Spinner dolphin | Hurghada Dolphins in the Red Sea Egypt

Spinner dolphin Hurghada Dolphins in the Red Sea

Spinner dolphin, also known as spotted dolphin | Hurghada Dolphins in the Red Sea (Stenella longirostris) The most beautiful dolphin species in the Red Sea,

Spinner dolphin appearance

The fins of these dolphins are small and almost triangular at the tips, and the dorsal fin is slightly curved, sometimes pointed, and located almost in the middle of the back. They have a strikingly long, narrow snout with a dark tip; the upper body is light grey, and the belly is white.

Dark spots may be visible at the base of the tail, on the back, and on the throat.

The length is 1.3 - 2.4 meters.

The weight ranges from 23 to 80 kg. Males can weigh up to 90 kg.

The spinner dolphin has a significantly more numerous set of teeth than any other species of these dolphins, with approximately 45 to 65 sharp and even pointed teeth located on each side of the upper and lower jaw, and it prefers to begin feeding at night.

Spinner dolphin behavior

These social animals form groups ranging from a few to several thousand individuals. They are very playful and true acrobats, known for leaping out of the water and spinning around multiple times. They enjoy swimming and circling boats, using the bow waves to ride along.

They leap out of the water in a way unlike any other dolphin species.

During daylight hours, they prefer to rest near shallow coastal waters. But at night, they like to move into deeper waters and hunt. These dolphins prefer to rotate from late afternoon until early evening, after their rest period, and then prepare to go hunting.

Why do spinner dolphins spin around so often?

Since most of the rotation begins after these dolphins have finished resting, it is thought to be a specific type of exercise to help them strengthen their muscles and thus improve blood flow.

It has always been assumed that this spin also has its own social function, and this act could be closely related to human courtship behavior, in other words, showing off.

Initiating a rotation can also be a good way for them to remove parasites such as mussels or suckerfish and help to expel them from their body.

Once this species of dolphin starts spinning, others will prefer to join them, so there is definitely a social element and a kind of communication involved in spinning for these dolphins.

Spinner dolphin diet

Like almost all dolphin species, their diet consists of small fish, crabs, shrimp and squid; they usually hunt their prey at night.