Striped dolphin

It is the dolphin best known to recreational boaters because it has a marked tendency to approach boats and interact with them; indeed, it is common in areas far from the coast.

Its characteristic colouring makes it easy to identify: the back is dark grey, the flanks light grey and the belly white. Also clearly visible are a conspicuous pale, elongated patch resembling a “flame” next to the dorsal fin and three dark stripes running from the eye to the middle of the body. The dorsal fin is prominent and the back shows a range of colours from light brown to dark grey. It reaches a maximum of 2.70 m in length and 120 kg in weight.

Its diving and surfacing pattern is fairly irregular: it raises its tail and adjusts its breathing to the needs of the moment, such as play, escape or hunting.

It is a gregarious animal, seen in schools of never fewer than 20 individuals; females with calves and the youngest animals stay in the centre of the school, which spreads out over a fairly wide area, ready to regroup when necessary.

Its varied diet consists of crustaceans, oily fish, pelagic and benthopelagic fish, and cephalopods.