White-beaked dolphin
Lagenorhynchus albirostris
p. [126]
- Body to about 10 feet (3.1 m) long.
- Dorsal fin all black, tall, and distinctly falcate.
- Two pale areas: one in front, another behind and below dorsal fin; visible on swimming animal.
- Beak short, sometimes brushed with white blaze.
- May ride bow waves.
- Distribution Newfoundland north in summer, Cape Cod north in winter; common close to shore at Cape Cod in spring.
Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
p. [128]
- Body to 12 feet (3.7 m) long.
- Body dark gray on back; lighter gray on sides; belly white to pink.
- Snout robust and short.
- Dorsal fin tall; back curved.
- Ride bow waves; often turn head downwards or to the sides as they do so.
- Distribution temperate and tropical, usually within 20 miles of shore (often in bays, lagoons, and larger rivers) but extending off the continental shelves.
Guiana dolphin
Sotalia guianensis
p. [132]
- Body to approximately 5.6 feet (1.7 m) long.
- Body steel blue to dark brown on back; white on belly.
- Dorsal fin nearly triangular; curves only slightly backward.
- Distribution in Lake Maracaibo and the rivers of Guiana and in the nearshore coastal waters of northeastern portion of South America.
Rough-toothed dolphin
Steno bredanensis
p. [135]
- Body to about 8 feet (2.4 m) long.
- Body dark gray to purplish gray on back with white or pink blotches on sides; belly white.
- Body frequently shows numerous white scars.
- Head tapers gradually; beak long and slender; no clear separation of beak from forehead.
- May ride bow waves.
- Distribution in deep tropical waters.
Pygmy killer whale
Feresa attenuata
p. [138]
- Body to 8-9 feet (2.4-2.7 m) long.
- Body black with white belly patch which may extend up sides in area of anus.
- Head rounded; no beak; lips white; lower jaw and chin may be white.
- Dorsal fin to 15 inches (38 cm) tall, falcate; located near midpoint of back.
- Distribution tropical and subtropical.