The Spotted Dolphin

Pantropical spotted dolphins are relatively small, reaching lengths of 6 to 7 feet and weighing approximately 250 pounds at adulthood. They have long, slender snouts or beaks. Like the Atlantic spotted dolphin, pantropical spotted dolphins do not have spots at birth but accumulate them as they age until they are almost completely covered with overlapping patterns. They are also distinguished by a dark cape or coloration on their backs—stretching from their head to almost midway between the dorsal fin and the tail flukes—and by a white-tipped beak.

Pantropical spotted dolphins usually occur in groups of several hundred to 1,000 animals. They are considered quite social, often schooling with other dolphin species. Although their specific migratory patterns have not been clearly described, they seem to move inshore in the fall and winter months and offshore in the spring.
Pantropical spotted dolphins spend most of their day in shallower water between 300 and 1,000 feet deep. At night, they dive into deeper waters to search for prey. They feed primarily on mesopelagic cephalopods and fish.

Pantropical spotted dolphins can be found in all tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. The depleted northeastern offshore spotted stock inhabits the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, far at sea. Coastal spotted dolphins are found within 100 miles of the coast. In addition, a Hawaiian stock occurs throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
In the Hawaiian archipelago, there are genetically distinct populations of pantropical spotted dolphins found between Hawaiߵi Island, Maui Nui, Oߵahu, and offshore. Animals from each population can travel 120 to 300 miles offshore, but they are generally found closer to the islands.