Spinner Dolphin Facts & Worksheets

Premium

Download the Spinner Dolphin Facts & Worksheets

Click the button below to get instant access to these worksheets for use in the classroom or at a home.

Download This Worksheet

This download is exclusively for KidsKonnect Premium members!
To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download!

Sign Me Up

Already a member? Log in to download.

Download

Edit This Worksheet

Editing resources is available exclusively for KidsKonnect Premium members.
To edit this worksheet, click the button below to signup (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start editing!

Sign Up

Already a member? Log in to download.

Edit

This worksheet can be edited by Premium members using the free Google Slides online software. Click the Edit button above to get started.

Spinner dolphins are most likely the most common marine mammals in the Pacific region’s coastal waters. Spinner dolphins got their name because they are frequently seen leaping and spinning through the water. The species name, longirostris, is Latin for “long beak,” referring to the rostrum slender shape.

See the fact file below for more information on the Spinner Dolphin, or you can download our 31-page Spinner Dolphin worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

CLASSIFICATION AND APPEARANCE

• Spinner dolphins are pretty well known for leaping out from the water and rotating as many as seven times in the air before dropping back into the water, making them one of the most acrobatic dolphins. Experts believe that dolphins use these behavior patterns mainly for acoustic-sending signals or interaction, but it is also possible that the activity is used to remove ectoparasites such as remoras.
• Spinner dolphins are small in comparison to other oceanic dolphin species. They are slender, with narrow, recurved flippers and dorsal fins that vary from slightly bent to erect and triangular.
• Adult females of Gray’s spinner dolphin (the distinct species that involves Hawaiian spinner dolphins) are 4.6 to 6.7 feet long, while males are 5.2 to 6.8 feet long. They can weigh at least 181 lbs. The color palette of spinner dolphins varies significantly worldwide, depending on region and subspecies.
• Gray’s spinner dolphins have a three-color pattern with countershading from light to dark. A dark gray dorsal/back robe, a pale gray side, and a white belly make up the three-part color area.
• Individual dolphins are distinguished by their distinctive dorsal fins. To acquire life history details for each animal, researchers photograph the dolphins’ pectoral fins and afterward complement each fin’s structure, nicks, and cut-outs to a collection of known individuals.

CLASSIFICATION

BEHAVIOR AND DIET

• Spinner dolphins feed at night on species such as tiny fish, prawns, and squid found 650 to 1,000 feet underneath the water’s surface. Spinner dolphin wild species migrate vertically and horizontally, spending the day in deep waters and then relocating up in the water section and nearshore in the evening.
• Spinner dolphins head back and forth gradually as a single entity while resting, with the living creatures in close formation but spaced just beyond interacting. 
• They may interact in resting activities for between four and five hours daily. This behavior may differ seasonally, corresponding to changes in day length. 
• Spinner dolphins use vision rather than infrasound to scan their environment while resting. During rest, group movements are generally in open, coastal locations where carnivores are more visible.
• They swim out into open water, then back into shallower water. This back-and-forth swimming pattern repeats itself in a zigzag way over most of the area, possibly serving as interactive learning for the rest of the group to organize their movement into the deep seas. 
• Similarly, the dolphins’ acoustic behaviors shift and fluctuate in time with their zigzag swimming patterns. When these patterns fade, the spinner dolphins sprint to their foraging basis, where they are occasionally united with humpback or sighted dolphins. 
• Spinner dolphin dive times are increased at this point, and the dolphins start their scavenging movements.
• Spinner dolphins usually suddenly boost their activity level at the end of their rest period, such as their swim speeds, aerial behaviors, intonations, and shorter dives than when resting. In 1994, spinner dolphins were observed swimming in a zigzag pattern after resting according to researchers.

HABITAT

• Spinner dolphins are typically encountered in deep seas, where they are likely to track prey. Even though the pelagic stock of Hawaiian spinner dolphins can be found in deeper waters offshore the islands, the rest of the Hawaiian population is more coastal. 

