans make up the bulk of their diet. Females Bottlenose Dolphins whistle for several days after giving birth, giving their young an acoustic imprint. Other female dolphins look after newborns when the mother is feeding. Sub adult males associate in bachelor groups. Bottlenose Dolphins are very social mammals.

Bottlenose Dolphin Gallery

All the pictures were taken on our wildlife tours.