We had many dolphins swimming in our bay recently! Common and bottlenose dolphins are the most common species here in La Ventana, but each now and then we find other species, one of them being the pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata). Smaller than other dolphins, they are fast, playful, and highly acrobatic, irradiating a contagious joy. They love bow-riding and are very interactive, sometimes making eye contact from the water as they swim.
As their name indicates, they inhabit tropical and sub-tropical waters worldwide being probably the most abundant dolphins in the world. They are grey, with a darker dorsal cape, and have a dark and light spotting which is highly variable between individuals. They have no spots when they are born and develop them as they age, their spotting pattern is unique and can be used for photo identification. As they glide in the blue water, their spots look like glitter, shining bright.
Pantropical spotted dolphins often associate with yellowfin tuna, hunting together, last day we saw them, we could see the tuna hunting in front of the group. They feed on different offshore pelagic fish like lanternfish and flying fish, but they also eat squid and crustaceans and they usually hunt at night. Their association with tuna, caused a sharp reduction in their population during the 1980s, as tuna fishing boats were frequently capturing them together. Many dolphins were killed during this time, and more than 4 million were pantropical spotted. This sparked the famous and successful dolphin-safe tuna campaign, which led to changes in legislation, reducing mortality greatly. Thanks to these efforts, pantropical spotted dolphins now are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Change is possible, always be an informed consumer and choose what you eat to minimize impacts on our planet!