Bottle-nosed Dolphin

Name: Bottle-nosed Dolphin

Scientific name: Tursiops truncatus

Category: Marine

Nature Stars: 80

What are nature stars?

About: The most familiar of the dolphins and the most likely to be seen from British shores. The Bottle-nosed Dolphin is found right round the world. Closer to home, the best places to see these dolphins are the Moray Firth in Scotland, Cardigan Bay in Wales and the coasts of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. Bottle-nosed Dolphins grow to up to 4 metres in length. They are social animals, usually found in small groups of up to 15 animals. They are very acrobatic, often jumping out of the water or even doing sommersaults. Bottle-nosed Dolphins feed on fish.

How to identify: A large, fairly plain grey dolphin, darker above and paler below.

Where: An uncommon animal found around the coasts of northern, western and south-western Britain.

Natural Superpowers

• Predator: 80
• Agility: 80
• Rarity: 70
• Cute factor: 90
• Traveller: 80

Fantastic fact: Bottle-nosed Dolphins are thought to be one of the most intelligent animals.

Photograph credit: Karl Franz