Bottlenose Dolphin Natural Eating Habitat

The bottlenose dolphin diet and feeding habits depend primarily upon their location. Coastal dolphins prefer to eat fish and crustaceans, while their open ocean kin prefer fish and squid. Hunting strategies also differ, depending upon the location and prey items available. Individual prey items are usually hunted by lone dolphins, while schooling fish are usually preyed upon by a pod of dolphins working together.

  1. Background

    • The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is one of the most recognizable aquatic mammals, it is the dolphin of "Flipper" fame, and the dolphin commonly seen in marine mammal parks. Worldwide, the dolphins appear to form two distinct groups. Those that remain in the coastal areas and the open ocean type.

    Where are Dolphins Found?

    • Bottlenose dolphins are found in the temperate oceans of the world between 45 degrees north and south latitude. They are also found in harbors and lagoons and up into the mouths of rivers within their range. Some of the dolphins stay with in a distinct home range, and some migrate.

    What do Dolphins Eat?

    • Dolphins eat food that is available in their geographic location. Dolphins who remain along the coastline will eat fish, shrimp and crustaceans. Open ocean dolphins eat primarily fish and squid, with evidence suggesting that they will dive to 500 meters or more to feed.

    Echolocation

    • Bottlenose Dolphins hunt their prey with sound waves, called echolocation. The dolphins emit sound in the form of clicks. The clicks travel through the water and, analyzing the return click, the dolphin is able to tell the size, direction and distance of its prey item. They are even able to identify a prey item by the sound returning off the body of the prey.

    Hunting Strategies

    • Bottlenose dolphins have two basic hunting strategies. They will hunt by themselves or cooperating with other dolphins. When a prey fish is not in a school, dolphins will hunt them individually, hunting them down or using their tail to stun the prey. When they are hunting schooling fish as a group, they will herd the fish into a tight ball, and drive through the ball to feed. Dolphins are also known to follow fishing fleets to feed on fish killed in the nets.