Weight:

• About 180kg (B142).

Length:

• 2.5-2.7m / 8-9ft (D23)
• Females about 2.5-2.7m; males slightly larger (B142).
• Neonate: Length about 120cm (B142)

External Appearance:

• Body: very stout torpedo shape.
• Head: rounded snout, short white/pale grey beak. May be dark flecks behind eyes. May be dark grey stripe from angle of mouth to flipper insertion.
• Teeth: small (about 6mm diameter), sharp-pointed, 22-28 pairs per jaw.
• Dorsal: dark grey/black, with area caudal to dorsal fin pale grey/white. Often Blaze, dark grey to white, from near dorsal surface caudal to eye across flanks and downwards to anal region.
• Flippers: broad based with pointed tip, dark colour.
• Dorsal fin: central along back, tall sickle shape, more erect in adult males.
• Tail: has very thick stock, with tail flukes dark, slightly notched and concave trailing edge.
• (B142).

Similar species: Lagenorhynchus acutus - Atlantic white-sided dolphin lacks pale grey/white area on dorsal surface behind dorsal fin (B142).

Britain and Ireland:

• Common, mainly in North Sea, north and north-western Scotland and southwards towards south-western Britain and Ireland.
• Less pelagic than Lagenorhynchus acutus - Atlantic white sided dolphin and appears to be more abundant in coastal waters.

(B51, B142).

Movement:

• Britain and Ireland: may be seen all months but more in August and other summer months - may be inshore movement (B142).

Habitat:

• Cold-temperate and polar waters (B51).

• Fish - Clupea, Gadus, Scomber, Merlangius, Trisopterus, Melanogrammus, Pleuronectes, Limanda, Eleginus and Hyperoplus spp.
• Squid, octopus, benthic crustaceans.

(B142)

Feeding Behaviour:

• Co-operative herding to bunch shoals tightly and trap them at water surface (B142).

Breeding:

• Births late spring to summer (May to August).
• Gestation probably about 10 months.
• (B142).

Breeding Behaviour: --

Activity:

• Swim moderately fast
• Often bow-ride
• Frequently breach out of water
• (B142).

Social Behaviour:

• Usually in groups of up to 10 individuals.
• Sometimes herds of 30-50.
• Occasionally larger herds e.g. 100-500 individuals.
• Mixed-age, mixed-sex groups
• (B142).

Organisations (UK Contacts):

• Wildlife and Countryside Directorate, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR)
• The Mammal Society
• Mammals Trust
• British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR)
• Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU)
• Earthkind
• The Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust
• Sea Life Centres
• Sea Mammal Research Unit
• Sea Watch Foundation
• UK Marine Mammal Strandings Project
• Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society

Electronic Library (further reading):

• MARINE MAMMAL MEDIC HANDBOOK
• Oil Spills and Marine Wildlife: Guidelines for a Response
• RSPCA - Stranded whales, dolphins and porpoises
• Stranded Cetaceans
• British Mammal Factsheets

General Legislation:

• "Dolphins (Cetacea)" are listed on Schedule 5 (Protected animals) of the LUK2 - Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 of the United Kingdom. (W5.Oct01)
• The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 adds "reckless damage or disturbance" to the offence of intentionally damaging any structure or place which a wild animal listed in Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 together with a further extension to protect Schedule 5 cetaceans by the addition of an offence of "intentionally or recklessly disturbing a cetacean or basking shark in any place".

Individual techniques:

• Refloatation of Stranded Whales & Dolphins
• Lifting and Moving of Stranded Whales & Dolphins
• Accommodation of Casualty Whales & Dolphins