DISCOVERED: Gray, 1828

COMMON NAME: Long-Snouted Spinner Dolphin

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION:

Costa Rican form is found only in a narrow band of water less than 95 miles (150 km) wide off western Central America
The eastern form is found from the tip of Baja California, Mexico, south to the equator and offshore to about 125 degrees
Two or more varieties may occur in the same area
Distribution in the Atlantic is poorly known

DESCRIPTION:

Slender body
Long, slender beak
Long, pointed flippers
Tall, erect fin
Dark-tipped beak
3-toned color pattern
Gently sloping forehead

NATURAL HISTORY:

HABITAT:

Occur in warm temperate waters, but mainly tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans
Most common far out to sea, especially in the eastern tropical Pacific
Also found close to shore, for example off southeastern USA and around some islands
Hawaiian form seems to rest inshore by day and move to feed offshore at night

FOOD & FEEDING:

Mainly mesopelagic fish, and epipelagic and mesopelagic squid

LIFE CYCLE:

Costa Rican spinner is the largest form, with males about 2.2m and females about 2.1m

BEHAVIOR:

Performs high, spinning leaps
Usually lives in large schools
When breaching, hurls itself up to 9 3\4 ft. (3m) into the air, spins around on its longitudinal axis up to 7 times in a single leap
Readily bow-rides in most areas, but much more nervous in eastern tropical Pacific
Rarely approaches boats in the Lesser Antilles, Caribbean
Large schools often churn water into a foam when swimming

HUMAN INFLUENCES:

The major threat to the spinner dolphin is the large catches over many years in the eastern tropical Pacific tuna fishery
Small cetacean fisheries elsewhere in the range are known to take at least some spinner dolphins, for example in the Solomon Islands, Japan and St. Vincent in the Lesser Antilles
There is also concern about threats to habitat at Fernando de Noronha Island off Brazil where tourist development may adversely affect a resident spinner dolphin population which uses the shallow bays to rest during the day