Common Dolphin

• the common dolphin is as its name suggests the most common dolphin in Irish waters however it is not often seen off the N. Ireland coast
• it is generally, males are slightly larger than females, measuring about 2.5m in length and weighing about 100kg.
• this dolphin is a very colourful, streamlined, dolphin with a long slender beak and a characteristic hourglass pattern on the sides
• in the northern hemisphere common dolphins breed during the summer and early Autumn period
• peak numbers and frequency of sightings occur between May and September
• common dolphins travel in groups of around 10-50 in number and frequently gather into schools numbering 100 to 2000 individuals
• these schools are generally very active - groups often surface, jump and splash together
• typical behaviour includes breaching, tail-slapping, chin-slapping, bow-riding and porpoising
• common dolphins are among the fastest swimming cetaceans, possibly reaching speeds of over 40 km/h.
• Participate in an IWDG or NIEA event and look out for common dolphins
• read about us Monitoring Cetaceans in Northern Ireland waters in the 6th edition of Coast
• watch a great video of what some boat trippers saw off the west coast of Scotland recently, so get out there you never know what you might see!