Robust, fusiform cetacean with a short, well‑defined “bottle‑shaped” rostrum, gently sloping melon, and falcate dorsal fin situated mid‑back. Dorsal coloration ranges slate‑grey to dark‑bluish, fading to lighter flanks and a pinkish‑white belly; calves are paler with fetal folds. Adults measure 2.0–4.0 m in length and weigh 150–650 kg, males averaging 15 % larger than females. Pectoral flippers are broad and pointed; flukes span 60–80 cm with a slight median notch. The thick blubber layer insulates and streamlines the body. Dentition comprises 18–26 pairs of conical teeth per jaw, used for grasping fish and squid.
males longer and heavier with broader tail‑stocks; females slightly smaller.
Total length 2.0–4.0 m; fluke span 0.6–0.8 m
150–650 kg
25–35 yr wild; up to 60 yr captivity
Data deficient
Data deficient
Females 5–10 yr; males 8–13 yr
Year‑round in tropics; calving peaks April–June
Number of Offspring per Event: 1 calf; inter‑birth interval 3–6 yr
Robust, fusiform cetacean with a short, well‑defined “bottle‑shaped” rostrum, gently sloping melon, and falcate dorsal fin situated mid‑back. Dorsal coloration ranges slate‑grey to dark‑bluish, fading to lighter flanks and a pinkish‑white belly; calves are paler with fetal folds. Adults measure 2.0–4.0 m in length and weigh 150–650 kg, males averaging 15 % larger than females. Pectoral flippers are broad and pointed; flukes span 60–80 cm with a slight median notch. The thick blubber layer insulates and streamlines the body. Dentition comprises 18–26 pairs of conical teeth per jaw, used for grasping fish and squid.
Occurs year‑round in coastal embayments, estuary mouths, coral‑reef drop‑offs and continental‑shelf waters to ≈ 200 m depth on both the Pacific and Caribbean shores of Costa Rica. Seasonal movements track prey and oceanographic fronts; resident pods in Golfo Dulce and Bahía Ballena show high site fidelity, whereas offshore groups range widely along upwelling zones.
Apex mid‑trophic predator feeding on pelagic and benthic fishes, squid and crustaceans; influences prey distribution and is prey to large sharks
Activity pattern: cathemeral but most active at dawn and dusk when prey schools rise.
Grouping: fission‑fusion societies; coastal resident “pods” of 10–30 individuals merge into temporary super‑pods > 100 during feeding or breeding bouts.
Mating system: promiscuous; males form short‑term alliances of two‑to‑three to court or coerce receptive females.
Site fidelity: matrilineal core groups occupy long‑term home ranges; males more transient.
Communication: broadband echolocation clicks, burst‑pulse squawks and individually distinctive “signature whistles”; physical contact (pectoral fin rubbing) reinforces bonds.
Cooperative foraging: employs mud‑ring corralling in Golfo Dulce, “strand‑feeding” on sand flats and team herding of sardine balls.
Tool use: some individuals in Pacific employ marine sponges over rostrum to probe seafloor (rare but documented).
Dolphins sleep uni‑hemispherically, keeping one brain hemisphere alert for respiration.
Use cooperative “mud‑ring” fishing in Golfo Dulce—one dolphin circles prey with silt plume.
Signature whistles function as individual “names” within fluid social groups.
Surface speeds reach 35 km h⁻¹, allowing bow‑riding of vessel waves.
