Top 13 Most Unique Dolphins in the World
From pink river dolphins to black-and-white ocean hunters, and even species that few have ever seen – join us in discovering the most fascinating types of dolphins!
The 13 Most Unique Dolphins in the World - Photo: Jodhphoto/Shutterstock
There are 40 species of dolphins – although it's not entirely certain, as biologists still debate which family some species belong to. Regardless:
There isn't just one gray dolphin that laughs amusingly; there are actually 40! And they couldn't be more different! They vary greatly in many characteristics: appearance, habitat, and behavior. Some dolphins are actually pink... or white! There are both large and small dolphins. Some thrive in tropical waters, while others inhabit the icy waters of the Arctic, and still others live in rivers. The length of their snouts and the number of teeth also differ significantly.
What do dolphins have in common? They all possess a tail fin (fluke), a dorsal fin, two pectoral fins, and a blowhole. They communicate and navigate using a variety of sounds like whistles and clicks. Additionally, they are highly intelligent. They can even recognize themselves in a mirror!
The following dolphins are essentially the "craziest chickens" in the barn – or in the sea. Anyway, here are our top 10 most unusual dolphins along with their unique traits or abilities!
1. Amazon River Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Inia geoffrensis
- Nickname: Boto
- Habitat: Freshwater rivers in the Amazon basin
Distinctive Features:
- Pink, rosy skin
- Long snout
- Flexible neck vertebrae
- Enjoys playing with turtles and wooden pieces
The Playful Pink Dolphin
The Amazon river dolphin, also known as Boto, bufeo or pink river dolphin, is a freshwater dolphin that inhabits the rivers and floodplains of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Unfortunately, it has become an endangered species due to increasing water pollution and the destruction of its habitat. What makes it so unique?
The skin color of the Amazon river dolphin changes over time, shifting from gray to pink! Males even display a vibrant pink hue. This is why the Amazon River Dolphin is also referred to as the pink river dolphin.
Not only is its color unusual, but its behavior is as well: it loves to play with turtles and wooden objects. Its long, narrow snout and highly flexible neck vertebrae are also distinctive features that allow it to navigate skillfully among flooded trees and roots.
2. Dusky Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Lagenorhynchus obscurus
- Nickname: Shadow
- Habitat: Southern Oceans (around New Zealand)
Distinctive Features:
- Black-gray skin
- White belly
- Jumps very high
- Performs flips
The Black-Gray Dolphin
The dusky dolphin is found exclusively along the coasts of Chile.
Its name already suggests that it is quite different from the 'normal' gray dolphin. Its back is dark gray to black, while its sides are gray and its belly is white. The colors blend smoothly into one another, unlike the sharply defined colors of the orca.
What truly sets it apart is its swimming technique. It can leap out of the water multiple times in succession, execute quick flips, and ride the waves for long distances - for instance, on the bow wave of passing boats.
3. Ganges River Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Platanista gangetica
- Nickname: Water bat
- Habitat: Rivers of India, Pakistan, Nepal
Distinctive Features:
- Nearly blind
- Lives in murky water
- Long snout
- Endangered species
The Blind River Dolphin
The Ganges river dolphin inhabits the freshwater rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra, and their tributaries in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. This dolphin is critically endangered, primarily due to water pollution, shipping traffic, and dams.
Unlike most other dolphins, it can hardly see anything beyond light and dark. It is as blind as a bat. However, having good eyesight would not be much help in its habitat. It resides in murky waters where visibility is poor. Instead, it relies more on echolocation than other dolphins. It emits clicking sounds, and the sound waves bounce off the banks, riverbed, other animals, or plants. In this way, it "sees with its ears".
It has a long, narrow snout filled with numerous sharp teeth. Its body is gray-brown in color.
4. Orca
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Orcinus orca
- Nickname: Killer Whale – but belongs to the dolphin family
- Habitat: All the world's oceans, including Arctic and Antarctic waters
Distinctive Features:
- Black and White
- Largest dolphin
- 16-26 feet (5-8 meters) long
- Intelligent hunter
- Also eats other dolphins
- Speaks "dialect"
The Killer Whale
Yes, it's true, the orca is also part of the dolphin family. It can be found in all oceans and thrives in the cold waters around the polar regions.
