Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins

The Atlantic bottlenose dolphins living at the National Aquarium are just one of approximately 70 species of dolphin. The bottlenose dolphin is perhaps one of the most commonly seen cetaceans in the world.

Bottlenose dolphins are light to slate gray on the upper part (dorsal surface) of their bodies, fading to lighter gray on the sides and pale gray or pink on the belly. The dorsal fin is tall and curves toward the rear of the animal. The flukes (tail fins) are curved with a deep notch in the middle, and the pectoral (side) fins are of medium length and pointed.

This dolphin has a robust body with a short, stubby rostrum (beak), which earned it the name "bottlenose." There are 86 to 100 sharp, cone-shaped teeth in its mouth, which allow the animal to grasp slippery prey. Adults reach 6 to 12 feet in length and weigh 400 to 800 pounds. Males are slightly larger than females.

Dolphins make lots of sounds to navigate, communicate, hunt, and avoid predators in dark waters. Bottlenose dolphins produce whistles, clicks, and sounds from their blowholes that resemble moans, trills, grunts, squeaks, and creaking doors. You can hear the National Aquarium's bottlenose dolphins' clicking sound by rolling your cursor over the menu buttons at the top of this page!

Calamari, anyone? The dolphin’s varied diet includes fish, squid, and crustaceans. Here at the Aquarium, our dolphins enjoy restaurant-quality herring and capelin.

Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in the wild exhibit a diverse range of feeding strategies: they may hunt cooperatively (often herding fish into tight circles), feed in association with fishing boats, dig in the sand to uncover food items, or chase fish onto mudbanks.

While bottlenose dolphins are not endangered, some populations are depleted. In U.S. waters, all marine mammals are protected by the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Major threats come from humans. Dolphins are accidentally caught in fishing gear (gill nets, purse seines, and shrimp trawls). Humans harass and feed wild dolphins, and in some regions of the world kill them directly.

Coastal populations may be especially vulnerable to habitat degradation, including high levels of pollutants from human populations on-shore and human activities in the water.

According to the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (ammpa.org), a bottlenose dolphin is expected to live for more than 25 years.

"Dolphins in zoos, aquariums, and marine life parks are well loved and well cared for. They enjoy extensive social enrichment programs and high-quality food. The animals also receive the finest veterinary care and benefit from state-of-the-art medical technologies developed for human health care. They breed successfully and form complex social groups. Because the animals are content and in excellent physical health, the animals reproduce well and live long, happy lives."

Here at the National Aquarium, we have healthy dolphins much older than 25 years!

Bottlenose dolphins are a top predator in the ocean, with few predators of their own. Sharks and killer whales occasionally prey upon the very old, weak, or young. Humans present a greater threat to this species through accidental catch or direct harassment.

In Japan's infamous "drive fisheries," dolphins are herded and slaughtered as a threat to fishing operations and for meat. You can help stop this brutal practice by signing this petition to end dolphin slaughter in Japan.

The National Aquarium cooperates in a bottlenose dolphin breeding consortium of a number of AZA-accredited institutions to collectively manage a large group of dolphins. The goal of this group is to maintain a healthy and genetically diverse collection of dolphins in zoos and aquariums.

The animals are housed in social situations that mimic how they would be found in the wild. Stable female and calf groups are maintained in some facilities, while others maintain bachelor groups of all male animals. Adult males move to facilities that house female groups for breeding.