BBC HomeExplore the BBC
This page was last updated in July 2008We've left it here for reference.More information

10 February 2012
Accessibility help
Text only
Science & Nature: Animals Science & Nature
Science & Nature: Animals: Wildfacts

BBC Homepage

In Animals:


Contact Us

Like this page?
Send it to a friend!

 
You are here: BBC > Science & Nature > Animals > Wildfacts



Print version
White-beaked dolphin
Lagenorhynchus albirostris

Like many cetaceans, white-beaked dolphins are threatened by hunting, prey depletion, pollution and entanglement in nets.

Subspecies
None.

Life span
Unknown.

Statistics
Body length: 1.3-1.7m, Weight: 180-275kg.

Physical description
White-beaked dolphins have a white, grey and black body, with a pale area on the tailstock, a white stripe on each side and a white snout. They have dark flippers, fins, fluke and a short beak and tall dorsal fin.

Distribution
They inhabit waters from the North Atlantic to the Arctic Ocean.

Diet
White-beaked dolphins feed on crustaceans, squid and fish.

Behaviour
They appear in schools of 2-30, and during migration they may travel in groups of greater than 1500 individuals.

Conservation status
This species is not listed by the 2000 IUCN Red List. Global threats include hunting, prey depletion, pollution and entanglement in nets.




Blue whale




We've hundreds of animals to choose from. Please enter your keyword below. You can search for animals by their common or scientific name.




Science Homepage | Nature Homepage
Wildlife Finder | Prehistoric Life | Human Body & Mind | Space
Go to top



About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy