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RISSO DOLPHIN
(Grampus Griseus)

   
Risso Dolphin DESCRIPTION: These dolphins are very large and robust with a length of up to 12.5 feet and weigh up to 1400 lbs. They often resemble small pilot whales and have a large rounded head with no beak. They are born a dark grey or black and get lighter as they get older, and are often marked with many white scars and splotches on their body and head. The belly is white and has an anchor pattern from their chest to the stomach. They have a tall dorsal fin located almost in the middle of their back and have a broad fluke with a deep notch. These dolphins are usually very active and can be seen from a distance. Risso’s are often seen with other dolphins especially bottlenose dolphins are were once thought of as being rare but are just found more offshore so they are not always seen as frequently as other dolphin species.
Dolphin Tours RANGE/HABITAT: Risso’s live mostly offshore especially in warm and tropical areas. They do not have a well known migration but it is thought that they seek cooler areas during the summer when productivity is higher. The regional occurrence of these dolphins seems to be linked to environmental changes especially warm water currents and food availability.
BEHAVIOR: Risso’s dolphins eat mainly squid which is evident by the numerous scratches and scars on their body and head. Risso’s however have very few teeth, only 7 on the bottom jaw and none on the top jaw, so the ability to catch and eat squid is quite a task. They are often found in groups of 3-30 individuals but “super pods” in the thousands have been seen. These dolphins usually travel in pairs side by side and are extremely active and acrobatic, leaping in the air and splashing a lot. They have also been seen traveling with other marine mammals and have been seen riding the wave off of larger whales or joining in bow riding off the front of a moving boat.
Risso Dolphin MATING / BREEDING: There is little known about their mating seasons or age of sexual maturity but it is thought to be before 13 years old and when individuals of both sexes are between 8-10 feet. Gestation is around 13 months and there is evidence that a calving season may occur in north Atlantic during the summer. The babies are 4-5 feet in length when they are born.
STATUS: This dolphin is thought to be fairly abundant although it was once thought to be very rare. This rarity is most likely due to their offshore nature. There is no global population number known but it is estimated that between 13 and 30 thousand inhabit the coast of California. Risso’s dolphins have been hunted for human consumption in few parts of the world but their largest current threat is from entanglement in fishing nets and coastal pollution.
   
 
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