Orca is actually its scientific name. It also has another name: Killer Whale. The reason for this is a longer story. You can find the answer in the profile! So, what makes the orca so unique? Of all 40 dolphin species, it is the largest. Male orcas can grow up to 26 feet (8 meters) long, and some say they can even reach lengths of up to 29 feet (9 meters). They also weigh quite a bit: up to 6 tons – roughly the same as 5-6 small cars.
Its black-and-white coloration is also unusual – the colors do not blend but are sharply defined. No other dolphin or whale is as easily recognizable. A bit creepy, but true: it also eats other dolphins!
5. Spinner Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Stenella longirostris
- Nickname: Spinmaster
- Habitat: Tropical seas worldwide
Distinctive Features:
- Leaps out of the water and spins
- Up to seven rotations per jump
- Slender
- Long snout
- Three colors
- Dark gray, light gray, and white
- Most teeth: 252
The Dolphin That Spins While Jumping
As the name suggests, the spinner dolphin resides in the East Pacific. It is most commonly spotted off the coasts of Hawaii and Mexico. However, it rarely stays close to shore, preferring the open ocean.
What sets the spinner dolphin apart are its acrobatic leaps. Among all dolphins, it boasts the best skills. In other words, its jumps are spectacular, as it can spin up to seven times in the air before diving back in. This is how it earned its name.
Notable physical features include its long snout, three-colored skin, and large, crescent-shaped dorsal fin.
6. Commerson Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Cephalorhynchus commersonii
- Nickname: Panda
- Habitat: Argentina, Strait of Magellan, Falkland Islands, Kerguelen Islands
Distinctive Features:
- Black and white
- Looks like a small orca
- Fast dolphin
- Very small
- Round head
- Short snout
- Short fins
The Panda Among Dolphins
The Commerson dolphin resides in two major groups: one at the southern tip of South America and another near the Kerguelen Islands, which are far from the mainland in the southern Indian Ocean.
The Commerson dolphin has a unique coloration. Its head, dorsal fin, and tail fin are black, while the rest of its body is white. The black and white colors are sharply defined, earning it the nickname panda. Other names are jacobita, skunk dolphin, piebald dolphind and tornina overa.
Additionally, its body differs from most other dolphins. It is quite rounded, featuring a round head, a short snout, and short fins.
Commerson dolphins are very fast, capable of changing direction in a flash and enjoy surfing on waves.
7. Risso's Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Grampus griseus
- Nickname: Scarface
- Habitat: FreshwaterAll oceans, including the Mediterranean and Red Sea
Distinctive Features:
- Large, round head
- Scarred skin (white lines)
- Sickle-shaped dorsal fin
- Fewest teeth of all dolphins
- Preference for cephalopods
- Dives up to 1,968 feet (600 meters) deep
The Dolphin With the Fewest Teeth
The Risso's dolphin is found in all seas, yet it is rarely seen. Why is that? It lives in the open ocean and can only be spotted from ships. It is also known as the Risso's dolphin.
Risso's dolphins have a distinctive appearance. Their head is large and rounded. In their short "beak", there are only 14 teeth. This makes it the dolphin with the fewest teeth among all species. Their skin is also unique: it is often marked with white lines, which are scratch marks from encounters with other dolphins, sharks, or cephalopods.
Its abilities are impressive as well. Among all dolphins, it can dive the deepest, reaching depths of up to 1,968 feet (600 meters).
8. Heaviside's Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Cephalorhynchus heavisidii
- Nickname: Penguin
- Habitat: West coast of Africa
Distinctive Features:
- Black and white skin
- Round head
- Short snout
- Click sounds outside the hearing range of orcas
- Enjoys surfing on the bow wave of boats
The Penguin Among Dolphins
The Heaviside's dolphin isn't named for being particularly heavy. Instead, it was named after a captain. This dolphin is found exclusively along the west coast of Africa and is quite rare.
There are several features that make the Heaviside's dolphin unique. First, its striking black and white coloration stands out. The colors are distinctly separated: the head, back, and fins are black, while the belly is white. Additionally, its body is rather round and compact, giving it a resemblance to a penguin, which is where the nickname comes from!
Another interesting trait is that these animals produce particularly high click sounds for communication. Orcas cannot hear these sounds, making it harder for them to detect the Heaviside's dolphin. Since orcas also prey on other dolphins, this ability provides an extra layer of protection.
