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Home , Atlantic spotted dolphin, Bottlenose dolphin, Common dolphin

Prepared by MARINE GUIDELINES FOR VIEWING

MARINE MARINE MAMMALS

Whales and are the most common marine found in the Virgin Islands. Both belong to the taxonomic Report sightings of ANY to the THE MAMMALS order . Cetaceans are divided into two suborders, baleen (Mysticeti), and toothed whales (Odontoceti). Conservation & Fisheries Department. 284-494-5681 or 284-494-3429 CONSERVATION & Baleen whales include gray whales, right whales and whales. They are among the largest in the world. Remain at least 100 yards away from marine FISHERIES DEPARTMENT mammals. If an approaches your vessel, The rorqual whales include the Humpback and Bryde’s Whales, two of the most common baleen whales seen in the reduce speed and shift to neutral. Do not reen- Virgin Islands. gage props until the animals are observed at the Ministry of Natural Resources & Labour surface and clear of the vessel. Toothed whales include whales with teeth as well as dolphins Government of the British Virgin Islands and . Toothed whales are generally smaller than Whales and marine mammals may surface in un- baleen whales. predictable locations but never pursue, encircle P.O. Box 3323, Road Town, Tortola Some of the most common toothed whales in the Virgin Is- or separate marine mammals. Humpback & Calf lands include the and . The most Remember, marine mammals are wild animals, common dolphins seen are the Bottlenose , Atlantic attempting to swim with or feed them could en- Tel: (284) 468-2700 , and the . danger you or the animal. or 468-3701 ext. 2700 OF THE Two other marine mammals that may be seen in the Virgin Islands are manatees and seals. Taken from “Guidelines for Viewing Marine Mammals Fax (284) 494-2781 for Private Boaters” (NOAA & the National Marine Although manatees were once common in the Virgin Islands, Fisheries Service) Email: [email protected] VIRGIN ISLANDS the lack of freshwater sources and development has driven them to other locations. However, manatees may stray from their usual habitat and wander into new areas. The nearest population of manatees is located in Puerto Rico. Spotted Dolphins

STRANDINGS Common Dolphin

Spinner Dolphin There are several theories as to what causes whales to strand. Whales sometimes strand simply because they are stuck on the beach because of a low tide. Others strand WHY SHOULD YOU because of disorientation, parasitic infestation of the inner Office Location: ear, military testing that causes the inner ear to bleed NOTIFY CFD ABOUT

and confusion of sonar sig- SIGHTINGS??? 1st floor (upstairs) Quastisky Building nals in shallow water. An- other compelling theory has Next to the Roundabout to do with whales using the Information obtained from sightings is added to earth’s magnetic field to the Conservation & Fisheries Department’s (CFD) navigate their environment. database to monitor migration and behavioral pat- Pilot Whales Magnetite crystals found in terns of marine mammals. or around the of

West Indian Manatee whales sense the magnetic In the case of any marine mammal stranding or “ Professional Services Delivered field of the earth. Areas high in iron content may cause the sightings of manatees or seals, notifying CFD could Hooded Seal whale to become disoriented. to the Public” increase the chances of survival of the animal. BALEEN WHALES TOOTHED WHALES DOLPHINS ( frontalis)

All toothed whales have one . Baleen whales have baleen plates made of BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN Length: 2.2m (7ft) keratin instead of teeth. The baleen is a flexible material and edged with hairy plates that hang (Tursiops truncates) Distinctive Markings SHORT– FINNED PILOT WHALES from the upper jaw and acts like a sieve to filter : tall, curved krill (small crustaceans), plankton (small plants & (Globicephala macrorhynchus) backwards, pointed at Length: up to 4m (13 ft) animals that float with the ocean currents) and the tip small fish. All baleen whales also have two blow- Distinctive Markings holes. Length: 4-5m (13-15ft) Head: lower jaw sticks out further than Body: long chunky beak Distinctive Markings HUMPBACK WHALES upper jaw, crease where forehead & snout that is tipped with white, distinct blaze along (Megaptera novaeangliae) Head: thick & rounded head, no beak meet the spine that sweeps up into the dark dorsal cape, spots increase with age Length: 11-16m (35-50 ft) Flipper: short & slender Dorsal fin: tall & curved, slight behind Distinctive Markings Dorsal fin: rounded and located 1/3 from mid body Behavior: make very high leaps, particularly vocal and very active at the surface, often Head: knobs on head & chin snout Body: stocky, dark gray above, lighter on travel in large groups belly Flipper: long Body: dark brown to gray-black, light gray or

(up to 5m or 15 ft), white white patch Behavior: powerful swimmers (up to 30km an hour), acrobatic Baleen: 360-400 ash black plates on each side Teeth: 7-9 peglike teeth in each row of upper jaw COMMON DOLPHIN Behavior: travel in groups of 5-15, not very Dorsal Fin: located more than halfway down the (Delphinus delphis) acrobatic communicate via “clicks” (often loud back, often scarred enough to stun their prey) Tail: black above; underside of fluke may vary Length: 2.5m (8ft) from white to black, different from individual to Distinctive Markings individual like a fingerprint, photographed for Head: black beak and identification lips, often white-tipped Body: large & robust, also has 15-35 throat grooves Dorsal fin: triangular Behavior: Known for their acrobatic behaviors Body: black or brown above; white or cream including breaching (jumping out of the water), chest, hour-glass pattern on each side, yellow lob-tailing (smacking their flukes on the water) front flank patches and light grey rear flanks and spy-hopping (bobbing up & down vertically), males vocalize or “sing” during mating season, Behavior: highly active and social possibly to attract females, sound travels up to 200 miles.