Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops aduncus

Bottlenose Dolphins are found in oceans and seas worldwide except for far Arctic and Antarctic waters. At the turn of the last millenium the single species was split into 3: the Common Bottlenose, the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose and the Burrunan (Australia). The Indo-Pacific Bottlenose is native to seas from East and southeast Africa to the western Pacific (southern Japan to Australia). The "bottlenose" is a reference to the shape of their "beak".

The Indo-Pacific bottlenose is generally smaller than the others, reaching some 2.5 metres long. It has a slightly longer beak. Females and offspring live in family-based social "pods" while males live in small groups or alone. They are well-known for their intelligence and communication, both vocal and physical. They are curious, usually friendly and acrobatic.