9. Pacific White-Sided Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
- Nickname: Hookfin porpoise
- Habitat: North Pacific
Distinctive Features:
- White body sides
- Short beak
- Sickle-shaped dorsal fin
- High jumps
- Especially fast
- Gray "eye mask"
The One With the White Sides and the Hook Fin
The Pacific white-sided dolphin resides in the North Pacific. It forms large groups and is very social.
The Pacific white-sided dolphin's back is dark gray, but its sides are light gray. It looks as if someone took a wide brush and painted two white stripes on either side of its body. Its dorsal fin is sickle-shaped, which gave it its nickname: "hookfin porpoise".
It is among the fastest dolphins, reaching speeds of 21 mph (35 km/h).
10. Melon-Headed Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Peponocephala electra
- Nickname: Melon Torpedo
- Habitat: Southern hemisphere
Distinctive Features:
- Smooth, melon-shaped head
- Looks like a small whale
- Strong social bonds
- Stay together for life
- Often strand together
The Dolphin That Resembles a Whale
The melon-headed dolphin is found exclusively in the southern hemisphere, particularly in coastal waters off South America, South Africa, and New Zealand. It is known by several other names: electra dolphin, little killer whale, or many-toothed blackfish.
Its most distinctive feature is its head, which is shaped like a melon, giving the dolphin its nickname.
Highly social, it forms large groups with strong bonds. They remain together for life and may strand together if they lose their way due to noise or oil spills.
11. Irrawaddy Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Orcaella brevirostris
- Nickname: Beluga dolphin
- Habitat: Southeast Asia
Distinctive Features:
- Resembles a beluga whale
- Round head
- Short snout
- Lives in rivers
- Hunts alongside fishermen
- Rarely jumps
The Little Brother of the Beluga Whale
The Irrawaddy dolphin is named after the 1,348 miles (2,170 km) long Irrawaddy river in southeast Asia. Its habitat includes coasts, bays, and rivers. Interestingly, it does not belong to the family of true river dolphins.
If one were not aware, they might mistake the Irrawaddy dolphin for a beluga whale. It is very light in color, has a short, rounded snout, and a very friendly, peaceful expression.
Unfortunately, it is particularly endangered because it often gets caught in fishing nets and is injured by ship propellers. Additionally, the animals are affected by increasing environmental pollution.
12. False Killer Whale
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Pseudorca crassidens
- Nickname: Orca's brother
- Habitat: Warm and temperate seas
Distinctive Features:
- Very large
- Very heavy
- Hunting techniques are similar to those of orcas
- Completely black
- Can breed with large dolphins
The Fake Killer Whale
The false killer whale lives in warm and temperate seas. It prefers the open ocean as its habitat.
It is referred to as a whale because it can grow quite large. Its length can reach up to 19 feet (6 meters), and it can weigh as much as 1.5 tons. It is also known as the false killer whale. However, its appearance is not the reason for this name, as it lacks the distinctive white spots on its skin. It received its name because it employs similar hunting techniques and primarily feeds on larger animals.
The false killer whale and the bottlenose dolphin can produce offspring together. Such a dolphin is referred to as a 'wolphin,' a blend of 'whale' and 'dolphin.'
13. Hector's Dolphin
Facts:
- Scientific Name: Cephalorhynchus hectori
- Nickname: Mickey Mouse
- Habitat: New Zealand
Distinctive Features:
- Only 1.2-1.5 m long
- Smallest dolphin
- Black "nose tip"
- Black "eye mask"
The Smallest Dolphin
The Hector's dolphin is found exclusively along the coasts of New Zealand. It prefers the open sea as his habitat.
The Hector's dolphin has an adorable black nose tip, a light throat, and a pale belly, along with a dark "eye mask" and black fins. Doesn't it resemble Mickey Mouse a bit? What makes this dolphin even more unique is that it is the smallest of all! It reaches a maximum length of 5 feet (1.5 meters) and weighs between 88-132 pounds (40-60 kg). That's quite a contrast to the large orca, which can grow up to 26 feet (8 meters) long and weigh 6 tons.
Unfortunately, the Hector's dolphin is endangered. The main reasons for this are fishing nets, in which they can become entangled and drown.
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