Bottlenose dolphin  (Tursiops truncatus)

This active species engages in much energetic behaviour, including breaching (clearing the water), lobtailing (slapping the tail flukes down onto the surface of the water) and bow-riding (riding the swell created in front of boats and even large whales) (8). It has also been observed 'playing games' with seaweed and other objects (8).

Dolphins are highly intelligent animals; they have a sophisticated echolocation system and communicate via a range of sounds (9). Although lone individuals occur, this is typically a very sociable animal, living in groups numbering between 10 and 100 individuals; even larger groups may form offshore (10). This species has a broad diet, with a wide variety of fish and invertebrates including cephalopods being taken (2). It varies its hunting methods greatly, and cooperative hunting has been observed in many areas (2). In Brazil, this species even hunts cooperatively with humans, driving fish into the nets of local fishers. In return, the dolphin takes its share of the fish (2).

Females produce a single calf in the summer after a gestation period of 12 months. The calf suckles for up to 18 months and stays close to the mother until it reaches four or five years of age (7).