• During the day, the archipelago stocks of Hawaiian spinner dolphins find asylum in nearshore waters, returning to particular places to interact, rest, and nurture their young. These areas are usually in clear, calm, and shallow water.
• They typically have a sandy bottom, which assumedly provides a setting where the dolphins can visibly monitor predators while resting as they stop echolocating. Spinner dolphins use many bays and nearshore coastal waters, but they prefer certain bays.

DISTRIBUTION

• Spinner dolphins can be found in tropical and tropical waters all over the world. Worldwide, four subtypes of spinner dolphins are described:

• The Gray’s spinner dolphin is the most common type of spinner dolphin found all over the world.

LIFESPAN AND REPRODUCTION

• Spinner dolphins, like other marine mammals, reproduce slowly. They survive for almost 20 years, with certain individuals living up to 25 years. Spinner dolphins can mate all year, with numerous males breeding with a single female. Female spinner dolphins calve all year, usually once every three years, and lactate frequently for one to two years. They become sexually mature around the age of seven.

THREATS

• Marine debris is a massive problem in the marine ecosystem, posing numerous risks to the marine environment. Spinner dolphins, for example, may ingest (directly either through prey species) or become tangled up in marine litter.
• Humans intentionally and unintentionally introduce sound into the marine environment. This could include commercial and leisure sea actions, route planning, exploration for oil and gas and acquirement, research, and military operations. Spinner dolphins use noise to communicate, navigate, find prey, find carnivores, and sense their environment, which may be influenced by anthropogenic noise. 
• These interactions may result in drowning, debilitation, limited predator avoidance, wounds, either internal or external, sores or lesions on the skin due to obstruction of the intestinal system, resulting in starvation and, in some cases, death. 
• Furthermore, it can also result in life quality and/or reproductive capacity reductions, feeding capacity decrease, and the animal is subjected to the emergence and accumulation of harmful or toxic compounds. The intensity of the impact of debris connection to all dolphins is unknown because many deaths are likely to occur at sea undetected.
• Over the past few decades, viewing wild marine mammals in Hawaii has become popular for visitors and locals. Over 100 advertised boat rides and kayak tour activities offer opportunities to see these animals.
• Tours depart from various harbors along most of the primary Hawaiian Islands’ coasts, taking visitors to well-known areas for spinner dolphin observation. In some locations, researchers have seen up to 13 tour boats competing for situations on a fixed spinner dolphin cluster and more than 60 swimmers in the water trying to communicate with the dolphins at the same time.

DISEASES

• Spinner dolphins, as with all sea animals, are vulnerable to disease. Although outbreaks in spinner dolphins are uncommon, scientists have discovered deadly illnesses, including toxoplasmosis and cetacean morbillivirus.
• Even though the percentage of spinner dolphin deaths related to these diseases is less (many are assumed to be uninvestigated), these diseases have killed thousands of other species of marine mammals worldwide.

Spinner Dolphin Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Spinner Dolphin across 31 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Spinner Dolphin, the most common marine mammal in the Pacific region’s coastal waters.

Download includes the following worksheets

• Spinner Dolphin Facts 
• Fact vs. Myth
• The Anatomy
• Watch Out!
• Spinner Dolphin Glossary
• #SpinnerDolphin_Unique
• Finding Spinner Dolphins
• Informative Story
• A Poem by the Sea
• Roll the Dice
• All About Spinner Dolphins

Frequently Asked Questions

What do spinner dolphins look like?

Spinner dolphins are small to medium-sized dolphins that are typically gray or black in color. They have a long, slender snout and a curved dorsal fin. They are known for their acrobatic spinning jumps, which is where they get their name.

Where do spinner dolphins live?

Spinner dolphins are found in warm, tropical waters around the world, including in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are commonly found near the coast and in shallow waters, such as bays and lagoons.

What do spinner dolphins eat?

Spinner dolphins eat a variety of small fish, squid, and crustaceans. They use echolocation to locate their prey and then use their sharp teeth to catch and swallow it whole.

How long do spinner dolphins live?

Spinner dolphins can live for up to 20 years in the wild.

Are spinner dolphins endangered?

Spinner dolphins are not considered endangered, but some populations have been affected by human activities such as commercial fishing, pollution, and habitat loss. It’s important to protect them from these threats to ensure their survival.

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Spinner Dolphin Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 11, 2023