New Zealand Dolphins

Dolphins of the Bay of Plenty

The most commonly encountered dolphins on our trips are the Common dolphin and the Bottlenose dolphin.

Did you know?

The Common dolphin has the most intricate colour patterns of all dolphins, porpoises and whales
Common dolphins can remain submerged for up to 8 minutes and can dive as deep as 280 metres. Bottlenose dolphins can dive to depths of 200-300 metres and stay submerged for up to 15 minutes
A Common dolphin has magnetite (the most magnetic mineral on Earth) in its head. This is thought to help it navigate
Common dolphins have between 160 and 240 teeth
Bottlenose dolphins can swim at speeds of up to 54 km/h
Bottlenose dolphins are able to whistle from the moment they are born. This whistle develops into a unique sound all of their own before they are a year old
Bottlenose dolphins are commonly found in the company of other ocean life, such as Pilot and Humpback whales
The New Zealand Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) are identified by their short beaks and distinctive patterns.
It is the Bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) that most people visualise when they hear the word ‘dolphin’ as is the most well known and studied species.

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Things to know
The Common dolphins found in New Zealand are Short-beaked Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). They can be distinguished by their shorter beaks and distinctive colour patterns.

It is the Bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) that most people visualise when they hear the word ‘dolphin’ as is the most well known and studied species.

The New Zealand Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) are identified by their short beaks and distinctive patterns.
It is the Bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) that most people visualise when they hear the word ‘dolphin’ as is the most well known and studied species.

Showing 1 to 2 out of 2 results found